Alexandria’s MTB Trails • Crow River Trail Guards • Bison Tour
TRAILS Minnesota
T h e P a r k s & Tr a i l s J o u r n a l
65 100
SPRING 2019
w w w . M n Tr a i l s . c o m
Top Bike Rides
Mountain Bike Trails
Tioga Rising Tr ai Pa l Bu ge ild 5 er
New trails on the Iron Range p.36
Crosby - Ironton - Deerwood Bay Lake - Cuyuna - Emily 522 Sinclair Lewis Avenue Sauk Centre, MN 56378
www.MnTrails.com Minnesota Trails Staff Jan Lasar Editor/Publisher Joyce Frericks Accounting Brian Dingmann Page Layout & Design Graphic Design
Editorial Board Brett Feldman Executive Director Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota
Vol. 24, No. 1 March 2019 Minnesota Trails magazine is a continuation of Minnesota Bike Trails & Rides, published quarterly in cooperation with the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota, a nonprofit organization that acquires, protects and enhances critical lands for public enjoyment. Your $35 membership subscription supports this work. Minnesota Trails is not responsible for the return of unsolicited materials and reserves the right to reject unsuitable advertising. Information in this publication is as accurate as possible. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not of Minnesota Trails.
EAT & DRINK SERVICES DEERSTAND RESTAURANT & BAR 24188 Mohs Street, Deerwod 218-534-9253 www.deerstandrestaurant.com
MIXED COMPANY-A KAVA HOUSE 128 W Main Street, Crosby 218-545-1010 www.enjoymixedcompany.com
SPALDING HOUSE 1 West Main Street, Crosby 218-546-6060 Huge craft beer selection
Continuing the WOODTICK INN 24916 MInnesota Ave., Cuyuna 218-772-0252 20 beers on tap and 8 classic pinball machines 2 Spring 2019
CRMC
Cuyuna Regional Medical Center
CUYUNA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER 320 East Main Street, Crosby 218-546-7000 www.cuyunamed.org
LODGING DEERWOOD
COUNTRY INN DEERWOOD 23884 Front Street, Deerwood 218-534-3101 www.countryinndeerwood.com
DEERWOOD
MOTEL
JACOBS REALTY Hwy. 6 & 210, Crosby 218-546-8346 www.jacobsrealtymn.com
MID MINNESOTA FEDERAL CREDIT UNION 117 West Main Street, Crosby 218-546-5428 www.mmfcu.org
DEERWOOD MOTEL 23688 Forest Road, Deerwood 218-534-3163 www.deerwoodmotel.com
RUTGER’S BAY LAKE LODGE 25039 Tame Fish Lake Road, Deerwood 218-678-2885 www.ruttgers.com
218-546-8131 www.cuyunalakes.com Minnesota Trails
Index Features
Columns
8
2019 MNMBS Races
4
9
In Search of the Dwarf
5 Letter from the Executive Director Brett Feldman
Renee Hoffmann
Rudi Hargesheimer
10 No Work Required Jan Lasar 12 Prairie and Bison Tour Tom Watson 34 One Rock at a Time Dan Lasch 36 Tioga Rising John Connelly
Cover photo:
Minnesota Miles Jan Lasar
Index photo:
The Crow River Trail Guards roll down the Glacial Lakes Trail on their annual bike camping trip. Story on page 10. Jan Lasar photo
Departments 6 Parks & Trails Council News Lisa Filter 13 Mountain Bike Guide Mountain Bike Trails by Region 25 Bike Ride Guide Bike Events April-October 32 Trails Q&A Conversations with Trail Users 38 MN Trails Map The State at a Glance 39 Business Directory Find Trail-Friendly Businesses
Currently, there are five miles of mountain bike trail at the former Tioga mine in Cohasset, MN. Construction of an additional 20 miles is scheduled for 2019. Story on page 36. John Connelly photo
Thank yous! Find us on:
Minnesota Trails
Spring 2019 3
Show Up and Help Trails develop naturally, Minnesota Miles League. He was inducted into the on their own and overnight. Mountain Biking Hall of Fame Rocks roll out of the way, brush for his accumulated body of parts, undergrowth disappears advocacy work with city, county, and landowners rejoice at the state and national organizations thought of people roaming in 2012. their backyards in search of What’s the overall state recreation. of mountain biking in If this is news to you, Minnesota today? you’re probably one of the Healthy, it continues to people who actually make grow. One of the cool things trails happen, be it with your Jan Lasar is that mountain biking in wallet, your back, or you spare Trails Editor/Publisher Minnesota has become a time. I recently talked to Gary Sjoquist mainstream recreational activity. Public land managers like Three about Minnesota’s mountain bike trails and he told me it takes one volunteer for Rivers Parks District, Dakota County Parks and the DNR (Department of every mile of trail built. Gary’s mountain biking rap sheet Natural Resources) have all realized that if is extensive and it’s impossible to do it you build trails the right way, sustainably, justice without devoting several pages and with the added benefit of volunteer to it. His roots in the sport go back to labor, mountain biking is a great use of 1990 when he helped build trails at public and even private lands for riders of Terrace Oaks in Burnsville. He started the all ages and abilities, so it’s kind of cool to organization that became the Minnesota see this transition over the years. What are some of the trends in Off Road Cyclists (MORC) in 1998. In Minnesota mountain biking? the mid-90s he was a state representative There’s really two things that are for the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) and attended his most notable. A huge thing for public land first planning meeting for the Cuyuna managers is to have this free volunteer mountain bike trails in 1995. He became base that’s very knowledgeable and is the Director of Advocacy for Quality going to help maintain the trails. That’s Bicycle Products (QBP) in Bloomington the first thing. Second is the emergence in 1998 and has been involved in many of of high school mountain biking. Now, Minnesota’s mountain bike trail projects in there’s close to 20,000 kids racing his 21 years there. Gary has been involved mountain bikes from 7th grade up to 12th with the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series grade in 24 leagues around the country since 2003 and in 2010 he, and fellow and 2,500 just in Minnesota. That’s been a mountain biker Jeff Robertson, turned really great thing that’s also going to drive the Series into a non-profit organization mountain bike trail development. How does Minnesota mountain whose proceeds helped launch the biking compare to other states? Minnesota High School Mountain Bike I tell people we have “unexpectedly good mountain biking” in Minnesota as I’m traveling around the country. People say, “I rode at Cuyuna” or “I went to Duluth and I was able to ride there” or “I rode the cool trails in Minneapolis,” so we’ve become a destination. I think one thing that people realize that Minnesota is unique in is that, when you ride out West, you’re going to be sharing your trail. They’re multi-use trails so you’re likely sharing your trail with hikers, maybe equestrians or even motorized guys, but in Minnesota we don’t mix uses, so probably 90 percent of the mountain bike trails in Minnesota are just for mountain bikes. And on top of that, a majority of the mileage is directional, so you don’t even have to worry about somebody riding towards you. What’s the most important thing in trail building? It means working with an organized public land manager of some kind, Gary Sjoquist as race marshal. whether it’s a city, or the county, or the Arizona Interscholastic Cycling League photo 4 Spring 2019
state. I learned early on in my work that organized constituencies can get what they want and so mountain bikers have to be organized, that’s the beauty of an organization like MORC, or COGGS (Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores) or any of them. You’re an organized constituency, you build a working relationship with the land manager, they trust that you’re going to come in, do the works you say you’re going to do, you’re going to follow through and take care of the resource. And that’s really all public land managers are looking for. They want people to take care of the resource and use it, not abuse it. Who drives trail development? It continues to be volunteers. Lot of these volunteer groups now have been around since the late 80s and early 90s and, so, everywhere in Minnesota little pockets of these groups, up in Grand Rapids, Detroit Lakes, Mankato, Winona, Rochester, you name it, now are sort of being revitalized by the high school kids who are getting involved in trail maintenance and volunteer. That’s just such a cool thing to have happen. That whole volunteer ethic is a big part of it because it doesn’t exist for many other recreational user groups. What’s in the future of Minnesota mountain bike trails? I think the evolution of more trails is going to continue. Given the fact that we have wet weather, especially in the spring, I know Spirit Mountain has built an all-weather trail. Usually, in Minnesota, when it rains, you’re just not going to be able to get out to ride for a day or two. But I’ve ridden around the Lake Tahoe area where, even if it’s raining you can ride because of the trail texture. It’s called DG, decomposed granite, the rain just filters through it. I think we’ll continue to see a march towards textures on trails. The high school league is going to continue to grow. It’s growing 40 percent a year and that in turn is going to mean more areas for trail development.
How to get involved “Wherever you live, you should belong to the local mountain bike organization. It would be great if you could also support IMBA because they’re the ones who provide a lot of the educational resources and do the lobbying at the federal level. But, really, it’s at the local level. You have to be involved in your local organization, show up and help make things better.” -Gary Sjoquist
people saving special places
www.parksandtrails.org
Letter from the executive director By Brett Feldman
Challenges… especially those that require a bicycle
Toward the end of March 2016 my friend Steve Cook challenged me to take the 30 Days of Biking Pledge. Steve is the driving force behind the Hutchinson to Winsted segment of the Luce Line State Trail and he’s a Parks & Trails Council (P&TC) board member.
ridden my own bikes, I’ve rented bikes, and I’ve benefited from bike share programs embedded in a multitude of cities across the globe.
I’ve also experienced several moments that I can only describe as magic. Like on Day 808 of my biking streak. I was in Moscow, and for unforeseen logistical problems, it looked like my streak was about to come to an abrupt end. But then Nikolai, a guy who knew me for all of 12 hours, used his credit card and unlocked the city’s bike-share bikes, meaning that today I can now count 1,051 days of consecutive bike riding.
The pledge is a commitment to ride a bike—rain, shine, blizzard, ice storm or heat wave—for all 30 days of April. Those with an online presence are asked to share their adventures using the hashtag #30daysofbiking.
I bounced the idea off my friend Mike Tegeder, P&TCs past president and the guy who wrote this column before me. Mike had just received a pretty grim cancer diagnosis, and he was gearing up to give that cancer hell. We made a plan. I would ride my bike every day until Mike was well enough to join me. With commitments to both Steve and Mike, I got on my bike and started riding.
Top: Brett in mask biking on the Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis. Bottom: Brett and his partner Elizabeth (left) have chance encounter in Amsterdam with Emily (right), the sister of the creator of #30daysofbiking.
When Mike died on July 9, 2016 my rides took on a new meaning. That first day I could barely see the ground because my eyes were raining. But on subsequent rides I started feeling Mike’s spirit—our plan had been to ride together again. Never could I have imagined that nearly three years after it started, my streak of riding at least three miles a
day would still be intact. Nor could I have imagined all of the trails, places, bikes, people and stories that have been part of this adventure.
