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Bicycling Minnesota
Across the map, new trails are connecting the dots.
© Beth Gauper
In Hackensack, the Paul Bunyan State Trail passes statues of Paul Jr. and his mother, Lucette Kensack.
For Minnesota bicyclists, there are two seasons: winter and trail construction.
That's a good thing, because bicycle tourists crave more trails and towns crave more bicycle tourists. That little ribbon of asphalt, they've discovered, can put them on the map.
"In our area, it seems one city after another is fighting for trails," says Stearns County parks director Chuck Wocken.
Stearns County is a relative latecomer to bicycle trails, but it has leap-frogged toward the head of the pack. Its 28-mile Lake Wobegon Trail, opened in 1998, soon grew to 36 miles, then 46, then 50. In 2007, the county added "the final four" — a link that makes its trail, when combined with the Central Lakes Trail and 10 miles of trail in Morrison County, perhaps the longest paved off-road bicycle trail in the nation.
In length, the 127-mile system is neck-and-neck with another Minnesota trail system. In northern Minnesota, the Paul Bunyan and Heartland, along with the U.S. Forest Service's Migizi, is 124 or 130 miles, depending on how you count it.
But when the Bunyan is extended south from Bemidji to Walker and the Cuyuna Lakes west to the Bunyan in Brainerd, that system will include nearly 200 miles of paved trails.
The long trail systems give Minnesota bragging rights, but only racers use trails that long.
Most people want to pedal 20 or 30 miles at a time, usually to enjoy the scenery or to see towns and attractions along the way.
And everyone likes novelty. Whenever I ride a new trail, that one becomes my favorite — the Wobegon, for its churches; the Mesabi, for its curves and emerald-green mine-pit lakes; the Central Lakes, for its wildlife; the Grand Rounds in Minneapolis, which packs in more scenery (and ice-cream stops) than any other trail in the state.
One July, I tried the 17-mile Migizi Trail, which takes riders through the shady pine forests of Chippewa National Forest and loops around Cass Lake's Pike Bay. Along the way, I discovered two great lakefront campgrounds, two sweeping sand beaches and a magnificent 1935 log and stone visitors' center built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
The same week, I combined the Bunyan, the Heartland and quiet country roads to create a 28-mile loop that was scenic but also a good workout. Out of Akeley, I took Hubbard County 12 to Cass County 6, which skirts Ten Mile Lake and joins the Bunyan north of Hackensack. The next nine miles through Chippewa National Forest are like a roller coaster, with grades up to 8 percent; across Minnesota 34 in a paved parking lot, the Bunyan joins the Heartland, which returned me to Akeley.
Once, nearly every trail was a rail trail. Even short ones can be worth a trip: the 11-mile Soo Line south of Mille Lacs can be extended to an 18-mile route by starting from Mille Lacs-Kathio State Park on county roads, picking up the Soo Line in Onamia and riding it to Isle and Father Hennepin State Park. Pack a swim suit and visit the beach at Father Hennepin; at Mille Lacs, budget a few hours to spend at the excellent Mille Lacs Indian Museum.
For true bicycle tourists, pedaling goes hand-in-hand with sightseeing. In Stearns County, Wocken says, the money spent by bicyclists on the Lake Wobegon Trail finally has sold it to locals, many of whom had worried about packs of strangers rolling through their back yards.
The trail has had other benefits. One of the most vocal opponents, Wocken says, had said she feared "people from Duluth coming and gawking at their livestock along the trail." But many years later, after the trail was built, the woman was surprised to see nine nuns in full habits in-line skating along the trail by her house; when she invited them in for lunch, he said, they got sheet music out of their van and sang Latin motets for her in her living room.
Of course, she invited the nuns, who had come from New Zealand, Canada and around the United States, to park in her yard if they ever came to skate on the trail again.
"So that's a fitting conclusion to the controversy over this question of who's going to be gawking at whom," Wocken says.
Trip Tips: Minnesota's touring trails
Maps: To get free individual maps of state trails and the Cannon Valley Trail, call the DNR at 651-296-6157 or 1-888-646-6367. Trail maps can be printed from the DNR web site.
