Gandy Dancer State Trail

4/5 (6 reviews)
The Gandy Dancer State Trail is a gentle and scenic drive through the Nemadji and St. Croix State Forests. The trail follows an abandoned railroad track and provides the only vehicle access to the Black Lake Bog State Natural Area. A gandy dancer was a slang term for railroad workers who built the o...Read More
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Highlights of Gandy Dancer State Trail

Forest Category IconForest
Overland Category IconOverland
Highest Elevation
1326 ft
Shape of Trail
Straight Through
Typically Open
Year Round
Best Direction
N/A
Official Trail Name
Gandy Dancer Trail
Nearest Town
Moose Lake
Nearest Services
Moose Lake
Management Agency
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
District
St Croix and Nemadji State Forests

Overview

The Gandy Dancer State Trail is a gentle and scenic drive through the Nemadji and St. Croix State Forests. The trail follows an abandoned railroad track and provides the only vehicle access to the Black Lake Bog State Natural Area. A gandy dancer was a slang term for railroad workers who built the original track. The workers used tools manufactured by the Gandy Manufacturing Company. The railroad crews were known to sing in unison with their repetitive tasks, like hammering in railroad spikes, which led to them being described as dancers. The trail is famous for birders, wildlife sightings, and wildflowers.


Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Guide Overview
17 Waypoints
53 Trail Photos
1 Trail Concerns
6 Community Reviews
1 Video
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