I’ve ridden the majority of state trails in Minnesota, and I’ve pedaled in and around several Minnesota state parks. I’ve ridden bikes in Russia, Finland, Scotland and Amsterdam and in several cities in the U.S. I’ve
Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota would like to thank the following sponsor Minnesota Trails
On Day 498 a woman named Emily approached me as I walked my bike through a market in Amsterdam. She had been drawn to the MPLS” t-shirt I was wearing “I and wondered whether I had ever heard of #30daysofbiking—the campaign her brother Patrick and his friend had created! Several months later I got to join Patrick on a group ride he organizes in Minneapolis.
Bicycling connects people to places and people to other people. If you are looking to meet some people and visit some places, perhaps you should take the pledge by visiting 30daysofbiking.com. You never know what you’ll discover.
www.pincushiontrailsinn.com Spring 2019 5
people saving special places
www.parksandtrails.org
Reuel Harmon Awardee: Sen. Keith Langseth
A Senator invested in parks and trails Former Sen. Keith Langseth knows a thing or two about how big projects get funded in Minnesota. He was the chair of Minnesota’s Senate Capital Investment Committee from 2000 until he retired in 2012. For the non-political-insider: that means he wielded a lot of power in crafting and ushering bills to fund Minnesota’s critical infrastructure such as highways, college campuses, flood protection projects and more. And parks and trails were not left out under Langseth’s watch.
“Parks and trails are an essential part of what Minnesota is about,” Langseth says. “They make Minnesota a great place to live.” In 2006 and 2008, that commitment was on full display as he helped secure the largest appropriations that state parks and trails had seen in a decade.
Deciding what gets funded and what doesn’t can be an agonizing task. Langseth said that typically he and the other members of the Capital Investment Committee were faced with many more requests than could be funded. “We had to say ‘no’ to two-thirds of the
requests or pare them down,” he said.
It was strong local support that made all the difference for keeping trails from the chopping block. Langseth and the other legislators took notice of the enthusiasm trails generated.
Each biennium the legislators toured the state to learn about the projects requesting state funds. “We would stop in to communities, without question, trails received the most requests, no matter the size of the community.” When asked why he thought communities seem to value trails and parks so much, Langseth points to two things: health and economics. “People use the trails to get out and about,” he says. And that helps keep them fit. And parks and trails are some of the biggest draws for attracting visitors to rural areas of the state.
On this front, he sees how state parks and trails serve another important service: helping to bridge the urbanrural divide. “They offer such good opportunities for people in urban areas to visit and interact and talk with people in the towns.”
Story by Lisa Filter, Parks & Trails Council Photos of Sen. Keith Langseth top to bottom: Portrait (courtesy of MN Senate photographer’s office) imposed on photo of P&TC Annual Dinner; at 1992 committee hearing; conversing on Senate floor circa 1981 (both courtesy of MN Legislative Reference Library). 6 Spring 2019
Minnesota Trails
people saving special places
www.parksandtrails.org 2019 Reuel HaRmon awaRdee:
“
one of the most conservative parts of the state. But even as he lost the following re-election, he quickly dusting himself off. The next year he got elected to the Senate; and he was re-elected in every election thereafter until retiring in 2012.
“
As a former dairy farmer himself, he encountered the misconceptions urbanites can have about farmers and rural life in general— one he says goes both ways. So, increasing the opportunities for bringing urban and rural folks together is important.
Parks and trails are an essential part of what Minnesota is about. ~ Sen. Keith Langseth
Langseth has spent nearly half his life with one foot in the city and one in the country. During his 37 years in office he rented an apartment near the Capitol in St. Paul during the months the Legislature was in session. But once the session was over, it was back to Glyndon, a town of about 1,000 people near Moorhead. “It’s a change of pace, moving from one to the other,” he said. When he was first elected to the Minnesota House in 1975, it was a bit of surprise, seeing as he was a Democrat in what was then
“I never dreamed it would be that long,” he said.
As a politician he accepted that people come together to discuss diverse ideas for getting things done. “Democracy doesn’t work when people are too rigid,” he says. “You need to put yourself in the place of other people.” This ability is what made him so adept at delivering big investments in Minnesota’s parks and trails along with those in higher education and other critical infrastructure. A legacy he leaves for Minnesota.
Sen. Keith Langseth
Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota (P&TC) awards this annual recognition of exemplary service and outstanding achievements on behalf of Minnesota’s parks and trails. The award is named in honor of Reuel Harmon, who co-founded P&TC in 1954. Award Recipients 2018 Grant Merritt 2017 Rep. Alice Hausman 2016 Dave Lais 2015 Peggy Prowe 2014 Hon. David Minge 2013 Mary Lee Dayton 2012 Mark and Joan Strobel 2011 Peter Seed 2010 Terry McGaughey 2009 Eleanor Winston 2008 Sen. David Durenberger 2007 Henry N. Somsen 2006 Michael Prichard 2005 Bob Dunn 2004 Don Davison & Bill Morrissey 2003 Rollis Bishop 2001 Alden Lind 2000 Howard E. Olson 1999 Nadine Blacklock 1998 Rep. Willard Munger 1997 Gov. Elmer L. Andersen 1996 Martin N. Kellogg 1995 Samuel H. Morgan Visit the Award Hall of Honor
www.parksandtrails.org/about/ history/reuel-harmon-award/
Minnesota Trails
Photo of person and dog at Split Rock Lighthouse (Steve Sheeley/P&TC Photo Contest); bicyclists on Brown’s Creek State Trail (Lisa Filter/P&TC).
Spring 2019 7
2019
MNMB Series
Minnesota Mountain Bike Series # # 4 7 More details and registration: www.mnmtbseries.com.
by Renee Hoffmann
Join the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series for a summer of world-class racing! Drawing from over 25 years of experience, this race series offers something for every type of rider. From fast and flowy downhills, to lung-busting climbs, this year’s race venues feature some of the best singletrack Minnesota and Wisconsin has to offer. Riders of all backgrounds and experience levels can find their limits, crush their goals, and stoke their competitive side with the 2019 lineup of venues. RACE CATEGORIES Whether you’re looking to test your mettle for 4 hours or try your hand at racing for the first time, the mountain bike series has a race category for you: Citizen - New mountain bike riders and racers (approx. 10 miles/45 minutes). Sport - Mountain bikers who ride recreationally and are new to racing (approx. 15 miles/75 minutes). Comp - Experienced mountain bike riders who have done some racing (approx. 20 miles/95 minutes). Elite - Experienced mountain bike riders and racers (approx. 20-25 miles/110 minutes). Marathon - Experienced mountain bike riders have 4 hours to see how many laps they can do. Kids Competitive - Children ages 14 and younger (approx. 4-5 miles/30 minutes).
Border Crossing | July 7 Known for being a popular daytrip destination for Twin Cities residents, Whitetail Ridge in River Falls, WI features roots, rocks, bridges, and berms that challenge and delight.
Powder Monkey | Aug. 4 While you can’t take the chairlift up this time, the quad-killing climbs at Spirit Mountain in Duluth are worth it for the stunning views of Lake Superior, and the ride down.
#
#
5 # 6
Mount Kato | July 21 Back by popular demand: The Mount Kato race in Mankato. Pro tip: Befriend your local training hill. Gamehaven Lakeside Grind | July 28 This Rochester race combines swoopy singletrack, short, steep climbs, gravel roads, and grassy meadow crossings. There’s something for everyone.
8
Cuyuna Crusher | Aug. 18 Get a taste of some internationallyrecognized singletrack at the Cuyuna Crusher. By the time you cross the finish line, you’ll understand why everyone gushes about shredding the red in the Crosby and Ironton area.
9
#
Laddies Loppet | Sept. 1-2 Wrap up the season with a weekend at Maplelag. This lakeside resort in Callaway, MN features fun for the whole family and some fast racing.
RACE DAY TIPS
• Stay hydrated before and during race • Arrive 1-2 hours before race start Register/check-in, change clothes, warm up. Bring along a water bottle or hydration pack. • Eat a good breakfast 3-4 hours prior to race • Fully check over your bike 2 days before Then have a snack 1 hour before your race. Bring it to your local bike shop if necessary.
SERIES RACES Go for an overall series win by competing in every race, or just come out to support your local club. Each race features a unique atmosphere and course that can’t be replicated anywhere else. Saint Croix Woolly | May 5 Just 45 minutes away from the Twin Cities, the Saint Croix Woolly in St. Croix Falls, WI is regularly one of our top-attended races and a great way to kick off a season of singletrack.
1
#
2
#
Detroit Mountain Shakedown | June 2 With a blend of flowy singletrack, old-school technical sections, and long climbs, this Detroit Lakes race is known for keeping riders on their toes.
3
#
Theodore Wirth Park | June 23 Check out the new facilities and trails at Theo Wirth in Minneapolis. For true die-hards there will also be a 24-hour race option the day before the series race.
8 Spring 2019
Minnesota Trails
In Search of
the Dwarf by Rudi Hargesheimer
Minnesota’s Cannon River Valley is unique. On just 600 acres within the Cannon watershed the exceedingly rare Dwarf Trout Lily (erythronium propullans) has found its very specific habitat to survive. It’s a Minnesota endemic, meaning it is found nowhere else in the world. The very common White Trout Lily (erythronium albidum) on the other hand has a blossom ten times larger than the diminutive dwarf whose flowers rarely even reach the size of a thumbnail. The two species also differ radically in how they propagate. The dwarf only expands its range by sending out underground runners and only one-tenth of them are able to send up new plants. Conversely, White Trout Lily blossoms create seeds and spread broadly and abundantly all over their Minnesota range. Michelle Malley came from San Diego, California to see the Minnesota Dwarf Trout Lilies at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park near Northfield on a sunny day last spring. “It’s not every day that I get to see a federally endangered species of forest wildflower,” she said. As a wildlife biologist she was aware of the unique and still pristine biome remaining at the park, which allows the Dwarf Trout Lily to persevere. Nerstrand Big Woods State Park is the primary location where the flowers can be seen in late April and early May. Incredibly, the rare flowers grow directly along the trail that accesses the park’s most popular attraction, Prairie Creek’s Hidden Falls. Park management has wisely constructed a boardwalk
through the small patch of varying wildflowers and visitors must stay on it to not disturb their fragile habitat. On select weekends during April and May volunteer naturalists are available to point out the dwarfs’ exact locations. On Malley’s visit there were only a few to be seen, but one was within inches of the trail. “The ephemeral beauty of this place amazes me,” Malley said. Other flowers blooming for her were spring beauty, marsh marigold, wild ginger, false rue anemone, swamp buttercup, bellwort, jack-in-the pulpit, meadow rue, wood anemone, toothwort, lousewort, wild plum, declining trillium, and blue and yellow violets. A short distance further along the trail she came to Hidden Falls, beautiful in spring run-off conditions, with just enough flow to stage the ten-foot drop over limestone bedrock. On this perfect spring day hundreds of people came to see the waterfall, many having walked unwittingly past the dwarf trout lilies. Nerstrand Big Woods State Park, as the name implies, is within what remains of the Big Woods ecosystem of Minnesota, a continuous stand of maple basswood forest, which once extended from Saint Cloud to Faribault. The park is located on the eastern edge of this area. It’s one of the few remaining large tracts of big woods, most having been converted to agricultural use long ago by early settlers. After most of the
Hard to spot: Dwarf Trout Lily flowers are smaller than a thumbnail. All photos by Rudi Hargesheimer
forest was cut, only a few remaining woodlots were left. The state park was created in the 1940s when 1,280 acres of forest were acquired from local owners. Today the park has over 2,800 acres and includes adjacent prairies. Bird watchers love the variety at the park. Scarlet tanagers, rose-breasted grosbeaks, indigo buntings, bobolinks, meadowlarks, and seven species of woodpeckers, including the red-headed woodpecker, a “Species of Special Concern,” can be seen here. On the prairie landscapes a small raptor, the colorful kestrel, calls the park home. Nerstrand Big Woods State Park offers eleven miles of hiking trails, over 50 drive-in campsites, four walkin campsites and three group campsites. The forest turns brilliant with color in the fall. Winter offers snowshoeing and snowmobile trails. But the best time to visit Nerstrand is spring when the unique dwarf trout lily makes its brief appearance.