The Minnesota Trails magazine web site has lots of information, including mile-by-mile trail logs. The magazine often can be found free at bike shops or at parks, but members of the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota are mailed the quarterly issues; call 651-726-2457.
Staying safe: Even on off-road trails, bicyclists need to wear helmets: You're much more likely to fall on your head by locking wheels with another bike or by stopping suddenly than you are to be hit by a vehicle. Stop at stop signs on the trail, even if it's just a driveway or gravel road. Ride with a buddy, especially on isolated stretches.
Cannon Valley: This 19½-mile trail between Cannon Falls and Red Wing just celebrated its 20th anniversary and is one of the most popular in the state. It's a beautiful, shady ride above the Cannon River with a picnic area in Welch, its midpoint. The trail can be crowded on weekends. In Red Wing, catch the trail off Bench Street, near Pottery Place, or 1½ miles north, off U.S. 61. It's maintained by a trail association; daily fee is $3. 1-507-263-0508.
Central Lakes: It's a
55-mile cruise through rolling landscape dotted with lakes, often on raised beds that give cyclists good views of the
countryside from Fergus Falls to Osakis, where it connects with the Lake Wobegon Trail. Osakis has the best ice-cream stop and
a city beach (a mile east of the grain elevator along Lake Street, on the other side of the cemetery), and the 10½ miles into
downtown Alexandria include prairie and lake scenery. From Alexandria, many people like the six-mile stretch to Garfield, but
it includes industrial sites.
The seven miles to Brandon are very pretty but a little dull compared to the next 13 miles to Ashby, which pass many lakes and bogs with lots of wildlife sightings. It's eight miles to Dalton and another eight to DeLagoon Park in Fergus Falls, all lined with lakes. 866-784-8941, www.centrallakestrail.com.
For more, see Bicycling the Central
Lakes.
Douglas: This is a pleasant, 13-mile ride through rolling farmland between Pine Island's city park and the outskirts of Rochester.
Gateway: It's 18 miles from
Cayuga Avenue in St. Paul, just west of I-35E (there's parking off Arlington Avenue, just east of 35E), to Pine Point Park in
Stillwater Township. Many people park just off Minnesota 36 in a lot on the south side of at Hadley Avenue in Oakdale, where
the trail parallels Minnesota 36 before it heads into the countryside. From there, it's a scenic 10 miles. The Gateway Trail Association supports the trail.
Gitchi-Gami: This trail along the North Shore now has a 13-mile segment from Gooseberry Falls State Park to Beaver Bay. There's also a six-mile segment from Schroeder through Tofte, almost to the Onion River.
By 2009, the trail should be extended to Silver Bay and continued from Tofte to Lutsen. It will take a while, but the Gitchi-Gami Trail Association hopes to extend the trail 86 miles, between Two Harbors and Grand Marais.
For tips on combining the Gitchi-Gami with the Superior Hiking Trail, see Walk 'n' roll.
Glacial Lakes: This scenic trail through the Little Crow Lakes region starts at the Civic Center at the northeast edge of Willmar and winds 22 miles northeast, passing the big, festive beach on Green Lake in Spicer, New London and Hawick. From New London, bicyclists can ride three miles west to Sibley State Park on the generous shoulder of County Road 148. 800-845-8747, www.kandiyohi.com.
Harmony-Preston Valley: From Isinours Junction, 4½ miles west of Lanesboro on the Root River State Trail, this 18-mile trail goes through Preston and up to the farm town of Harmony. The 5½ miles to Preston, which follow the South Branch of the Root River, are shady and among the prettiest of the whole system. The last third of the trail, up to Harmony, is more open and on an 8 percent grade (outfitters will take bicyclists up to Harmony for a downhill ride). 1-800-247-6466, www.bluffcountry.com.
For more, see Bicycling in bluff
country.
Heartland:
There are lots of towns to explore on this 47-mile ride between Park Rapids to Cass Lake, through Walker. Dorset, an odd little
oasis that has as many restaurants as houses, is a tourist destination. Nevis has shops, cafes and a city beach on Lake Belle
Taine. Akeley is the home of the state's biggest Paul Bunyan, on whose outstretched hand people pose for pictures. Just east of
Akeley, the Bunyan joins the Heartland, and they share the shady stretch to Walker, passing bogs and lakes.
