Parking is available all seasons next to the trail. The trail was constructed using the Burlington Northern Railroad grade. 53.8 miles of the trail is paved from Baxter to Hackensack and the remaining 46.2 miles has a variable surface ranging from the original railbed material to loose sand. The trail is mostly level and wheelchair accessible. The paved portions of the trail can be used for hiking, biking, in-line skating and skate boarding.
Users can expect to travel about ten miles between towns and stops with services.
The undeveloped sections are ideal for snowmobiling and mountain biking. Studded snowmobile tracks are prohibited on the paved portion of the trail. This area is rich with history, with the Dakota and Ojibwe Indians living in this area for centuries. There are thirteen prehistoric sites near the trail. Logging and Railroad were were dominant in the late 1800's and into this century.