You can always take 76th Street just through Richfield, stopping at Andale Taqueria or Broadway Pizza along the way for a family outing. But if you want to really explore, you can bike the entire trail and extend even further via regional trails in nearly every direction.
Completed in 2018, the Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail starts on 76th Street and extends from Richfield all the way to Hopkins in the west; or take 76th Street east to the edge of Richfield, where it hooks you up with the Nokomis-Minnesota River Regional Trail running north to Lake Nokomis and south to the Minnesota River!
Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail
One thing that makes this trail special is how it features the metro area’s natural beauty–from wetlands and woodlands to boardwalks and urban stretches to rivers and lakes. And except for one short section where the trail passes over the freeway, the Richfield portion of the trail is primarily flat and rideable for all ages and abilities.
Starting at the eastern edge of Richfield, head west along 76th. You’ll pass Washington Park on your left at 17th Avenue, where you can check out their brand-new playground equipment (installed in September 2020), and see what the pickleball craze is all about!
If you need a break, you’ll find a number of restaurants in the 76th and Lyndale area; then hop back on the trail and keep heading west. You’ll hit one of the trail’s information kiosks at Emerson Avenue…a great place to get your bearings and plan for the next leg of your route. You’ll cross over the 35W bridge, and from there along a well-marked section of the trail at the edge of Donaldson Park, where you can give the kids a break on the playground.
Staying along 76th Street, you’ll leave Richfield at Xerxes Avenue and enter portions of Edina, Hopkins, and Minnetonka. The trail is well-marked all the way along, and you’ll see multiple information kiosks offering trail access information, trail highlights, and detailed maps. And just in case you need a top-off, all stations are equipped with bike tire pumps.
Nokomis-Minnesota River Regional Trail
Starting on 76th Street at the east edge of Richfield, you can head north on Cedar Avenue and cross 66th Street to see Target on your right (bring your bike trailer and get your shopping done!). You’ll skirt Taft Park (with new playground equipment installed in 2019) and Taft Lake, where if you’ve booked ahead, you can stop and rent a kayak or paddleboard for a couple of hours.
Keep heading north over Highway 62 and you’ll cross into Minneapolis, where you’ll arrive at Lake Nokomis. We recommend picking up a box lunch from Patrick’s Bakery before you head out; Nokomis is a perfect spot to enjoy a picnic lunch!
Returning south along the trail back through Richfield, try taking it the other direction, toward the Minnesota River. You’ll take Cedar Avenue south, jog west briefly on 76th Street so that you can cross Highway 494 on 12th Avenue, and from there either connect back up with Old Cedar Avenue to continue south to the Minnesota River, or head east and straight into the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. A great family outing!
Parking
There are several locations in Richfield where you can park and hit the trails above:
- Nine Mile Creek Trail:
- Washington Park; 7600 – 17th Avenue South
- Roosevelt Park; 7644 – 4th Avenue South
- Donaldson Park; 7434 Humboldt Avenue South
- Adams Hill Park; 7200 Washburn Avenue South
- Nokomis-Minnesota River Trail:
- Washington Park; 7600 – 17th Avenue South
- Taft Park; 1800 East 63rd Street
Maps
You can download an interactive map of the Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail here, and a map of the Nokomis-Minnesota River Regional Trail here.
