Get to know the city of Willmar by walking or biking your way to downtown and beyond
May 28—Bicycling provides a great way to see all the trails and stops Willmar has to offer, if you don't wish to walk. No need to worry, as the city of Willmar recently launched a
bike share program
that rents 40 bikes at 11 docking stations, beginning in late spring through Labor Day.
Bikes are available to rent through the Koloni app on a mobile device. For $1 an hour, riders can rent a bike to ride to work, do errands or take a leisurely bike ride around town. Riders can also purchase a season membership for $20. The bike-share season runs from May to October, weather permitting.
Once you have a bike, Willmar offers miles of marked road routes and dedicated bike trails. Some even connect to larger trail systems like Glacial Lakes.
The BikeWillmar group — along with Willmar and Kandiyohi County Public Works — has created new, marked bike routes across the city. The first two completed routes are the Green Norway Pine and Brow Turkey, located on the northwest side of the city. Several more marked routes are planned. More information on biking events can be found on Facebook at
.
The Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota has named Willmar a Bicycle Friendly Community due its advocacy of biking and a vision to create bike connections throughout the city and the surrounding area.
Established in 2010, Willmar Walks comprises
three marked routes
through downtown Willmar. Walkers get the opportunity to see 18 points of interest on the designated routes including historical sites such as Bethel Church, the Frost House, the Tribune/Engan building and 310 Third Street Southwest, the oldest commercial building in town.
Each of the three routes start at Selvig International Park, which is dedicated to Willmar's two sister cities. A banner at Selvig Park shows the Willmar Walks routes and where the points of interest are located. Brochures on Willmar Walks are also available at the Willmar Public Library, LuLu Beans and Rick's Cycling & Sports Center.
The Red route is one mile long. It heads west for one block on Becker Avenue, then south on Fifth Street to Minnesota Avenue, then west two blocks to Seventh Street, north to Becker Avenue, then jogs east and north to Litchfield Avenue and south back to Selvig Park.
The Green route, which is one and a half miles long, follows the Red route to Seventh Street, then south to Kandiyohi Avenue, east to Second Street, then jogs north to Becker and west to Selvig Park.
The Blue route is the longest, at two miles. It also follows Red and Green to Seventh Street, then heads north to Ella Avenue along Foot Lake, allowing walkers to head to the Glacial Lakes State trail before continuing to First Street. The trail turns south to Litchfield Avenue. At Litchfield, the route heads west for three blocks, then south one block to Selvig Park.
Willmar Walks is a joint effort between Rice Memorial Hospital, Kandiyohi County Public Health, Willmar Design Center, Willmar Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and the Kandiyohi County Historical Society.