Hidden Falls is one of the main attractions at the park. Minnesota Trails
Spring 2019 9
No Work Required
by Jan Lasar
Crow River Trail Guards Connect Kids to the Outdoors “It’s a state law,” Tom Koshiol said and flashed a smile, surrounded by a gaggle of chattering kids. “You gotta stop at Dairy Queen when you’re riding your bike.” This visit to the ice cream parlor in Spicer, MN has become a traditional break on the annual overnight bikepacking trip of the Crow River Trail Guards on the Glacial Lakes State Trail. Koshiol, founder of the group, has been guiding young people down this central Minnesota trail each May since 2008 to teach them about biking, camping and teamwork. On this day chaperones, Chuck Nyberg and Brandon Michaelis, were lending a hand. They left early in the morning from Paynesville and pedaled to Willmar where they prepared a lunch at a rest area just outside of town. Here, they turned around and rode back to their camping area in a virgin hardwood forest near Hawick, with an ice cream stop, of course. Add a return trip to Paynesville the next day and the total ride was about 50 miles through Minnesota lake country. “I was too short last year and couldn’t reach the pedals,” said Trenen Pierskalla, 13, when the group stopped
for a break. It was his first time bikepacking trip and he explained his set-up. Clothes, gear and toiletries go in the right rear pannier, sleeping bag in the left. The right front holds a tent and the left is stuffed with food and snacks. He was proud to have packed his own gear, a requirement for the trip, and offered this advice: “Always lay your bike down chain side up,” to prevent damage to the derailer. Koshiol’s passion for the outdoors comes from a youth spent hiking and backpacking, and canoeing the Crow River in the Paynesville area. He paddled it often, which lead him to eventually take action. “I decided at some point to give something back to the river I had been attached to all my life,” he said. In 1992 he and other volunteers worked with the city of Paynesville to turn a 12-acre neglected site along the Crow River into a recreation area, the Crow River Nature Park. The plan was to improve it with the help of adult volunteers, but kids were naturally drawn there and started showing up to watch the workers. “So, I put shovels and rakes in their hands,” Koshiol said. Later the same year, the non-profit Crow River Trail Guards was born.
The group still meets Saturdays for work sessions, but their scope has now broadened to include multiday canoe outings to Minnesota’s Boundary Waters, Florida’s Everglades National Park and other activities, like the overnight bike tour. Time spent volunteering with the Trail Guards earns kids eight to nineteen years of age a spot on these expeditions, which are supported by donations and grants. “We offer the youth of our area a unique and effective opportunity that costs them nothing, but offers unique rewards,” Koshiol said. The group arrived at their wooded campsite in the late afternoon, but there was no time to sit around, even after a day of riding bikes loaded with gear. Koshiol gathered everyone around him and called for volunteers. “Who’s going to set up tents?” he asked. Hands went up and one by one the kids scampered off to duty to gather firewood, dig a latrine or unpack supplies for dinner. The adults cut wood, started a fire and soon there was hamburger sizzling in the frying pan and noodles boiling in a pot, which had undoubtedly seen a few camping trips. No one complained about being given a task, which is not out of the norm for an outing with the Crow River Trail Guards. Trenen Pierskalla (from left), Adrianna Schlangen, Chuck Nyberg , Brandon Michaelis, Deric Schlangen, Colin Lahr, Bridgit Kruger (standing), Javonte Graham, Dalton Lahr, Tom Koshiol. All photos by Jan Lasar
10 Spring 2019
Minnesota Trails
Koshiol credits this attitude to the group’s “No Work Required” rule. “When they get out of bed on Saturday mornings and come down to the Nature Park, they don’t have to work. If they just want to sit on a bench and watch the river flow, play in the woods with their friends, walk the trails or whatever else they find to do, that’s just great. And we know what they’re not doing: They’re not home in bed, or playing some stupid video game, or watching some stupid movie. They’re outdoors with their friends in a controlled and wholesome setting, surrounded by positive and supporting adults. And the funny thing is, they usually end up working,” he said. With chores done, it was time to relax by the fire, hang out in the trees by the lake or play cards until dinner. The sun started to dip low and the little campground in the woods was littered with bikes leaning against trees. Campfire smoke drifted around the tents and the rays of the setting sun filtered through the leaves and pierced orange rays into the air. The next day they all got back on their bikes, another trip in the books, and the Crow River Trail Guards will go on connecting kids to the outdoors in their 27th year.
Chaperone Brandon Michaelis leads the pack down the Central Lakes Trail.
Deric Schlangen (right) watches as Brandon Michaelis cuts a log.
Colin Lahr on his touring bike near Hawick.
Bridgit Kruger and Adrianna Schlangen ham it up after putting up their tent.
Colin Lahr, Dalton Lahr and Javonte Graham get the pot ready for dinner.
Adrianna Schlangen works the frying pan while Deric Schlangen waits his turn. Minnesota Trails
Spring 2019 11
Blue Mounds State Park Prairie and Bison Tour by Tom Watson
The small herd of bison paid us little mind. They slowly turned and climbed the grassy slope rising lazily beyond the small stream beneath their hooves. From my vantage point about fifty yards away, I realized I was likely at eye level with a Sioux from hundreds of years ago, mounted on horseback, experiencing a scene played out on a much grander scale, with hundreds of thousands more bison than I was seeing now. My “saddle” was one of 12 seats on the new Safari-like touring coach that takes visitors through the 534-acre bison herd enclosure at Blue Mounds State Park in southwestern Minnesota. The tour combines the opportunity to view the herd while learning about Minnesota’s very special strain of Park Naturalist, Amber Brooks, explains the life American cycle of the bison and Plains Bison passes around samples of and the Blue horn, hide and bone. Mounds prairie environment through which they now roam freely. Interpretive park naturalist, Amber Brooks, has a degree in Wildlife Biology and developed Blue Mounds’ bison interpretive program after a fouryear stint as a naturalist at Custer State Park in South Dakota. During the tour she brought us up to speed on the bison’s life cycle, the program’s conservation efforts and the splendors of the
An up close photo op from the safety of the tour vehicle. All photos Tom Watson
bison’s habitat surrounding us, using the touring vehicle as a classroom on wheels. We stopped at key points along the rutted roadway inside the enclosure while she explained aspects of the bison and their environment. There was even a little show and tell when she passed around a bison horn and a sample patch of their thick, furry hide. This publicly owned, DNR-managed herd is growing towards a population of 108 bison: 2 adult males, the older one on loan from the Yellowstone National Park herd, 38 cows, 33 yearlings and the anticipation of up to 35 calves. This resident herd’s ancestry, a strain that has over 99.8% pure bison nuclear DNA, can be traced directly back to those millions of bison that roamed the prairies less than 200 years ago. “In our case we have an older male and a younger male,” Brooks said as she described the profile of the Blue Mounds herd. “Our older male did most of the breeding here in the park last year and will be leaving the park in the fall of 2019. At that point our younger male will be the only adult male bison,” she adds. But there are limits to the herd’s expansion because they are an integral part of the park’s prairie management. “We are currently near our carrying capacity and it would not be responsible for us to add more bison,” she explained. The herd roamed freely throughout the enclosure. Sometimes the bison were mere specks on the distant, rolling, grassy slopes, other times they came within a few yards off the road-
way surrounding the vehicle, occasionally blocking the roadway as they sauntered across. There were no bad seats on this tour; every view provided a panoramic vista of the grasslands. Calves shadowed their moms, the larger males grazed lazily while the bull seemed to stand back and take it all in. Tour starting times are scheduled to align with the animals’ habits. “That’s to accommodate when we are more likely to see the bison near the front of the range as they tend to stay toward the front in the morning and move to the back in the afternoon and evening,” Brooks said. However, there are no guarantees. She’s quick to add that the bison may or may not be visible along the tour due to their “wild and unpredictable nature.” The prairie and bison tour provides a small but significant glimpse into the grand magnificence of the American bison herds of the past while sharing the efforts to sustain that lineage for others to experience now and in the future.
Bison tours
Beginning on Memorial Day weekend, the Prairie and Bison Tour program offers 90-minute tours Thursday through Sundays between Memorial Day and Labor Day with additional special tours on those holidays and July 4th. www.dnr.state.mn.us/state-parks/blue-mounds/prairie-and-bison-tour 12 Spring 2019
Minnesota Trails
Northeast MOUNTAIN BIKING
Northeastern Minnesota has the Sawtooth Mountains along the north shore of Lake Superior, ski hills at Spirit Mountain and Giants Ridge, the deep forests of the Superior National Forest, the 135-mile Arrowhead State Trail, and the pristine beauty of some of the state’s most beautiful state parks.
