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TRAIL CLOSURE: Currently there are no trail closures on the Hennepin Canal.
The Hennepin Canal is shaped like an upside down “T” and offers over 100 miles of scenic towpaths that abut the entire length of the waterway. The “mainline canal” is the base of the upside down T and the “feeder canal” is the stem that flows down from Rock Falls, IL.
Towpath is located on both sides of the majority of both the mainline canal and the feeder canal. There are two types of paved surfaces along the canal: gravel/aggregate lime or oil & chip. Portions of the trail must be shared by hikers, cyclists, and equestrians where towpath is located on only one side of the canal around the aqueducts. The table below shows the mainline canal’s towpath surface type for those who want to plan what type of surface they run or bike on.
The opposite side of the paved surface side is a grass trail for equestrian use. The grassy side can also be used by cyclists and hikers, but equestrians have the right-of-way.
The feeder canal is oil and chip from Bridge 46 to Bridge 56. The southern half of the feeder canal is paved.
Parking lots are located all along the canal, where you can park and ride or hike the trails. You can also view the location of these parking lots on our interactive map.
| Mainline canal towpath | Side of Canal | Surface Type |
|---|---|---|
Lock 2 to Lock 12 |
South side |
oil & chip |
Lock 12 to Bridge 15 |
South side (shared) |
gravel |
Bridge 15 to Lock 22 |
North side |
Oil & chip |
Lock 22 to Bridge 20 |
North side (shared) |
Gravel |
Bridge 20 to Bridge 23 |
North side |
Oil & chip |
Bridge 23 to Bridge 24 |
North side (shared) |
Gravel |
Bridge 24 to Bridge 32 |
North side |
Oil & chip |
Bridge 32 to Bridge 33 |
North side (shared) |
Gravel |
Bridge 33 to Bridge 39 |
North side |
Oil & chip |
Bridge 39 to Lock 25 |
South side |
Oil & chip |
Lock 25 to Bridge 40A |
South side |
Gravel |
Bridge 40A to Bridge 40 |
South side |
Oil & chip |
Bridge 40 to Lock 29 |
North side |
Oil & chip |