On the west end of Walker, the trail goes under Minnesota 371, and a short spur deposits bicyclists in front of Chase on the
Lake hotel and the municipal docks on Leech Lake. On the other side of downtown, there's a sand beach in City Park.
From Walker, the trail follows the western shore of Leech Lake and continues to Cass Lake, much of it near the highway but usually shielded by vegetation. Park Rapids, 1-800-247-0054, www.parkrapids.com; Walker, 1-800-833-1118, www.leech-lake.com.
Lake Wobegon: In only a few years, this trail has mushroomed. The main
trail is 37 miles between St. Joseph and Sauk Centre. But in 2007, Sauk Centre was linked to Osakis, the eastern trailhead of
the Central Lakes, adding another 12 miles to the system.
Also in 2007, the 9½-mile spur from Albany to Holdingford was extended 13½ miles north and across the Mississippi River
to U.S. 10, where it connects to the gravel Soo Line Trail north of Royalton. So with the 55-mile Central Lakes, the whole
system is 127 miles.
The main section of the Lake Wobegon passes a series of picturesque old churches in the towns that inspired the stories of
Garrison Keillor. The eastern trailhead is next to the water tower in St. Joseph, just west of St. Cloud.
Avon, eight miles west of St. Joseph, also is a good place to start, and the city beach on Middle Spunk Lake is a good place to
take a dip after biking. Fisher's Supper Club, which overlooks the lake and is partly owned by Keillor, is a good place to
eat.
The western trailhead is in Sauk Centre, home of Sinclair Lewis, who also chronicled the foibles of middle America. The Caramel Roll ride is held in mid-June. It's June 14 in 2008 and will start in Holdingford to celebrate the new covered bridge there.
For more, see Bicycling to Lake
Wobegon.
From the fairgrounds in Grand Rapids, there's a 13-mile stretch east to Taconite; the eight miles between Grand Rapids and Coleraine are very scenic. There are three-mile gaps between Itasca County Road 7 and Marble and Pengilly to Nashwauk, both of which should be completed soon.
The stretch from Nashwauk to McKinley, including a short spur to Eveleth, is 51 miles (in Mountain Iron, two miles are on city streets). From McKinley, there's a 3½-mile gap that can be ridden on the wide shoulder of Minnesota 135 (paving is expected late this year or next spring), and then five miles of trail go from Biwabik to Giants Ridge Resort.
Eventually, the trail will stretch to Tower, where three miles of trail reach to Soudan and through Bear Head Lake State Park to Ely, which has three miles of trail. For a trail map, call 1-877-637-2241. A Wheel Pass, $12 yearly, $3 weekend, can be bought from local businesses and visitor centers. Iron Trail tourism, 1-800-777-8497.
For more, see Rolling through the Iron Range.
Migizi: This scenic U.S. Forest Service loop
ride around Pike Bay is 17 miles if you count the spur to and from Norway Beach Recreation Area on Cass Lake, streets in the
town of Cass Lake and nearly three miles south of Cass Lake along Minnesota 371. Bicyclists arriving on the Heartland north
from Walker turn east at Pike Bay and ride through lovely pine forests and past the South Pike Bay campground, where half the
sites have their own sand beaches.
The trail hugs the east side of Pike Bay, winds into the town of Cass Lake and heads south. Expect bald-eagle sightings; migizi is Ojibwe for eagle. 218-335-8600.
Paul Bunyan: This 69½-mile trail winds through lake country from
Brainerd/Baxter to Hackensack and through Chippewa National Forest to its junction with the Heartland State Trail on the north
side of Minnesota 34, 2½ miles east of Akeley. It shares the next 7¾ miles up to and through Walker with the Heartland; the
paved portion of the Bunyan ends just northwest of town.
The trail starts in Baxter, off Minnesota 371 at Excelsior Road. The 15 miles to Nisswa is the trail's quietest stretch. After Nisswa, the trail follows 371, separated by trees, until three miles north of Pequot Lakes, where it loses its tree cover until Backus. The seven miles from Backus to Hackensack and the nine up-and-down miles through national forest, nicknamed the Pyrenees, are the most scenic.
