Highway 35 Off-Road Trail

St. Croix County, with federal and county funding, is developing the Highway #35 Off-Road Trail, a 10-foot-wide off-road, blacktopped, bicycle/pedestrian facility that will connect western St. Croix County jurisdictions to each other and to the Minnesota trail system.

Phases:

  • Phase I (construction completed in fall 2024): 0.98 miles from North End Road (North Hudson) to Old Hwy. #35 and future Eckert Blufflands Park entrance.
  • Phase II (design beginning fall 2025 – tentative construction date of 2027): 1.23 miles from Old Hwy. #35 to County Road V/River Road.
  • Phase III: (design beginning winter 2025/2026 – tentative construction date of 2027 or 2028): 1.28 miles from County Road V to 125th Avenue.
  • Phase IV (application for federal funding to be submitted in fall of 2025): 1.92 miles from 125th Avenue to the Loop Trailhead in Houlton, linking to Stillwater, MN, and the Twin Cities Regional Trail System.

(please see map link below for locations of various phases)

Connectivity & Benefits:

  • Links Hudson/North Hudson residents and visitors to schools, libraries, shopping areas, churches, community events, and multiple parks (Eckert Blufflands, Willow River State Park, Loop Trail).
  • Extends multimodal connections north and west, integrating with the Loop Trail (completed 2020) and Minnesota’s Gateway/Browns Creek State Trails west of Stillwater, MN.
  • Once complete, will create a 33-mile network from Afton, MN, to the I-94 St. Croix River bridge crossing, northward through Hudson/North Hudson, into Houlton, Stillwater, and the Twin City Regional Trail system

Planning & Funding:

  • Guided by the 2017 St. Croix County Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, developed through extensive public input.
  • Supported by Federal TAP (Transportation Alternative Systems) and Carbon Reduction Program grants; three of four segments are already funded.
  • Aligns with Priority Corridors #2 and #3 in the 2017 Plan.

Current Efforts: 

  • SRF Consulting beginning Phase II design in fall 2025; public information meeting planned for late winter/spring 2026.
  • SEH Consulting beginning Phase III design in winter/spring 2026
  • Ongoing pursuit of funding and design for phase IV.

Maps

Highway 35 Off-Road Trail Phase Map (PDF)