September 2017 — The Cedar Lake Trail passes through the industrial district of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, illuminated here by the community’s water tower and nearby grain elevators. This segment of the trail follows a former railroad right-of-way once used by the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway, which connected local industries to the region’s freight network. The corridor’s transformation into one of the country’s first bicycle “freeways” in the 1990s marked a major milestone in urban redevelopment and sustainable transportation planning. Once lined with lumberyards, steel fabricators, and mills, the area surrounding the trail reflects the industrial origins of St. Louis Park—a community that grew rapidly in the early 20th century due to its proximity to both Minneapolis and key rail junctions. The trail today bridges that history, offering cyclists and commuters a route through a landscape where freight trains, utility towers, and legacy industry remain active reminders of the city’s manufacturing past.

April 2019 — The Minneapolis skyline glows against a deep twilight sky, its mix of modern glass towers and classic architecture illuminated from within. Iconic buildings such as the IDS Center and Wells Fargo Center define the city’s vertical rhythm, while the rail and industrial foreground recall the infrastructure that shaped its early economy. Captured during blue hour, the scene reflects the enduring balance between industry and innovation that characterizes Minneapolis.

May 2019 — A detour sign for the Southwest Light Rail Transit (SWLRT) project stands beside a bike trail in Minneapolis, showing the rerouted path for cyclists and pedestrians during construction of the Green Line Extension. The detailed map outlines temporary closures through the Kenilworth Corridor and Cedar Lake areas, where new light rail tracks are being installed to connect downtown Minneapolis with the southwestern suburbs. The project, one of the largest public works efforts in Minnesota history, has significantly altered popular urban trails like the Midtown Greenway and Cedar Lake Trail since construction began in the late 2010s.

November 2019 —

May 2022 — The Cedar Lake Trail in Minneapolis.

May 2022 — Minneapolis as seen from the Cedar Lake Trail.

April 2023 — Graffiti reading "Winston Smith was assassinated by the MPD on the Cedar Lake Trail in April 2023.

June 2023 — A full moon as seen from the Cedar Lake Trail on June 3, 2023.

August 2023 — Bryn Mawr Station construction in Minneapolis. The station is part of the new Southwest Green Line light rail extension from Minneapolis to the western suburbs.

July 2024 —

January 2025 — Sunset over the Cedar Lake Trail in Minneapolis.

October 2025 — New bench installed on the Cedar Lake Trail in Minneapolis. The trail was rebuilt following construction of the new green line extension light rail project.

October 2025 — Biking towards Downtown Minneapolis on a autumn morning, a foggy haze covers the tops of the buildings.

October 2025 — The new rails of the Metro Transit Southwest LRT green line extension. Lake of the Isles, Bde Maka Ska and Cedar Lake.

November 2025 — Graffiti reading "cold? burn a precint!"[sic]

November 2025 — After being closed for years during Light Rail train construction, the Cedar Lake Trail is open again with brand new lighting.