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RICE CREEK NORTH REGIONAL TRAIL MASTER PLAN | 14 <br />7. Rice Creek Water Trail: The Rice Creek Water Trail offers a wide variety of paddling experiences for <br /> canoe and kayak users alike. The trail begins in Lino Lakes at the Peltier Lake boat launch and <br /> travels over 15 miles to Long Lake in New Brighton. Rice Creek flows through a variety of <br /> habitats and settings on its way to Long Lake, and paddling difficulty varies depending <br /> upon which section of the creek you are exploring. The upper part of the water trail makes its way <br /> through five lakes. The existing carry in sites and portage trails may need future improvements to make <br /> the creek more accessible. <br />Existing Site Amenities & Features <br />The Rice Creek North Regional Trail is comprised of 792 acres in a linear corridor stretching form the county <br />boundary at County Road J in the north and Long Lake regional trail to the south. There are a variety of <br />habitat types and land covers including prairies, oak woods, wooded uplands, and floodplains. The trail boasts <br />a variety of recreational opportunities including hiking, bicycling, cross country skiing, bird watching, canoeing <br />and kayaking, fishing and many more. <br />The north segment of the regional trail consists of a large floodplain to Rice Creek along with restored prairies <br />and wooded uplands. The Rice Creek off leash dog area, a 13 acre fully fenced regional facility, is also located <br />in this segment. In addition the north segment of the regional trail includes: <br />• Lexington Avenue North Trailhead <br /> -Restroom building <br /> -Portage trail leading to a canoe and kayak launch on Rice Creek <br /> -Drinking fountain/water bottle filler <br /> -Trash and recycling containers <br /> -Parking for 35 vehicles <br /> -Benches <br /> -Wayfinding signs <br />• County Road I Trailhead <br /> -Benches <br /> -Trash and recycling containers <br /> -Wayfinding signs <br /> -Parking for 32 vehicles <br />• 6 community access points in addition to the 2 trailheads <br />• Natural surface footpaths/hiking trails <br />• Bituminous regional trail <br />The central segment of the regional trail is sparsely developed currently, with bituminous trails, 2 bridges, and <br />benches scattered throughout. A transfer of lands from the federal government has greatly increased the space <br />available for development within this segment. <br />The south segment of the trail traverses a large forest restoration undertaken by Ramsey County. It is a unique <br />area within the park as the landcover type seems unique to the corridor. In addition to the regional trail the area <br />also boasts: <br />• 1.24 miles of cross country ski trails maintained by Irondale High School <br /> -These trails are also mowed in the summer providing a nice trail running/hiking route <br />• 2 connecting trails to the local community <br />Canoe & Kayak Carry in Site