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Bicycling Minnesota

This state's long, paved trails draw eager riders from around the region.

Between Lanesboro and Whalan, the Root River State Trail follows the flat floor of a coulee.

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.

Until 2010, that 127-mile system was neck-and-neck with the northern-Minnesota trail system created by the Paul Bunyan and Heartland state trails and the Migizi Trail in Chippewa National Forest.

Then the last section of the Bunyan was paved northwest of Walker, allowing bicyclists to ride 106 miles non-stop between Bemidji and Brainerd-Baxter.

Adding the Heartland and Migizi, bicyclists can ride 162 miles without getting off a paved bike trail, except for three miles of city streets in Bemidji and Cass lake.

That's the longest trail system in Minnesota and possibly the nation: There are longer limestone-trail systems, most notably the Katy Trail in Missouri, but paved trails are expensive to build and thus rarer.

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.

In Minneapolis, the Grand Rounds packs in more scenery (and ice-cream stops) than any other trail in the state.

On the Paul Bunyan State Trail, a bicyclist crosses the spot where the Mississippi River leaves Lake Bemidji.

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

Before you go: Always check the DNR web site for a trail to see if road construction or flooding has closed a portion of the trail.

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 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. 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.

In downtown Mankato, the Minnesota River Trail connects the Red Jacket and Sakatah trails.

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.

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.

For more, see Bicycling around the Twin Cities.

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.

In 2010, 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, then 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.

For more, see Little Crow lakes.

Grand Rounds: This national scenic byway through Minneapolis includes 50 miles of bicycle trails around the lakes and along Minnehaha Creek and the Mississippi River. For details, see Biking in Minneapolis.

For more about the many regional trails in the western suburbs of Minneapolis, see Bicycling around the Twin Cities.

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.

On the Shooting Star State Trail, a bicyclist heads west from Le Roy.

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).

It connects to the 42-mile Root River State Trail at Isinours Junction. Together, the two trails are known as the Bluffland Trail.

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 Paul Bunyan State Trail 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.

For tourism information, contact Park Rapids, 800-247-0054, or Walker, 800-833-1118.

For a fun 28-mile road loop, get off the trail in Akeley and take Hubbard County 12 to Cass County 6, which skirts Ten Mile Lake and joins the Bunyan north of Hackensack. Ride through "the Pyrenees'' to Walker and return to Akeley on the Heartland Trail.

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.

For more, see Bicycling to Lake Wobegon.

Mesabi: This is the most interesting trail in the state, with 89½ miles completed so far. Built only partly on old rail lines, it dips and climbs around bogs and slag heaps, mine-pit lakes and natural lakes ringed by pines.

On the way, it passes most of the Iron Range's attractions, such as Hill-Annex Mine State Park in Calumet and Mineview in the Sky in Virginia.

Bicyclists ride through Nisswa on the Paul Bunyan State Trail.

From the fairgrounds in Grand Rapids, there's a 74½-mile stretch east to McKinley; the eight miles between Grand Rapids and Coleraine are very scenic. Between Bovey and Taconite, an interpretive plaque warns of "the attack geese'' from a pond there.

The stretch between Virginia to Gilbert also is very scenic, going through rock cuts and on a trestle over slag rock. There's a four-mile spur between Gilbert and Eveleth, and five miles between Biwabik and Giants Ridge Resort.

The paving of 3½ miles between McKinley and Biwabik is underway and should be done by July 2010, creating 87 miles of paved trail between Grand Rapids and Giants Ridge.

For more, see Rolling through the Iron Range.

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 877-637-2241. A Wheel Pass, $12 yearly, $3 weekend, can be bought from local businesses and visitor centers. Iron Trail tourism, 800-777-8497.

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 of Chippewa National Forest 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 and heads to Norway Beach, where there's a lakefront campground, a sweeping sand beach and a magnificent 1935 log and stone visitors' center built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Then it 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 106-mile trail winds through lake country from Brainerd/Baxter to Bemidji.

The southern trailhead is in Baxter, off Minnesota 371 at Excelsior Road (parking is near Northland Arboretum). 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 Chippewa National forest, nicknamed "The Pyrenees'' (there are grades of up to 8 percent), are very scenic.

On the north side of Minnesota 34, 2½ miles east of Akeley, the Bunyan joins the Heartland State Trail in a paved parking lot and joins it for the 7¾ miles to Walker.

A bicyclist and steam shovel on the Mesabi Trail.

In Mountain Iron, the Mesabi Trail passes an old steam shovel.

From Walker, the Bunyan heads northwest toward Guthrie, passing two lakes and crossing two rivers and two creeks.

It's wooded from Guthrie to the southern edge of Bemidji, where bicyclists must ride two miles of city streets (check the DNR trail map inset for instructions) to reconnect with the trail on the southeast edge of Lake Bemidji.

That 7½-mile stretch is very scenic, hugging the lake and crossing the Mississippi River as it leaves Lake Bemidji and heads east to Cass Lake. The trail ends (or starts) in Lake Bemidji State Park.

It's also possible to continue around Lake Bemidji on quiet roads and city sidewalks. It's a nice 17-mile ride; see Bemidji's behemoths.

One more stretch will be added to the trail. The southern trailhead will be Crow Wing State Park, around the confluence of the Crow Wing River and the Mississippi southwest of Brainerd. Six miles of trail will be paved through the park.

Eventually, the system will grow when the Cuyuna Lakes State Trail is extended west to connect with the Bunyan. It's now five miles between Crosby and Riverton; plans are to make it 30 miles, extending to Aitkin in the east.

For more, see Bicycling the Bunyan.

Red Jacket: This county trail heads 6½ miles from Mankato's South Riverfront Drive to Rapidan. At County Road 90, it bisects the eight-mile South Route Trail; from there, it’s about four miles to Minneopa State Park.

The Minnesota River Trail, which connects the Red Jacket and Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail, is about four miles. All are paved.

For more, see Mankato meander.

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. Together, the two trails are known as the Bluffland Trail.

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.

For more about bicycling around Mankato, see Mankato meander.

Shooting Star: This 15-mile southern Minnesota trail follows the Shooting Star Scenic Byway from LeRoy, on the Upper Iowa River near the Iowa border, to Adams.

On the Heartland State Trail, a red bridge takes bicyclists over the Fish Hook River in Park Rapids.

The eastern half, which goes through Lake Louise State Park, is most scenic. Adams has a pool, a park and a cafe.

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. Mille Lacs tourism, 888-350-2692.

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.

For tourism information, call Hinckley at 800-996-4566, or Moose Lake at 800-635-3680.

More trails: For shorter and developing trails, check Minnesota's DNR trails list.

Last updated on August 20, 2010

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