Piedmont Trails | Duluth, MN Jan Lasar photo Minnesota Trails
Spring 2019 13
Mountain Bike Trails Cook County Mountain Bike Routes Cook County has fantastic single track and gravel routes ranging from family-friendly to expert backcountry trails. • Heartbreak Hill Loop 18 miles: Over the river and through the woods is the best way to summarize this trail. In the first few miles you gain a good deal of elevation. This scenic loop crosses the Temperance River multiple times. Park the bike and take a short hike along the river. This ride blends gravel road adventure with a taste of the Gitchi Gami paved bike trail. Be aware that the Sawbill Trail is a well-raveled road. • Onion River Road 7 miles round trip: Easy, family-friendly ride with several fun side-trip opportunities. Several hiking, cross-country ski, and snowmobile trails cross through the area. This light traffic gravel road is a gradual climb through a mixed and scenic forest. • Pancore/Honeymoon Loop Tofte 20 miles: A classic Northwoods ride, the Pancore/Honeymoon Loop will give you a taste of the ruggedness of the area. Generally smooth gravel with a few rockier sections on the Pancore Lake Road. • Pike Lake Loop 22 miles: There are many spur trails and roads, pay close attention to remain on the main trail. Excellent wildlife viewing. Gravel and primitive minimum maintenance road. • Devil Track Loop 18 miles: This remote trail by Grand Marais is perfect for adventurous mountain bikers. Beautiful 150-year-old white pines line the way. Some logging traffic. • Pine Mountain Loop 16 miles round trip (out and back trail) : The gravel forest service road has little traffic and travels past spruce bogs, multiple streams, and towering pines. Great moose habitat. • Fire Box Loop 16.7 miles: Scenic hilly terrain that is very remote with little to no vehicle traffic on gravel and forest service roads as well as portions of multiuse trails. Bring a map and pay attention to the signs, there are numerous spur trails along this route. Ride can be done in either direction. • Lima Mountain Trail 26.2 miles (out and back trail): A great family ride on gravel road with minimal traffic. Elevation climbs very gradually over rivers and through low areas of pine forest. BWCAW borders the trail. Multiple starting points allow for variable distance rides. • Central Gunflint Trails 60+ miles: Very remote hilly terrain with little to no road traffic. Primarily cross country ski trails and private gravel roads near the BWCAW. Map and navigational tools recommended as there are multiple spur trails along the route. Consult either Golden Eagle Lodge or Bearskin Lodge for maps and information. • Old Gunflint Trail 9 miles round trip (out and back trail): Gravel road with minimal traffic. Old Gunflint Trail is County Road 92, a fairly flat trail that passes through a healthy black spruce forest. Part of the trail runs through the Ham Lake fire recovery zone.
14 Spring 2019
2019 • Spirit Mountain Bike Park Beginner to advanced. Outstanding views of Lake Superior are the norm at Spirit Mountain. The terrain is demanding, but is sure to reward with amazing vistas. Lift-assisted downhill mountain biking and fat biking. • Duluth Traverse 40 miles: As beginner level singletrack, the Duluth Traverse (DT) connects the city’s trail networks at Lester Park, Hartley Park, PiedmontBrewer Park, Spirit Mountain and Mission Creek. Currently, 75% of the DT is on singletrack trail, the balance is on gravel roads and some paved road sections. It’s a work in progress and will eventually be all standalone singletrack.
Ely Area Mountain Bike Routes
At Spirit Mountain in Duluth, MN. Jan Lasar photo
Duluth Area Mountain Bike Trails
Duluth has been named Gold Level Ride Center by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA), one of six such destinations in the world. The Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores (COGGS) maintain and develop Duluth’s extensive trail system. • Hartley Park 9 miles: Intermediate trails through the hardwood forests and open marsh areas of Hartley Nature Center. • Lester Park 5.5 miles: Intermediate. Beautiful views of the river valley and smooth, flowing single track. There are some rocky or rooty sections, but overall the trail is non-technical and the best option in the Duluth area if you are newer to mountain biking. Groomed for fat tire biking in the winter. • Mission Creek 23 miles: Beginner to intermediate. Fast and flowing singletrack with many bridges, berms, and rollers. This trail network traverses a dramatic, heavily forested landscape with spectacular views of the St. Louis River Valley and Jay Cooke State Park. Groomed for fat biking in the winter. • Mont du Lac 4 miles: Intermediate single track and advanced level downhill trails. • Piedmont & Brewer Trails 9 miles: Intermediate to advanced. Challenging trails with bridges and features. Significant elevation changes with large rocky bluffs. Groomed for fat biking in the winter. • Pokegama Trail 4 miles: Challenging, tight and twisting singletrack trail with drops, boardwalks and short, steep climbs through beautiful stands of white pine, cedars and paper birch. Groomed for fat biking in the winter.
• Hidden Valley Trails 13 miles: This area offers hilly, wooded loop trails on the outskirts of Ely. The system consists of several smaller loops with a connection to the Pine Park loop on the northern end. • Fernberg Tower Area This area is located along the Fernberg Road east of Ely. Several county and forest roads intersect giving an opportunity to explore the Superior National Forest. The route includes both gravel and natural surface trails. • Nickel Lake Area 12 miles: This area provides rolling wooded hills, grassy bogs and beaver dams. There is access to several isolated lakes and an abandoned granite quarry that last operated in the 30s. • Fenske Lake Area This area has many opportunities to explore forest and logging roads. Trails cross over rolling hills and pass through spruce forests. Cohasset | Tioga Trails 5 miles: This new mountain bike area in the location of a former mine pit currently offers five miles of singletrack, but is expected to grow to 25 miles in 2019. Biwabik | Giants Ridge Giants Ridge offers lift-served mountain biking on three downhill runs ranging from easy to expert. Riders can also explore a variety of mountainside trails consisting of cross-country ski trails, snowmobile trails, and abandoned logging roads. Carlton | Jay Cooke State Park 13 miles: Trail is a mixture of grass, dirt and pavement with spectacular views. Silver Creek Trail and Summer Trail are groomed for fat bikes in the winter. Cloquet | Pine Valley Park 2 miles: Stacked loops rated beginner to intermediate with switchbacks and flow sections through pine trees and open areas. Grand Marais| Eliason Tower Loop 12 miles: A 12-mile loop along back forest and county roads five miles northeast of Grand Marais. Moose have been spotted at dawn and dusk along this trail. Grand Marais | Pincushion Mountain 10 miles: Challenging trails with awesome Lake Superior views. Switchbacks, bridges, rock gardens and lots of elevation changes. Groomed for fat tire biking in the winter.
Details at mntrails.com Minnesota Trails
2019 Grand Rapids | Sugar Hills 20 miles: Enjoy the solitude on this mixture of singletrack and fire roads. Intermediate to expert trail on hilly terrain through hardwoods in the Hill River State Forest. Thunder Peak provides excellent panoramic views. Grand Rapids | Legion Trails 6 miles: Hand-built singletrack trail ranging from fast and flowing to tight, twisty and technical. Near Grand Rapids High School. Grand Rapids |Forest History Center Trails 5 miles: Explore the Forest History Center by bike. Beginner trail through 1900s logging camp and virgin timber forest. Grand Rapids - Ely| Taconite State Trail 165 miles: Popular multipurpose trail that moves through out-of-the-way forests and lakes and stretches 165 miles from Grand Rapids to Ely and intersects with the Arrowhead State Trail just west of Lake Vermillion. Passes through Bear Head Lake State Park. Some areas may be impassable in the summer. Hibbing | Maple Hill Park 5 miles: Intermediate, two-way singletrack with a dirt surface in a 133-acre city park. Groomed for fat bikes in the winter. McGregor | Savanna Portage State Park 10 miles: Mixture of grass and dirt doubletrack. The trail offers varied topography in its several loops with a challenging climb up the Continental Divide with an awesome view as a reward. Side Lake | McCarthy Beach State Park 17 miles: A choice of nice rides is available on the park trails and the low maintenance St. Louis County roads inside the park boundary. Bikers can venture out of the park on the Taconite State Trail.
Mountain Bike Trails
Tofte | Britton Peak Trails 5.5 miles: Trails are intermediate to advanced with a short beginner loop. Enjoy views of the Temperance River Valley and some advanced features like a rock garden and boardwalk. Tower to International Falls | Arrowhead State Trail 135 miles: Approximately 69 miles of the trail are suitable for mountain biking in the summer; however, there may be wet areas. Intersects with the Taconite State Trail. Mountain bikers should call the nearest Parks and Trails Area office before leaving for their destination to inquire about local trail conditions and amenities. This is a multi-use trail, including horseback riding. Two Harbors | Split Rock Lighthouse State Park 3 miles: Easy trail with a mix of dirt and grass shared with hikers. No singletrack. Stunning views of the Split Rock Lighthouse along Lake Superior. Can be combined with a return on the paved Gitchi Gami Trail for a 6 mile loop. The park grooms this loop and an additional 3 miles for fat biking in the winter. Virginia | Big Aspen Trail 21 miles: The Big Aspen Trail in the Superior National Forest has many loop opportunities and beautiful scenic vistas. The trail is part of old logging roads and abandoned railroad grades from the Virginia and Rainy Lake Lumber Company. It is a multi-use trail, allowing mountain bikes, ATVs, horses, and in the winter, cross-country skiers.
Virginia | Lookout Mountain 11 miles: The trail system has dedicated mountain bike singletrack with berms, bridges and rock gardens in the Superior National Forest. Once you get to the top of a large hill it is mostly rolling hills through forestland. There are a few large rock features and some challenging intermediate skill level sections. The trails are two-way, look out for oncoming bikes and hikers. Sources: MNDNR, COGGS, Visit Cook County, IROC, MORC, National Forest Service, TrailForks.com, MTBProject.com, Singletracks.com, individual organizations
ITASCA TRAIL SPORTS
Bicycle Sales, Repairs, and Rentals
Authorized Dealer: (218) 236-1716 • itascatrailsports.net 316 NE 4th Street, Grand Rapids, MN 55744
down time
lift-served gravity Trails Giants Ridge offers the finest finest gravity gravity trails trails inin the the Upper Midwest. With two purpose-built purpose–built gravity + +a growing mountain bike trails place in place a growingtrail trail system in the works, you can explore the scenic beauty of the Mesabi like never before. And if high-speed high–speed runs down the side of a mountain aren’t your thing, we have over 130 miles of paved mountain bike trails to explore.
bike rental available giantsridge.com Minnesota Trails
Spring 2019 15
Metro MOUNTAIN BIKING
The many communities of the Twin Cities region provide an extensive network of rugged singletrack and easy to moderate mountain bike trails. Regional and city parks maintain trails to provide something for everyone close to a major metropolitan area.
