Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail

Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail
Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail in Sakatah Lake State Park
Length41 mi (66 km)
LocationMinnesota, USA
TrailheadsFaribault
Mankato
UseBicycling, hiking, in-line skating, horseback riding, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing
DifficultyEasy
MonthsYear-round
SightsCannon River, Sakatah Lake State Park

Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail is a 41-mile-long (66 km) paved multi-use rail trail connecting Faribault and Mankato, Minnesota. It is maintained by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, which converted it from a railroad line. The name derives from the Dakota people who lived in the region; "Sakatah" translates into "singing hills". It began as a snowmobile trail and is now shared by hikers, joggers and cross-country skiers. There are sections of parallel dirt trail for horseback riders but they are not continuous. The landscape is mostly cultivated land with remnant stands of prairie and Big Woods. The trail passes through Sakatah Lake State Park and runs through city streets in Waterville.