Trail Planning
People want trails, clean water and open space. The county and its cities recognize the demand, building systems anchored on their parks, but these aren’t always connected or coordinated to maximize benefits to the community.
The Greenway Collaborative pools county, city, state and other resources to connect city parks, regional parks, rivers, wetlands, open space, existing trails and activity centers in a connected system.
A vision of interconnected greenways
The greenway vision identifies 200 miles of regional greenway. Two-thirds of these trails are on land currently in public or semipublic ownership.
More than just trails
Greenways serve four primary functions in one corridor. They:
- Improve water quality
- Connect wildlife habitat
- Provide recreation
- Provide nonmotorized transportation
For more information about the Greenway Collaborative, read the Greenway Guidebook.
Greenway Design Guidelines
Greenway Design Guidelines provides local cities and townships, developers, consultants, and Dakota County departments instructions on the design and implementation for greenway corridor trails and amenities.
Greenway Wayfinding Signage Standards
The Greenway Wayfinding Signage Standards Manual provides guidance to Dakota County staff and outside consultants who are involved in greenway signage. It guides the use of the Dakota County Greenway signage design standard and assures that it is correctly and consistently applied.