Recreational Trail System

Luverne, Minnesota resident Preston Ver Meer dreamed of a public trail system in his city which would allow residents of the area to experience his love for biking. In 2012, after a significant amount of research and planning, he shared his vision with city officials, which sparked the formation of a trail committee.

DGR Engineering (DGR) was part of the committee that worked to investigate the feasibility of building a multi-use, hard surfaced trail that would circumnavigate the city and incorporate the city portion of the existing Blue Mounds Trail. Later that year, the City applied for and received a grant for technical assistance on trail planning through the National Parks Service (NPS) Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) Program.

In the years that followed, NPS RTCA staff assisted community leaders and committee members through an extensive planning process that explored goals, objectives, possible routes and funding sources. The committee determined that there were many stakeholders, including schools, businesses, the city and county who would benefit from the proposed project. It also recommended that the trail should connect many points of interest in and around the city, such as schools, ball fields, hospital, Veterans Pond fishing pier, The Lake, Blue Mound State Park, fitness center, historical features, city parks, ice arena, restaurants, shops, hotels and sidewalks and more throughout the city. By the end of 2015, the Luverne Loop Trail Master Plan was finalized.