Theodore Wirth Park | Minneapolis, MN Jan Lasar photo 16 Spring 2019
Minnesota Trails
2019
Mountain Bike Trails
At Lake Rebecca Park Reserve. Jan Lasar photo Bloomington | Minnesota River Trail 11 miles: Intermediate. Nicknamed Minnesota River Bottoms. Mostly singletrack winds through wooded area near river. Challenging trail that can be muddy after rain. Plenty of jumps and some obstacles. Burnsville | Terrace Oaks 2.3 miles: Intermediate. Mainly singletrack. A fairly technical trail with lots of climbs and amazing descents. Challenging trail. Burnsville | Buck Hill 6 miles: Beginner to intermediate, includes two downhill flow trails. Skills Park featuring a bermed course with drops, rock garden, skinnies and a dragon tail. Maple Grove | Elm Creek Park Preserve 12.7 miles: Interconnected singletrack loop trails. Built to accommodate all skill levels of riders, but mostly intermediate with short sections of easy and advanced trails. Eagan | Lebanon Hills Regional Park 11 miles: Mostly intermediate. This course is much improved and a favorite for many. Good mixture of rolling hills and more technical singletrack. Woods provide secluded feel in suburban area. East St. Paul | Battle Creek Regional Park 9.5 miles: Intermediate to advanced. Battle Creek features a wide selection of trails within its boundaries. Plenty of steep, narrow singletrack. Thickly wooded, some limited visibility on turns. St. Paul | Fort Snelling State Park 10 miles: Beginner. Enjoyable ride along the Dakota County side of the river. Generally flat trail, but scenic. Starts as a wide double track, then narrows to singletrack. Trails are multi-use. Inver Grove Heights | Salem Hills 4.4 miles: Gently rolling hills through woods and reclaimed prairie consisting of three loops: Harmon Park, Sawmill, Foul Pond Loop. Minnesota Trails
Lake Elmo | Lake Elmo Park Reserve 8 miles: Beginner to intermediate. Beautiful park with a pleasant view of Eagle Point Lake. This is a multi-use trail, including horseback riding. Some hard-packed singletrack, some grassy trail. Fat bikes are allowed on Big Bluestem Trail in the winter. Lakeville | West Lake Marion Trail 5 miles: Beginner to advanced. Hard-packed singletrack through woods and fields on the west side of Lake Marion near Casperson Park. Minneapolis | Theodore Wirth Park 8 miles: Intermediate to advanced. Singletrack has twists and turns with many technical features. Challenging course and a great trail system consisting of five separate loops: North, South, Southwest, Brownie and Glenwood Loop. Just minutes from downtown Minneapolis.
Rockford | Lake Rebecca Park Reserve 13.25 miles: Easy to advanced singletrack loops through wooded landscape with wetlands. Start at the Hilltop picnic area. Savage | Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve 10 miles: This trail features glacial ridges, hilly terrain and an extensive, lush forest. This is a challenging trail and a favorite for mountain bikers. Woodbury | Carver Lake Park 4 miles: Series of interconnected loops and switchbacks on the south side of Carver Lake. Sources: MORC, Three Rivers Park District, MNDNR, TrailForks.com, MTBProject.com, Singletracks.com, individual counties/organizations
ramseybicycle.com Your friendly neighborhood bicycle shop!
We feature quality bicycles from Marin, Reid, Redline, Specialized, Sun, Torker & Worksman. Open 7 days a week. Children’s, Road, Comfort, BMX, Mountain Bikes & Unicycles 2661 County Road I - Mounds View MN
763.784.6966 CARSBikeShop.com
TREK • GIANT • ELECTRA 6825 Hwy 10 • Ramsey, MN
763-323-6666
Spring 2019 17
Southern MOUNTAIN BIKING Stunning bluff country, meandering rivers and open prairies give southern Minnesota a wide variety of natural terrain for mountain bikers to enjoy. Most of the most popular locations are within an hour’s drive of the metro area, yet some of the best-kept mountain biking secrets can be found farther away.
Schindler’s Way | Austin, MN Erik Schindler photo 18 Spring 2019
Minnesota Trails
2019 Albert Lea | Myre Big Island State Park 7 miles: Intermediate. Well-marked trail shared with hikers. Runs through forested hills and by Albert Lea Lake. Lots of trails to choose from. Limited access when wet. Austin | Schindler’s Way 5 miles: This flat and fast singletrack system flows through forest and prairie and sweeps along the Cedar River near the Hormel Foods campus and Todd Park. A great beginner trail. Faribault | River Bend Nature Center 10 miles: Multi-use, dirt and grass trail is shared with hikers and travels through hardwoods along the Straight River with scenic bluff views. Henderson | Ney Nature Center Trail 1.5 miles Two single-direction trails: Trail one is rated intermediate and trail two is rated difficult with berms, drops and a rock garden. Lynd | Camden State Park 5.25 miles : Beginner to advanced. Mixture of fire roads and singletrack rolls through hardwood forests and prairie with a 1-mile section of rake-and-ride trail on top of the river valley. Mankato | Ft. LeHillier Skills Trail 2.2 miles: A short skills building area south of Mankato on the Blue Earth River with rollers and berms winding through the wooded river bottom contours. This is a perfect trail to get new riders acquainted with their bike. Trails are bi-directional. Mankato | Kiwanis Mountain Bike Trail 6 miles: Two single-direction loops on the Minnesota River. The short beginner loop consists of rolling, berm filled singletrack in the river bottom land. More advanced features and options like log piles, jumps and drops can be found on “B” lines with ride-arounds on the intermediate loop.
Mountain Bike Trails
Mankato | Mount Kato 7 miles: Mount Kato has roughly seven miles of cross-country singletrack winding through the wooded hills of their ski area for novice to expert riders. Riders who like a challenge will enjoy the climbs and descents. Mankato | Seven Mile Creek 8 miles: Seven Mile Creek’s multi-use bidirectional trails feature little technical challenge but some climbs and descents are steep and very challenging. The area transitions from the Minnesota River to grasslands in the valley, to deciduous forests on either side and up the bluffs of the creek. Northfield | Caron Park 3 miles: Beginner and intermediate singletrack loops with a dirt surface through a completely wooded area. Runs by Prairie Creek and features a natural waterfall. One interesting feature is a large erratic boulder on the intermediate loop. Trails are bi-directional. Northfield | Heath Creek/St. Olaf Trail 1 mile: Across County Road 78 from the Sechler Park Trails you’ll find a short, more technical trail with a rock garden along Heath Creek. Great views in a densely wooded area. Northfield | Sechler Park 1.75 miles: Trail is designed to introduce beginners to mountain biking and runs along the woods on the shore of the Cannon River. Part of this system is a skills park with berms, jumps, drops, log piles, a teeter-totter and more. Connects to Heath Creek Trail across County Road 78. Owatonna | Kaplan’s Woods 6 miles: Moderately difficult singletrack through woods. Some log jumps add challenges.
Red Wing | Red Wing Memorial Trails 7 miles: Beginner to advanced. Trail has many options: Long climbs, challenging obstacles, outstanding views, twisting singletrack. Select a ride that matches your skills. Rochester | Eastwood Park 5 miles: Three easy and two intermediate trails by Eastwood Golf Course. Trail is mostly wooded with many tight twists and turns along the Zumbro River. Rochester | Gamehaven Park 8 miles: Five easy and two intermediate singletrack loops with scenic overlooks on Gamehaven Lake. Groomed for fat bikes in the winter. St. Peter | Traverse des Sioux Park 11 miles: This system consists of rolling and winding trail through the Minnesota River bottoms weaving through the trees and over the undulating flood plain. The trails are bidirectional with trail difficulty rated easy and beginner friendly. These trails have some of the area’s best views of the Minnesota River. Welch | Welch Village Mountain bike park with lift-served downhill trails for experienced riders. Features include bridges, jumps, ramps and drops. Winona | Holzinger Lodge Trail 9.5 miles: Advanced: One of the area’s best singletrack trail systems with short, steep climbs, winding curves and excellent views of the Mississippi at Bluffside Park. Some winter trails. Sources: MNDNR, RAMBO, WAMB, MAMB, RASC, CROCT, TrailForks.com, MTBProject.com, Singletracks.com, individual organizations
Memorial Park Mountain Bike Trails
Red Wing, MN
RedWing.org
HI
H T T
R T E
LS I A
R N I
W D E
G N I
Lift-Served downhill mountain biking Welch, MN Minnesota Trails
Welchvillage.com Spring 2019 19
Central MOUNTAIN BIKING
There’s great mountain biking in the heart of Minnesota. From the purpose-built red dirt flow trails of the Cuyuna Lakes, to the granite outcroppings of Quarry Park in St. Cloud, or the lift-assisted downhill rides of Detroit Mountain to the wilderness of the Matthew Lourey State Trail near Hinckley, the center of the state has a great variety of trails to explore.
Black’s Grove | Wadena, MN Jan Lasar photo 20 Spring 2019
Minnesota Trails
2019 Brainerd | Pillsbury State Forest 27 miles: Mix of gravel logging roads, grass and dirt winding and twisting through forest and past lakes. All trails are multi-use, some include horseback riding. Callaway | Maplelag 12 miles: Mixture of challenging singletrack and grassy double track. Easy to expert. Cuyuna, Crosby, Ironton | Cuyuna Mountain Bike Trail System 25 miles: An IMBA Silver Level Ride Center. Singletrack trails from beginner to expert. Stunning views off overburden piles left from the area’s mining days. Deep mine lakes offer refreshment after a hard ride. Detroit Lakes | Detroit Mountain 8.5 miles: This trail system has trails from beginner to expert. Ride contour flow trails, or take the lift up to the top and zip down the downhill flow trails, or ride the skills park. Lodge with bathrooms, bar, and concessions is a must-see. Some trails are groomed for fat biking in the winter. Connecting trail takes you to Mountain View Rec Area trails. Detroit Lakes | Dunton Locks County Park 4 miles: Trail loops along the shores between Lake Sallie and Muskrat Lake. Some wind through hardwood forested hills. Trails are shared with hikers and are groomed for skiing in the winter. Detroit Lakes | Mountain View Rec. Area 3 miles: Single track loops through mature, mixed hardwood forest. Trails are laid out to be challenging. Elk River | Hillside Park 6 miles: Advanced. An expert trail that is either climbing or descending for the entire course. Good skills practice. Fergus Falls | Ferber Park 2.2 miles: A mix of rolling hills and flat terrain in wooded and grassy areas with less difficult to more challenging trails. Trails were developed by volunteers in 2017 with help from the City of Fergus Falls and continue to be improved. Look for additional trails in the future. Glenwood | Barsness Park 3.0 miles: Intermediate single track through wooded areas near downtown Glenwood and the shores of Lake Minnewaska. Hinckley | Saint Croix State Park 21 miles: Wide, grassy trail in the woods with some dirt sections on the Matthew Lourey State Trail. Hutchinson | Stahl’s Lake Park 3 miles: Moderate terrain with some small hills, a balance beam and seesaw. Milaca | Milaca City Trails 14 miles: Located near the Rum River, this system offers a variety of trail options for riders of all skill levels. Most of the trails are singletrack and go through a mix of woods, hills and fields. Monticello | Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park 10 miles: This system offers many options for all skills levels including a fast singletrack, switchbacks and a meandering doubletrack. Be ready to deal with logs, roots, and wooden bridges. Fat bikes are welcome, the trail is groomed in the winter.
Mountain Bike Trails
St. Cloud | Jail Trail 7.5 miles: Beginner to intermediate with advanced options. Singletrack trail runs through dense woods with sections along the fence of the Minnesota Correctional Facility. St. Cloud | River Bluffs Regional Park 3 miles: Beginner singletrack loop near the Mississippi River. St. Cloud | Quarry Park 2.2 miles: Intermediate doubletrack with a mixture of gravel, dirt and grass around some granite outcroppings. Runs through a heavily wooded area with a few fairly technical sections. Bike over billion-year old bedrock.
