This master plan conveys a vision to establish a greenway following the south side of the Minnesota River valley from Burnsville to St. Paul. Like other greenways being planned in Dakota County, the Minnesota River Greenway is envisioned to provide multiple benefits to water quality, habitat enhancement, recreation and non-motorized transportation.
The Minnesota River Greenway travels 17 miles through Burnsville, Eagan, Mendota Heights, Mendota and Lilydale before landing at St. Paul’s Lilydale Regional Park, where trails continue to Harriet Island and downtown St. Paul. This corridor is part of the larger Minnesota Valley State Trail corridor planned by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources that will travel from Le Sueur to St. Paul.
For more information, read the 
Minnesota River Greenway Master Plan.
Public comment - Environmental Assessment Worksheet
Dakota County is planning to build a 3.7-mile section of the Minnesota River Greenway in Fort Snelling State Park, and the public can review environmental impacts of the project.
The county will partner with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on the new greenway section from the trailhead near Cedar Avenue in Burnsville to the trailhead at Lone Oak Road in Eagan. The proposed trail is primarily located in Eagan within an unimproved area of Fort Snelling, south of the Minnesota River.
An Environmental Assessment Worksheet, which describes the project and its impacts, is available for public review and comment June 8–July 8, 2021.
Minnesota River Greenway Environmental Assessment Worksheet
Submit written comments through July 8 to John Mertens at Dakota County, 1590 Hwy. 55, Hastings MN 55033, or by email at john.mertens@co.dakota.mn.us.
Cultural Resources Interpretive Plan
The Minnesota River Cultural Resources Interpretive Plan will guide historic and cultural resource interpretation along Dakota County’s Minnesota River Greenway through engaging, interactive installations. The project was funded, in part, by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society.
Minnesota River Interpretive Plan
Executive Summary
Minnesota River Greenway Study Documents
Alignment Feasibility Study Schedule
Greenway Issues Map
Proposed Trail Alignments
Nicols Fen Report (2008)
Floodplain Map
Soils Map
Water Resources Map
Fort Snelling Ecological Study (1995)
Wetland Delineation Report
Eagan Alignment Feasibility Study