At the Bunyan's northern trailhead from Lake Bemidji State Park, a 7½-mile stretch follows the eastern shore of Lake Bemidji; eventually, it will connect with the rest of the trail north of Walker.
For more, see Bicycling the Bunyan.
Root
River: This 42-mile trail, in lovely bluff country between Fountain and Houston, is Minnesota's pride and joy.
There's a long downhill from Fountain to Isinours Junction (outfitters will deposit cyclists in Fountain), from which the trail
follows the Root River, crossing dozens of bridges as it goes through Lanesboro, Whalan, Peterson and Rushford.
From there, the trail departs from abandoned rail line and becomes especially scenic, climbing a steep hill on its way to Houston, where the Houston Nature Center offers showers. Much of it is shady, and the area's lack of standing water means there are few mosquitoes. It connects to the 18-mile Harmony-Preston Valley Trail west of Lanesboro at Isinours Junction. Lanesboro tourism, 1-800-944-2670.
For more, see Bicycling in bluff
country.
Sakatah Singing Hills: This low-profile, 39-mile trail between Faribault and Mankato has a mixture of scenery. Between Faribault and Waterville, it skirts lakes along a shady corridor. From there, it plunges into cool woods, passing Sakatah Lake State Park (Sakatah is Ojibwe for "singing hills"; it's pronounced Sah-KAH-tah) and Elysian, where flocks of pelicans hang out on Lake Elysian. West of Madison Lake, the trail is away from the highway but on open fields.
In Faribault, start off County Road 21, on the south side of the Cannon River, or along Minnesota 60 just west of I-35. In Mankato, the trailhead is on Minnesota 22, near its junction with U.S. 14. The lakes are pretty but shallow; in late summer, they generally are full of algae, making swimming unpleasant. 1-800-507-7787, www.mnlakesregion.com.
For more about bicycling around Mankato, see Mankato meander.
Soo Line: The 11-mile Soo Line Trail cuts through countryside on Mille Lacs' south shore, between the old depot behind Onamia's Main Street to the playing field in Isle. From Onamia, it's a six-mile ride on County Road 26/27 to Mille Lacs-Kathio State Park. In Isle, Father Hennepin State Park adjoins the town, and riders can use its beautiful lakeside trails and beach.
Unfortunately, riders on the adjoining ATV trail spew gravel and rocks, some of them palm-size, onto the trail. And it can be difficult to cross U.S. 169 from Onamia, though a bridge is planned. 1-888-350-2692, www.millelacs.com
Sunrise Prairie/Hardwood Creek: North of the Twin Cities, 25 miles of open trail wind from Hugo, just off U.S. 61, to North Branch. The 9½-mile stretch from Hugo to Forest Lake is Washington County's Hardwood Creek Regional Trail; it follows the highway but is shielded by trees. Chisago County's 16-mile Sunrise Prairie Trail from Forest Lake is near the highway until, south of Stacy, it veers away. Traffic is heavy in Forest Lake; other towns make better starting spots. Chisago County Parks, 651-674-2345; Washington County Parks, 651-430-8370.
Willard Munger: This 75-mile trail between Hinckley and Duluth is one of the oldest and longest paved trails in the nation. The stretch from Hinckley to Barnum is known as the Fire Trail, as it passes through countryside scorched by the cataclysmic Hinckley Fire of 1894 and Cloquet and Moose Lake Fire of 1918, each of which killed more than 400 people.
The trail starts in Hinckley near the green-frame Fire Museum, which holds fascinating exhibits about the cyclonic 1894 fire, and continues to Willow River along a rail corridor that was the scene of a dramatic rescue. From Barnum, the trail follows Minnesota 61 into Carlton.
The next 14½ miles, through gorgeous Jay Cooke State Park, along the St. Louis River and downhill to the Duluth trailhead, in front of the Lake Superior Zoo, may be the most scenic stretch of trail in the state, 1-888-263-0586. For tourism information, call Hinckley at 1-800-996-4566, or Moose Lake at 1-800-635-3680.
More trails: For developing trails, check Minnesota's DNR
trails list.
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