The Hennepin Canal Parkway has been designated part of a 4,000-mile nationwide Great American Rail-Trail planned by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
On Thursday, organizers announcedthe proposed nationwide route is now more than 50 percent complete, a milestone the had been identified as the threshold for committing to make the trail a reality.
The 160,000-member nonprofit organization is creating a nationwide network of trails, often using former rail lines. The project will connectrail-trails, greenways and other multi-use paths in Illinois, Iowa and 10 other states, as well as the District of Columbia.