Wadena | Black’s Grove 8 miles: Beginner to advanced trails that wind through a wooded setting and along Black’s Creek. Kensington | Kensington Rune Stone Park 5 miles: Beginner to intermediate, dedicated singletrack. The park has a visitor center with bathrooms. Sources: TrailForks.com, MTBProject.com, Singletracks.com, LAMBAT, ROC, MNDNR, Pedal Fergus Falls, Mid Minnesota Cycling Club, individual organizations
Go mountain biking, trout fishing, kayaking and paddle boarding in the heart of the Cuyuna Country Recreation Area. Easy trail access!
Cabins, tent and RV sites on beautiful Manuel Mine Lake in Crosby, MN. 23457 County Road 31 | Crosby, MN 56441 218-838-6858
For reservations visit www.redriderresort.com
CALL
Rates Greaat ckages &P E ONLIN
Minnesota Trails
Spring 2019 21
Northwest MOUNTAIN BIKING
Many of the most popular mountain bike destinations in northwestern Minnesota can be found in state parks and forests. This area offers more twists and turns and a greater chance to come across wildlife while rolling down a hill or along a hard-packed singletrack.
Movil Maze | Bemidji, MN Jan Lasar photo 22 Spring 2019
Minnesota Trails
2019 Chippewa National Forest Trails • Deer River| Simpson Creek Trail 13 miles: Enjoy rolling topography through pines and along glacial eskers, with overlooks onto Cut Foot Sioux Lake and journeys into the cedar swamp. Cyclists travel on both old tote roads and dirt trail. Access at the Cut Foot Sioux Visitor Center or Eagle Nest Road (FR2198). • Deer River | Cut Foot Sioux Trail 18 miles: An extension of the Simpson Creek Trail, this is an 18- mile loop along old Forest Roads with gravel and sand. Access from the Cut Foot Sioux Visitor Center or the Hwy. 46 Wayside Rest 5 miles north of the Center. • Marcell | Suomi Hills Trail 19 miles: The remote and stunning Suomi Hills has 19 miles of hiking, biking and ski trails and is part of a semi-primitive non-motorized area. The rolling topography offers mountain bike trails for intermediate and advanced cyclists. Access the Suomi Hills area from the Highway 38 National Scenic Byway. • Marcell | Trout Lake Trail 11 miles: This is a nice short scenic trail into the woods and out onto the Trout Lake Estate, a national historic site featuring a 1920 lumber baron estate. Access from the north end of Trout Lake off Co. 326 or from the south end near FR 2065. Bemidji | Lake Bemidji State Park 5 miles: Beginner to advanced. Park has much to offer with dirt and packed grass trails. System is well maintained. Forested terrain has some challenging sections. Bemidji | Movil Maze 8 miles: This system lives up to its name, so bring a compass and use the map of the area. There are several spurs that branch off this trail. The trail is a combination of grassy sections and dirt singletrack with ramps. Crookston to Ulen | Agassiz Rec. Trail 53 miles: This abandoned railroad grade is a designated multiple use trail shared by pedestrians, cyclists, equestrians and ATV riders. It passes through Ulen, Twin Valley, Gary, Fertile and Crookston and offers scenic views of the Sand Hill and Wild Rice Rivers and Minnesota farmland. Fertile | Fertile Environmental Learning Center 2.5 miles: Intermediate to advanced singletrack carved into the 150’ gorge of the Sand Hill River at Fertile Environmental Learning Center. Trail has logs, jumps, tight turns and downhill challenges. The remainder of the system is grassy, mowed doubletrack. Trails are shared with hikers.
Mountain Bike Trails
Lake Bronson | Lake Bronson State Park 5 miles: Good variety of easy trails and loops to allow for different choices. The trails go through forest and prairie and are a mixture of grass and gravel. Moorhead | Gooseberry Park 3 miles: Singletrack loops on the banks of the Red River of the North. Connects to a short skills building trail with bridges and rock gardens in Horn Park. Moorhead | M.B. Johnson Park 4 miles: Singletrack loops along the banks of the Red River of the North. Trailhead has bathrooms, water and a shelter.
Roseau | Hayes Lake State Park 5 miles: Beginner trail on grassy, level terrain in a wooded area. Trail starts at Hayes Dam. Roseau | Mount Roseau 10 miles: Easy, twisting trails on rolling hills in an open, grassy area. Sources: MNDNR, GRIMBA, IROC, MORC, National Forest Service, Fargo Moorhead Trailbuilders, TrailForks.com, MTBProject.com, Singletracks.com, individual organizations
Bike. Eat. Shop. Repeat.
mnbiketrail.com
ASSOCIATION
DISCOVER the BEAUTY of the
NORTH COUNTRY at
Best Western Bemidji • Indoor Pool & Whirlpool • Free WIFI • Great Service • Free Hot Breakfast
LOOP THE LAKE TRAIL
2420 Paul Bunyan Dr. Bemidji, MN 56601
(877) 857-8599 (218) 751-0390
www.bestwestern.com/bemidji
Bikers love this unique 17 mile lakeside trail in MN’s Best Town! Where else can you bike a scenic trail to 4 parks, great shopping, dining, golf, boat rentals, lodging, and more. YOU CAN BE A WINNER TOO! Bike rentals available, too. Experience why Bemidji was voted MN Best Town! Register to WIN A GETAWAY PACKAGE at Be sure not to miss the LOOP the LAKE FESTIVAL JUNE 15th, 2019
Minnesota Trails
VisitBemidji.com Spring 2019 23
1470_MNTrails_SP19_4_625x4_87_021119Final.indd 1
2/12/19 2:49 PM
Some of the best mountain biking trails in all of the Midwest.
29TH ANNUAL
Decorah, Iowa offers 500 acres of park land and 20 miles of off-road biking trails. The Time Trials ride will allow you to experience the rolling, wooded areas of the Decorah Park System, including technical single tracks.
2 courses in 2019 • Traditional full course, approximately 9 miles • Spring Course, approximately 1/2 the distance of the full course
SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2019
Registration forms available at: www.decorahmtb.com
Racing Since 1990
Request a trail guide!
Decorah
IOWA
563-202-8529 |visitdecorah.com DECORAH CHAMBER WINNESHIEK DEVELOPMENT
24 Spring 2019
Minnesota Trails
2019
Bike Events
DECORAH TIME TRIALS
Mayor’s Bike Ride
The Spring Bike Fling
Location: Decorah, IA Website: www.decorahmtb.com The Decorah Time Trials have been held since 1990. It’s the longest running mountain bike event in the state of Iowa. The course winds through the rolling wooded areas of the Decorah Parks system and includes lots of technical single track. All proceeds will go to projects and maintenance in the park system.
Location: Willmar, Spicer and New London, MN Website: www.willmarlakesarea.com The communities of Willmar, Spicer and New London are coming together for a bike ride. Mayors from Spicer, New London and Willmar will be leading a ride starting at 5:00pm in each of their towns.
Location: Walker, MN Website: www.leech-lake.com/spring-bike-fling Starting at Walker City Park, on the shores of beautiful Leech Lake, take a ride to Laporte or Guthrie on the Paul Bunyan Trail.
April 27, 2019
Big Wood Gears and Beers Bike Tour May 4, 2019
Location: White Bear Lake Website: www.bigwoodgearsandbeers.com Distances: 25, 50 miles Starts and ends at Big Wood Brewery and offers routes on a combination of trail and gorgeous open roads of northern Washington County.
Almanzo Gravel Rides May 17 to May 18, 2019
Location: Northfield, MN Website: www.almanzo.com Distances: 50,100, 162, 380 miles The Malanzo 50, Almanzo 100, Royal 162 and Alexander 380 are self-supported gravel road races. Free events open to anyone.
May 17, 2019
Mama Marla’s Hike It or Bike It May 18, 2019
Location: Clotho, MN Website: www.sites.google.com/site/ mamamarlasfun/events This annual event has been held since 2001. Participants can run/walk 5k or 10k, go on a bike ride, or combine the two and compete in a duathlon.
Fire 55 Bicycle Ride May 18, 2019
Location: Richmond, MN Website: www.getmeregistered.com/ fire55bicycleride Distances: 55, 25, 15 miles The Fire55 Bicycle Ride raises funds for the Richmond Fire Department, a 100% volunteer organization.
May 18, 2019
MINNESOTA BIKE OPENER
May 18, 2019
Location: Park Rapids, MN Website: http://parkrapids.com Distances: 2-10 miles This free event starts at Red Bridge Park and on the Heartland Trail. Rest stop stations at Dorset and Nevis.
TOUR DE WATER
May 18, 2019
Location: Winona, MN Website: www.tourdewater.weebly.com Distances: 5,10, 15, 20 miles A scenic “urban” tour of Winona’s parks and trails with visits to Goodview Lake, Prairie Island Park and Latsch Island. The goal of the Tour de Water is to highlight current and future bicycle infrastructure, recreational opportunities and environmental organizations working to keep our lakes, streams, and rivers healthy.
e arth BluE SAVE THE ! DATE
Minnesota
May 18, 2019
THE SOURCE OF Pedal at your own pace
Discovery
Explore Itasca Park on two wheels
Cruise the Heartland Trail
New Giant Welcome Center and Museum right off the trails on highway 169, 16 and I 90 A giant variety of eats and treats RIGHT IN THE
| Minnesota Trails
800-247-0054
• • • • •
| www.parkrapids.com
OF THE CITY
WALK/BIKE Trails Camping Lodging Water Park Fun-Food-Festivals
www.blueearthchamber.com
507.526.2916 chamber@bevcomm.net Spring 2019 25
2019
Bike Events Bike MS: Twin Cities May 19, 2019
Location: Minneapolis, MN Website: www.nationalmssociety.org Distances: 15, 30, 45 miles Bike MS: Twin Cities Ride is a must-do for any cyclist.
Le Grand Du Nord May 25, 2019
Location: Grand Marais, MN Website: www.heckofthenorth.com Distances: 20, 58, 100 miles Challenging gravel race along the shores of Lake Superior with more than 5,500 feet of climbs.
TOUR DE PEPIN
June 1, 2019
Location: Lake City, MN Website: www.lakecity.org/news-events/ tour-de-pepin Distances: 32, 50, 72, 100 miles. Begin your tour in historic Lake City and get a marvelous, glimpse of the most extensive river delta in the Midwest. You make your way through rolling farmland and wooded countryside en route to Stockholm, WI, where the Pearl of the Lake paddleboat will take you across Lake Pepin, back to Lake City.
TOUR OF LAKES
CARAMEL ROLL RIDE
June 1, 2019
Location: Brainerd, MN Website: www.paulbunyancyclists.com Distances: 35, 65 miles This is a loop ride through the scenic Brainerd Lakes area starting at Crosby/ Ironton High School. Registration includes t-shirt, route maps, rest stops and SAG. All proceeds benefit local programs.
