Why would the park district close a trail for four months when it's on the winter plowing list? Two miles of the Dakota Rail Regional Trail in Orono, from North Shore Drive to Orono Orchard Road, close on December 1 so can lay a new sewer pipe next to one that has served this part of Orono since 1979. The trail is the last leg of the pipe's route, and the first part to get firm closure dates.
The trail closure is the easy part to plan around. The rest of the route runs on residential streets, and that work has no published calendar yet.
December 1 to March 31, With No Detour
Three Rivers Park District says the Orono section of the Dakota Rail will close from North Shore Drive to Orono Orchard Road from December 1 through March 31. That's about two miles of trail, closed so Metropolitan Council Environmental Services can install a new sewer line. The trail stays open on either side of the closed section, but the district says it will not post a detour. Winter use drops off sharply, and the district scheduled the work for fall and winter to keep disruption low.
Here's why that matters for anyone who walks the dog or runs this stretch in January. On Three Rivers' winter maintenance page, the most recent schedule is labeled 2025–26. On that list, Dakota Rail in Orono is plowed, and Dakota Rail through Minnetrista and St. Bonifacius is not. So the closed section is one of the plowed stretches. Treat that schedule as last season's. A 2026–27 version had not been posted as of late October.
The good news comes in spring. Three Rivers says the parts of the trail torn up by the sewer work will be repaved as part of the project.
The Pipe Going In Under the Trail
Met Council calls the work the Orono Sewer Improvements, Project 802897. Its May 2026 contract item to the council's Environment Committee explains the reason for it plainly:
"The 7113 forcemain was built in 1979 and serves Lift Station L59. Due to age, pipe condition, and volume of existing flow, a redundant forcemain is needed."
That's from the Met Council business item. It describes the job as a full-length, fully redundant forcemain, with interconnect structures and new meters on both the old pipe and the new one. In other words, the 1979 pipe stays in service and gets a full-length backup.
The same item recommended awarding contract 25P335 to Meyer Contracting Inc. for up to $25,657,165.46. When the bids were advertised in February 2026, 59 plan holders signed up, including 16 prime bidders.
The project page traces the route in this order:
- It starts at lift station L59 on Lilac Lane.
- It runs south on Old Crystal Bay Road.
- It turns east on North Shore Drive.
- It turns north on Brown Road.
- Near Brown Road and Lakeview Avenue, it picks up the Dakota Rail Trail and follows it northeast to Orono Orchard Road.
The trail is the final leg. Most of the route runs on roads that Orono residents drive every day.
The Streets Come Later, One at a Time
Met Council plans to use both open-trench digging and trenchless tunneling. It will also work on one street at a time. The agency admits on its project page that this approach can stretch out the schedule, and says it does so to avoid disrupting whole neighborhoods at once. The project page expects construction to start in late 2026 and finish in spring or summer 2028. A Met Council community meeting flyer gives a slightly different timeline: construction through fall 2027, then final restoration that may run into spring or summer 2028.
Met Council says to expect these impacts while each street is under construction:
- Road closures, intersection restrictions and traffic detours
- Dust, noise, odor, vibration and visual disruption
- Temporary aboveground wastewater pipes
- Driveway access kept open
Nobody has published which street gets dug in which season. The trail's December-to-March window is the only part of the schedule with firm dates. Met Council held a pre-construction community meeting on September 24 at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts, 2240 North Shore Drive. That building sits on the route. The project page has an email and text sign-up for updates. In an earlier council recap, the City of Orono said it would post Met Council's updates as well. If you live on Old Crystal Bay Road, North Shore Drive or Brown Road, the text alerts are the easiest way to hear first when your street is next.
West of Orono, the Trail Is in Three Pieces
The Orono closure is one of three breaks on the western Dakota Rail this season.
Mound to Minnetrista. About 2.5 miles between Shoreline Drive in Mound and Westonka Recreation Park in Minnetrista closed on October 15 and stays closed through the end of February. Xcel Energy is replacing the high-voltage transmission line that runs alongside the trail, past Gale Woods Farm.
Commerce Boulevard in Mound. A Hennepin County road project closed the trail crossing at Commerce Boulevard starting October 5. Crews are bringing the ramps up to ADA standards, and this one has a posted detour.
Orono. North Shore Drive to Orono Orchard Road closes from December 1 through March 31, as described above.
That leaves the stretch from Wayzata to North Shore Drive outside all three closures. The 2025–26 plowing list included Wayzata, Orono, Minnetonka Beach, Spring Park and Mound. On that schedule, the Wayzata end was the maintained part. A long point-to-point ride toward Mound won't work this winter. Out-and-backs from the Wayzata side should.
Where the Winter Walk Goes Instead
For a groomed, maintained winter trail, the nearest large option is Baker Park Reserve's Baker Winter Trailhead at 2935 Parkview Drive in Medina. Its chalet is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. as trail conditions allow.
Baker serves different winter users in different places. It has 9.1 miles of cross-country ski trails, groomed daily for both classic and skate skiing. Snowshoers get 6.3 miles. Snowshoeing is allowed on the multi-use trail or off-trail at the campground, but not on the ski trails unless marked. The multi-use trail allows hiking, snowshoeing, leashed dog walking, skijoring, dog sledding and mountain biking. Baker also plows the campground road for walkers and leashed dogs. Anyone who walks a dog on Dakota Rail can move that walk to the campground road with no pass or equipment.
Skiers age 12 and older need a ski pass. Here's what the district lists:
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Daily ski pass, all parks | $12 | 2026–27 rate |
| Daily ski pass, natural snow parks | $8 | 2026–27 rate |
| Season ski pass, all parks | $95 | 2026–27 rate |
| Cross-country ski rental, age 12+ | $18 | Two hours, tax included |
| Cross-country ski rental, age 11 and under | $13 | Two hours, tax included |
| Snowshoe rental | $7 | Two hours, tax included |
The pass prices appear on the district's 2026–27 ski pass listing. The rental prices come from the district's current winter equipment rentals page, so confirm them when you book. Baker rentals can be reserved online or by phone up to seven days ahead, as conditions allow. The district recommends booking ahead because it has limited equipment and limited indoor space. Three Rivers has also moved rentals, program registration and pass purchases onto a new reservation system, so expect a fresh login if you last booked a few seasons ago.
If you're heading to Baker in mid-November: Three Rivers has scheduled an archery deer hunt there for November 13 to 15. The park stays open, with normal access to amenities including the paved and turf trails.
The Luce Line Regional Trail is a paved option to the east. Three Rivers says it's plowed in winter except through Theodore Wirth Park, where it closes for the season. The district's winter maintenance list names Plymouth and Golden Valley as the plowed segments.
Closer to home, Long Lake's Holbrook Park at 310 Harrington Drive puts in seasonal hockey and pleasure-skating rinks, plus a warming house. Hours depend on staffing and are posted at the building.
April, and the Pipe That Keeps Going
The Orono closure is set to run through March 31, and Three Rivers says the sections dug up for the pipe will be repaved. The sewer project keeps going after that. The new forcemain still has to run from Lilac Lane along Old Crystal Bay Road, North Shore Drive and Brown Road, one street at a time, with construction expected through fall 2027 and restoration possibly into 2028.
If you're thinking about selling a home on Old Crystal Bay Road, North Shore Drive or Brown Road, or buying one, sometime in the next two years, we can help you work around this construction calendar. We follow Met Council's updates as they're posted. Reach out to Avenues & Acres Home Team to Request Your Free Concierge Consultation.
