Exploring Central Minnesota: Rent a Bike on The Lake Wobegon Trail

Looking to get out into summer and explore Central Minnesota's famous Lake Wobegon Trail by bicycle -- but you don't have a bike?

No problem.

You can rent one of 8 bikes at the Lake Wobegon Trailheads in St. Joseph and at Rivers Edge Park in Waite Park.

For one-dollar an hour, you can rent a 7-speed unisex bike with adjustable seat and rear basket.

All you have to do is download and install the Movatic app in either Google Play or the Apple App Store.

Then go to the trailheads in either St. Joe or Waite Park and checkout a bicycle using a few easy steps. The instructions will walk you through how to use the app, checkout and return your rental bicycle.

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The Waite Park and St. Joseph Bike Share Program on the Lake Wobegon Trail started in 2019, funded by Stearns County Public Health from the Statewide Health Improvement Program.

Renting a bike is a great way to sample the trail and get out and enjoy our Central Minnesota summer without a lot of financial investment.

The roughly 4.5 mile trail stretch between St. Joe and Waite Park was finished in 2018 and is a popular way to enter the trail at River's Edge Park. The St. Joseph trailhead is under the city water tower.

From St. Joseph, the trail extends westward through Stearns County with trailheads in Avon, Albany, Freeport, Melrose and Sauk Centre. The trail extends into Todd County's Osakis and West Union before connecting to the Central Lakes State Trail that extends to Fergus Falls.

The Lake Wobegon Trail also has a spur that extends north from Albany, on to Holdingford and connects with the Soo Line Trail, going through Bowlus, over the Blanchard Dam and trailheading on Highway 10.

But if you're renting a bike, you're probably tooling around Waite Park, St. Joseph and maybe on to Avon and Albany. Here are some online maps.