The Twin Cities hold one of the country's best big-city trail concentrations. Theodore Wirth Park puts flowy, rooty singletrack inside Minneapolis city limits, while Lebanon Hills in Eagan, Murphy-Hanrehan and Elm Creek ring the metro within a short drive. The glacial soils here run to loam over sand and clay: the sandy sections shed water within hours, the clay pockets stay greasy far longer, and the whole network closes during spring thaw to protect soft tread. Knowing which of those you're about to ride is the difference between hero dirt and doing damage.
Right now about 71 of 125 featured Minneapolis–St. Paul trails are riding well. Conditions change daily with rain and snowmelt, so the list below shows the live read for each trail, and the chart shows which day ahead is your best bet.
Typical riding conditions by month, blending heat and trail conditions from 10 years of local climate data — so you can plan a trip for the right window.
The best time to ride Minneapolis–St. Paul is April and September through October, when daytime highs sit in the 55–71°F range and the dirt is typically dry. The high country is usually snowbound January through February and December. Planning a trip? Those are your safest bets — and for this week, the live forecast below shows exactly which days are riding well (right now 71 of 125 featured trails are good to go).
Bar height = our ride-friendliness score for a typical year; colour = the main limiting factor; the number under each month is the average daytime high. Based on 1991–2020 climate normals (NOAA). This year's live conditions are below.
Named riding areas in Minneapolis–St. Paul, each with its own live conditions and the trails inside it.
Every featured singletrack trail, sorted by today's real conditions, best first. Refreshed every morning.
Today the trails riding best near Minneapolis–St. Paul are 18th Ave NE Trail, 45 North Trail and Access. The full list below is sorted by today's real conditions, best first, and refreshes every morning, so the top of the list is always your best bet right now. See live conditions →
It depends on recent rain and each trail's soil. The 10-day outlook on this page shows how many Minneapolis–St. Paul trails are expected to be riding well each day, with rain markers, so you can pick the right day instead of guessing. See the 10-day outlook →
Right now 54 of 125 featured Minneapolis–St. Paul trails are reading soft or too muddy to ride. Minneapolis–St. Paul is mostly sandy soil, which drains fast and firms up quickly after rain, so after a storm some trails firm up within a day while others stay greasy. Riding wet, soft dirt damages trails and leaves ruts, so check the live mud reading on each trail before you head out. Check the live mud reading →
Minneapolis–St. Paul has 142 featured mountain bike trails tracked here for conditions, with more searchable on the live map.
Minneapolis–St. Paul trails run from about 692–1,047 ft. Higher trails hold snow later into spring and dry out later than the lower ones, so conditions can vary a lot across the same area on the same day.
The best time to ride Minneapolis–St. Paul is April and September through October, when daytime highs are in the 55–71°F range and the trails are typically dry. The high country is usually snowbound January through February and December. This is based on 10 years of local climate data; check the live conditions on this page for how the trails are actually riding today.
The main riding season in Minneapolis–St. Paul is roughly March through November; the high trails are usually snowbound January through February and December and melt out through spring. This page tracks snow coverage and melt-out daily so you can time the high country.
See all Minnesota trail conditions →
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