Twin Cities Tour de Cure June 1, 2019
Location: Minneapolis, MN Website: www.diabetes.org/twincitiestourdecure Distances: 10, 18, 26, 45, 62, 100 miles A day full of fun and excitement where riders of all levels join forces and raise funds for diabetes research, education and advocacy.
Bike MS: MS 150
June 7 to June 9, 2019
Location: White Bear Lake, MN Website: www.nationalmsscociety.org Distances: 75 miles a day Bike MS: MS 150 Ride is a two-day cycling journey to raise money for MS research.
More details at mntrails.com
June 8, 2019
Location: Albany, MN Website: www.lakewobegontrail.com/lwta-rides This is the annual “Beginning of Summer” ride on the trail and this year marks the 20th anniversary. Choose from three options: East to Avon, Collegeville and Saint Joseph, west to Freeport, and of course, north to Holdingford and the covered bridge, then on the Soo Line Trail to Bowlus and Blanchard Dam on the Mighty Mississippi River. As always the best Caramel Rolls you can find anywhere will be available at all the rest stops along the way!
LUCE LINE LOOPS BIKE RIDE
June 9, 2019
Location: Hutchinson, MN Website: www.hutchinsonrotary.org Distances: 12, 25, 50 miles and a 75km gravel option. This ride is hailed as one of the most scenic and hospitable rides in Minnesota. With four ride options, this ride is perfect for all riders. Back by popular demand this year is the 75K Gravel Grinder; perfect for those who love to ride on gravel! All rides begin and end at the Crow River Winery, which connects with the Luce Line Trail via a 1/4 mile packed gravel trail. TCBC approved outreach ride.
North Star Grand Prix June 12 to June 16, 2019
Location: Varies towns across Minnesota Website: www.northstarbicyclefestival.com The North Star Grand Prix is a five-day stage race that draws racers from all parts of the US and tens of thousands of spectators. An amateur and youth race, live music and family activities are part of the celebrations.
Te a
m
H2
O!
5, 10, 15, 20 miles a
on
in
W e Lak ke w a e L vi od Go River sippi Missis
Tour de Water May 18, 2019
“An urban ride around picturesque Winona, MN!”
12th l Annua Saturday, June 1, 2019 26 Spring 2019
Ride the beautiful Brainerd Lakes Area
Saturday, June 1, 2019 35 or 66 miles
www.paulbunyancyclists.com
The Tour of Minnesota June 14 to June 21, 2019
Location: Grand Rapids, MN Website: www.tourofminnesota.com Distances: 40 to 60 miles per day The 45th annual Tour of Minnesota, formerly the Klobuchar Bike Ride, will visit the Iron Range towns of Grand Rapids, Chisholm, Aurora, Ely, Biwabik and Hibbing in 2019.
regiStration beginS online in april all tourS begin & end in lake city, Mn
Four touring optionS • 32 MileS: Milieu* • 50 MileS: deMi-SiÈcle* • 72 MileS: lac plein • 100 MileS: SiÈcle *the pearl oF the lake paddlewheel boat will bring you back to lake city via lake pepin.
Based upon availaBility. CoaCh Bus also availaBle.
@ TourDePepin | www.lakecity.org Minnesota Trails
2019 Believe In Me Bike Ride June 15, 2019
Bike Events
SHOOTING STAR TRAIL RIDE
Tour D’Amico
Location: Adams, MN Website: www.shootingstartrail.org Distances: 20, 40, 50, 62 miles. Take a ride through Minnesota’s prairies. All routes are fully supported with rest stops and SAG support. The 50 and 62-mile routes are a combination of trail and hard surface county roads on relatively flat terrain. A family favorite of southern Minnesota.
Location: Golden Valley, MN Website: www.tourdamico.org Distances: 21, 29, 41, 62 miles. Routes cover western metro area. Entry fee includes tasty Italian lunch at ride conclusion. Multiple supported rest stops.
June 22, 2019
Location: Rochester, MN Website: www.grrbikeride.org Distances: 6,14-mile trail ride, 34, 62, 80,102-mile road route, 43-mile gravel route. This ride takes you through some of the beautiful wide-open spaces surrounding Rochester. There is a ride for every level.
Dam2Dam Ride June 15, 2019
Swiss Cheese and Spotted Cows Bicycle Tour
Location: Little Falls, MN Website: www.cmnbikeclub.com/dam2dam-bike-ride Distances: 20, 40 miles. Follow the Great River Road through Charles A. Lindbergh State Park to historic Blanchard Dam and enjoy miles of Mississippi riverfront and quiet back roads with two rest stops.
Date: June 27 to June 30, 2019
Location: Spring Green, WI Website: www.scscbiketour.com Distances: average 60 miles daily. Ride along quiet, pastoral country lanes dotted with small farms and enjoy the unspoiled natural beauty and charming, vibrant towns of southern Wisconsin.
LADY SLIPPER RIDE
June 15, 2019
Location: Avon, MN Website: www.lakewobegontrail.com/lwta-rides Distances: 6 miles See the Minnesota State Flower, the Pink and White Showy Lady’s Slipper in full bloom. This is a short ride to see the beautiful Lady’s Slipper orchids growing along the Lake Wobegon Trail. It’s a free ride, but donations will be accepted.
Lutsen 99er
June 29 to June 30, 2019
Location: Lutsen Ski Resort, Lutsen, MN Website: www.lutsen99er.com Distances: 99, 69, 49, 25 miles This racecourse takes advantage of the scenery and topography of Minnesota’s North Shore on roads and trails that see as much moose traffic as people traffic.
July 4, 2019
WATERMELON RIDE July 4, 2019
Location: Shoreview, MN Website: www.biketcbc.org/watermelon Distances: 15, 25, and 52-mile routes. The Twin Cities Bicycling Club’s annual holiday ride in the northeast metro is a family favorite. Routes are fully supported with a picnic lunch near the end.
EXPLORE… … the LUCE LINE STATE TRAIL
LOOP THE LAKE RIDE
June 15, 2019
Location: Bemidji, MN Website: www.bikebemidji.com Distance: 17 miles. Easy, paved trail ride around beautiful Lake Bemidji, features a rolling start time, food, music, and activities at rest stations along the way. Registration includes food, music, and photo ops on a scenic route.
Minnesota Iron Man Bike Ride June 15, 2019
Location: Shakopee, MN Website: www.ironmanbikeride.org Distances: 15, 30, 62, 100 miles Minnesota’s oldest bike ride returns in 2019 with a new venue and a family-friendly ride option on the Minnesota River Valley Trail.
A. T.
116 First Street Southeast Little Falls, MN 56345 (320)BLACK 632-5374 & WHITE THE View Our Menu Online www.attheblacknwhite.com 116 First Street Southeast Little Falls, MN 56345 (320) 632-5374
Large selection of Minnesota craft beers and wines from family-owned vineyards.
Le Cordon Bleu trained chefs
50
MILES
75K
25
GRAVEL
MILES
GRINDER
A Rotary Sponsored Ride for Water Carnival
HUTCHINSON, MN
June 9th, 2019 12
MILES
3 Paved Bike Rides
Plus 75K Gravel Grinder Start & Finish at Crow River Winery
Fully Supported Ride - TCBC Outreach Approved Ride Map & registration available at HutchinsonRotary.org Minnesota Trails
ExploreHUTCHINSON.com #MuchInHutch
Hutchinson Chamber & Tourism 800.572.6689 info@explorehutchinson.com
Spring 2019 27
2019
Bike Events ROCK-N-ROLL THE LAKES
Habitat 500 Bike Ride
Tour of Saints
Location: Albert Lea, MN Website: www.bikemn.org Distances: 10, 30, 50 miles. Bust up those Summertime Blues and come down to cruise around the beautiful lakes of Albert Lea, Minnesota. All three courses hug picturesque lakeshores and offer a variety of beautiful southern Minnesota scenery in the Land between the Lakes.
Location: Duluth, MN Website: www.habitat500.org The Habitat 500 is a bicycle ride and fundraiser that covers 500 miles over the course of 7 days.
Location: St. Joseph, MN Website: www.tourofsaints.com Distances: 18, 35, 50 miles. Each year cyclists gather in St. Joseph to wind their way along quiet byways and rolling hills.
July 13, 2019
Details at mntrails.com
21st Annual Shooting Star Bike Ride Saturday, June 22, 2019 20 and 40 miles - Trail Only 50 and 62 miles - Road and Trail
Starting in Adams, MN
Find out more at shootingstartrail.org
July 14 to July 19, 2019
The Minnesota North Shore Tour Date: July 14 to July 19, 2019
Location: Duluth to Grand Marais Distance: 160 miles. This tour is 100% along the shore of Lake Superior, from Duluth to the Canada border.
Date: July 14, 2019
Heck Epic
July 20 to July 21, 2019
Location: Two Harbors, MN Website: www.heckofthenorth.com Distances: 227 miles total. Two-day bikepaking stage race mostly on gravel and forest roads. Racers carry their own overnight gear.
Bike MS: Ride Across Minnesota July 21 to July 26, 2019
Location: Willmar, MN Website: www.nationalmssociety.org Riders will travel through picturesque scenery and experience the rich history of Minnesota while raising funds to fight MS.
Spoker Ride July 27, 2019
Location: Paynesville, MN Website: www.signmeup.com/SpokerRide Distances: 2 to 50 miles. The Spoker Ride To Paynesville is a bicycling event designed to promote the bike trails that connect the cities of Paynesville, New London, Spicer, area lakes, and the businesses of these communities. For those familiar with the concept of a Poker Run, this is similar, except on bicycles!
Tour de Bun Bike Classic July 27, 2019
Location: Montgomery, MN Website: www.montgomerymn.org/tourde-bun-bike-classic Distances: 13, 33, 50 miles. Ride your bike in the heart of Minnesota Czech Country in scenic Le Sueur County. Each route will have refreshment stops at various points and will provide scenic rural countryside on paved, lightly traveled roads. After the tour, riders will have plenty of time to participate in all the Kolacky Days weekend festivities.
28 Spring 2019
Minnesota Trails
2019 Tour de Save July 27, 2019
Location: Northfield, MN Website: www.save.org/event/tour-desave-northfield Distances: 6, 25, 50-mile road routes and a 46-mile gravel route. The ride supports SAVE’s mission to prevent suicide. All rides begin with a fanfare and group roll out at 9:00 AM and end with an after-party.
Bike Duluth Festival
August 2 to August 4, 2019
Location: Duluth, MN Website: www.bikeduluthfestival.com Get ready to celebrate the world-class Duluth mountain bike trails at Spirit Mountain with three days of action-packed events.
CANDAK
August 3 to August 10, 2019
Location: Velva, ND Website: www.candak.net Distances: 35, 70, 100 miles daily This ride carries on the tradition of the CANDISK ride of North Dakota with daily routes ranging from 35 to 70 miles and a century option through North Dakota’s unforgettable scenery.
