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 ... Read More
Sign Up for Free
All-Access Preview Icon
Gandy Dancer State Trail is an All-Access Preview trail guide. Sign up for a Free Membership to get all the details.

Highlights of Gandy Dancer State Trail

Forest Category Icon Forest
Overland Category Icon Overland
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
Trail Tools
App Store Icon Open in App
Gaia GPS Icon Upload to Gaia GPS
Download GPX
Directions to...
Share Trail
Print Trail

Start a 7-Day Free Trial and Unlock 5,000+ Trail Guides

3000+ Detailed Trail Guides
2000+ Member Only Scout Routes
Companion App with Offline Use
New Tracks Added Weekly
Download GPX Files and Print Guides
Access to Trail Guide Writer
What makes our Trail Guides so great?

Sign Up for Free to Get a Taste of Adventure

Free Members get 205 introductory guides to explore. Upgrade to an All-Access Membership for 5,000+ trails at your fingertips.
Start a free trial and get this level of detail on every trail guide
Start Free Trial