Border Bike Shines Light on Pending Interstate Connection

The Shooting Star State Trail in far southern Minnesota travels through remnants of tall grass prairies, much of it built on an abandoned railroad grade. The eastern terminus is in LeRoy, MN, right above the Minnesota-Iowa state line. The trail then passes through Lake Louise State Park and continues northwest to the town of Taopi, Adams and Rose Creek. The final stretch travels north out of Rose Creek and picks up Austin’s network of city trails north of I-90.

The last leg of the project calls for the trail to drop south from Austin to the town of Lyle on the Minnesota-Iowa border. While a timeline for this last part has not been established, another extension has the potential to become a reality much sooner. From near Taopi, MN, a four-mile leg will extend to the Minnesota-Iowa border and connect to the Wapsi-Great Western Line Trail (WGWLT). This 27-mile paved trail travels southeast from the state border into Elma, IA. Together with Austin’s city trails, the resulting network will be 72 miles long.

“The WGWL Trail is completed 26 miles to the Minnesota border in 2019. The Shooting Star Trail group with the DNR, Mower County and partners are working on completing the four-mile connection to Iowa,” says Juliet O’Keefe, volunteer for the WGWLT friends group. They hold several events each year to drum up support for this pending interstate connection and the newest one is the Border Bike, happening this Saturday.There’s a 22-mile route from the WGWL trailhead in Riceville, IA to the Ghost Town of Bailey and back. A 26-mile route travels to the MN/IA state line with elevated views of the surrounding farmland. For those seeking a longer adventure, the 56-mile route makes a loop on the WGWLT and Shooting Star Trail as well as local roads. There are five refreshment locations, four with restaurants offering free or $1 treats. 

When you’re biking between the two states, expect to see woods, wind turbines, trout streams and Amish farms. There’s a lot to do after the ride as well. Visit Lake Hendricks, Lake Louise State Park and Frisky Fox and Four Daughters Wineries. There is, of course, the SPAM Museum in nearby Austin and Angry Hog and Gravity Storm Breweries.

“These trails are hidden gems, with interesting curves and surprising views,” says O’Keefe. “If you haven’t ridden the WGWL Trail or the Shooting Star Trail, this is an excellent opportunity to see why they were chosen as the interstate connection between Iowa and Minnesota.”

WGWLT friends group photos