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

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.

Sunset over the Cedar Lake Trail in Minneapolis.

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.

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

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

Minneapolis as seen from the Cedar Lake Trail.

The Cedar Lake Trail in Minneapolis.

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.

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.

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.