Bike Events
GREAT RIVER ENERGY MESABI TRAIL TOUR
Tour de Tonka August 3, 2019
August 3, 2019
Location: Mesabi Trail Website: www.mesabitrail.com Distances: 10, 24, 51, 72 miles. Enjoy this unique riding experience on the Mesabi Trail, northeast Minnesota’s premier paved bike trail. Entry includes a t-shirt, picnic dinner and music at finish, rest stops with food and entertainment, transportation for riders and their bicycles.
TOUR DA U.P.
August 4 to August 8, 2019
RAIL TRAILS 100 August 3, 2019
Location: Minnetonka, MN Website: www.tourdetonka.org Distances: 8 to 100 miles Tour de Tonka is a scenic bike ride that travels through the Lake Minnetonka area and its surrounding communities. With 8 different route options from 8 to 100 miles, there is a ride for everyone.
Location: Fergus Falls, MN Website: www.railtrails100.com The Central Lakes and Lake Wobegon Trails offer some of the best trail riding in the state of Minnesota and this is your chance to conquer both of them in one day! You’ll board a luxury coach bus in Saint Joseph early in the morning and you and your bike get shuttled to the start in Fergus Falls. All you have to do is enjoy the 100-mile ride back. Watch the scenery change from countless sparkling glacial lakes to green fields and dairy farms as you cruise this central Minnesota gem of a trail system. Rest stops along the way. Registration is limited to 50 riders.
Location: Sault Ste. Marie, MI Website: www.shop.tourdaup.com Distances: 50-60 miles per day. Tour Da U.P. is a bike tour that offers a unique experience to families, couples and individuals. The on-road event allows you to set your own pace, take in the scenery of Michigan’s Eastern Upper Peninsula and discover historical sites and natural wonders along each day’s ride.
Bicycling Around Minnesota (BAM) August 15 to August 18, 2019
Location: Saint Joseph, MN Website: www.bambiketour.org Distances: average 65 miles daily. BAM is heading to central Minnesota to visit Saint Joseph, Sauk Centre, Spicer and Hutchinson this year.
Open year round
For our guests hitting the trails a boxed breakfast is available.
2810 Meyers Bay Road, Grand Rapids, MN 218-999-5795 • www.greenheronbandb.com
August 3-10 | candak.net
135 Miles of paved trail,
But who’s counting? mesabitrail.com
Starting and ending in Bottineau, ND
One week and 400+ miles. Minnesota Trails
Register for the Great River Energy Mesabi Trail Tour—held Saturday August 3, 2019. Spring 2019 29
2019
Bike Events Red Ribbon Ride
TOUR DE PINES
Location: Minneapolis, MN Website: www.redribbonride.org Red Ribbon Ride is a fully-supported three-day bicycle event to raise vital funds for HIV/AIDS services.
Location: Itasca State Park Website: www.tourdepines.org Distances: 15 to 100 miles. Tour De Pines is a beautiful single day bike tour in Northern Minnesota, in and around Itasca State Park.
August 16 to August 18, 2019
Gitchi-Gami Trail Ride August 17, 2019
Location: Gooseberry Falls State Park Website: www.ggta.org Distances: 8, 28, 37, 55 miles. Enjoy a supported, recreational ride on the Gitchi-Gami State Trail along Lake Superior’s scenic North Shore. Travel through multiple state parks. SAG is provided.
CARAMEL APPLE RIDE
August 17, 2019
Lumberjacks and Loons Tour Date: August 19 to August 26, 2019 and Sept. 8 to Sept. 15, 2019
Location: Itasca State Park Website: www.mywahooadventures.com/ bicycling Distances: 18 to 44 miles a day. An at-your-own pace ride through northern Minnesota, following the Mississippi River through history, wildlife, and local folklore.
PAUL’S BACON RIDE PART DEUX
August 24, 2019
Location: Brainerd, MN Website: www.paulsbaconride.com Distance: 45 miles. Visit the trail towns of Merrifield, Nisswa and Pequot Lakes with bacon stops along the way and lots of cold Minnesota craft beer and drinks to wash it down. Registration includes breakfast and lunch, bacon stops, drink specials, ride t-shirt and SAG. Packet pick-up party at Roundhouse Brewery the evening before.
September 7, 2019
Location: Sauk Centre, MN Website: www.lakewobegontrail.com/ lwta-rides Enjoy the fall colors and great apple refreshments at all the rest stops including caramel apples and other treats from local vendors. Spend the day riding the great Lake Wobegon Trail Country.
September Song September 7, 2019
Location: Rice Lake, WI Distance: 50 miles 2019 is the 51st anniversary of this classic road ride on relatively flat country roads and along the shores of Rice Lake. You’re on your own, but there are stores, restaurants and a beach on the way. The cost for the queue sheet is $1, just like in 1968!
Taste of the Trail September 7, 2019
Lanesboro, Whalan, Peterson, MN September 14, 2019 Fountain, Preston, Harmony, MN September 21, 2019 Houston, Rushford Area, MN Website: www.rootrivertrail.org/events/ taste-of-the-trail/ Three weekends each feature a different selection of towns. Each community will give you a taste of their town with different activities, food and music.
Saint Paul Classic Bike Tour September 8, 2019
Ride Winona’s beautiful Bluff Country!
September 21,
FOOD TRUCKS | LIVE MUSIC BEER! (21 & UP) REGISTER: WWW.MINNEAPOLISBIKETOUR.COM
30 Spring 2019
2019 23, 44, 67 and Century routes
www.RideTheRidges.bike
Location: St. Paul, MN Website: www.bikeclassic.org Distances: 15, 32, 47 miles Discover traffic-free glee on Minnesota’s biggest bike tour and a wonderful ride through Saint Paul, Minnesota.
RIDEMN1-Minnesota Crossing September 8 to September 14, 2019
Location: Lake Bronson, MN Website: www.ridemn1.org RideMN1 holds an annual bicycle ride across Minnesota to raise awareness and raise funds for cancer research. This year they visit Lake Bronson, Roseau, Baudette, Littlefork, Orr, Hoyt Lakes and Silver Bay.
Minnesota Trails
2019
Bike Events
PurpleRideStride
Tour de Hugo
Bikes4Kids Legacy Ride
Location: Maple Grove, MN Website: www.support.pancan.org Distances: 8, 25 miles. This year the event will take participants on a route at Elm Creek Regional Park. PurpleRideStride includes two bike routes, a 5K run/walk, and a 1-mile family-friendly walk.
Location: Hugo, MN Website: www.tourdehugo.com Distances: 6, 20, 35, 50, 62 miles Explore the beautiful variety of landscapes that Minnesota has to offer on the Tour de Hugo and enjoy the fall colors, which are likely to be at full peak.
Location: Maple Grove Website: www.bikes4kidsmn.org Distances: 5, 15, 25 miles. A Bikes 4 Kids fundraiser ride through Elm Creek Park Reserve’s beautiful trail system.
September 14, 2019
MINNEAPOLIS BIKE TOUR
September 15, 2019
Location: Minneapolis, MN Website: www.minneapolisbiketour.com Distances: 16, 32 miles. The Minneapolis Bike Tour starts and ends at beautiful Boom Island and features multiple fully supported routes that take riders through the spectacular park and byway system of Minneapolis at their own pace, traffic free.
Mora Bike Tour
September 21, 2019
Location: Mora, MN Website: www.morabiketour.org Distances: 25, 50 miles The annual Mora Bike Tour will start and finish at the Vasaloppet Nordic Center and will offer routes around the Mora countryside on hard surface rural country roads with gentle, rolling hills.
RIDE THE RIDGES
September 21, 2019
Wild Ride Mountain Bike Festival September 21, 2019
Location: Eagan, MN Website: www.co.dakota.mn.us The Wild Ride Mountain Bike Festival celebrates the great sport of mountain biking at Lebanon Hills Regional Park.
Tour de Tush-Twin Cities September 22, 2019
Location: Richfield, MN Website: www.coloncancercoalition.org Distance: 25 miles This tour happens alongside Get Your Rear in Gear - Twin Cities, a 5k run/walk, to bring awareness to colon cancer.
September 28, 2019
Heck of the North September 28, 2019
Location: North of Two Harbors, MN Website: www.heckofthenorth.com Distances: 20, 50, 100 miles. Race on rugged and beautiful gravel and forest roads near Two Harbors.
Mankato River Ramble October 6, 2019
Location: Mankato, MN Website: www.bikeriverramble.org Distances: 12, 26, 42 miles. Savor the fall colors on this countryside ride with rest stops, ride support, delicious food and beverages, and live music.
If you have a bike ride event, email jan@mntrails.com More details on our website www.mntrails.com
September 21, 2019
Location: Winona, MN Website: www.ridetheridges.bike Distances: 23, 44, 67, 105 miles Ride the Ridges will take riders through some of the most scenic areas in southeastern Minnesota, from lush valleys along streams to bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River. Four routes, ranging from short to a century. Each route has hills and valleys and spectacular views. All routes have well-stocked rest stops featuring local delicacies. Rider amenities include a long-sleeve t-shirt, meal coupon, free showers, and SAG support.
Biking! Holdingford
SALES • SERVICE • RENTALS
320.219.7433
Right Trail Rightoff offthe theCentral Central Lakes Lake Trail N. Nokomis 419 N.419 Nokomis Street,Street Alexandria
Home of the Lake Wobegon Trail Covered Bridge Explore the newest stretch of Lake Wobegon Trail and bike the new Soo Line Trail!
Visit us Online www.holdingfordmn.us Ad courtesy of Holdingford Municipal Liquor • On Sale/Off Sale 320-746-2264 Cyclists Welcome!
Don’t miss PRESTON Trout Days
May 17th-19th www.troutdays.com
Enjoy more than 60+ miles of paved trails!
#GetHookedOnPreston #PrestonMN
www.gethookedonpreston.com | 507-765-2100
Minnesota Trails
Spring 2019 31
TrailsQ&A
2019
Trails Q & A
Joseph Alexander Rochester, MN
Snapshots of people we meet along the trail
Wendy Hansen
Barb Verville
Seen: Hiking and tent camping and Banning State Park with husband Mark, daughter Brooke, son Brent and family dog Gunther, checking off state park number 35 on their Parks Passport. Occupation: Meat Packer. Best Minnesota Experience: Camping at Gooseberry State Park. You have Lake Superior on one side and the falls on the other and there are lots of trails. Worst Minnesota Experience: Swatting mosquitos at Old Mill State Park. How long have you been camping as a family? Probably about 20 years. At least since our now teenage kids were in diapers. Why do you like to visit state parks? Our kids learn so much about Minnesota’s fauna, flora and history when they’re outdoors. You can’t teach that in school. How many parks do you visit a year? We try to make it to at least five. Favorite Minnesota place: The Duluth area because of the beautiful scenery and Lake Superior. Advice for the novice camper: Make a list of things to bring and don’t forget a torch for starting fires. Trail Treat: Little Debbie snack cakes. With $1000 I would: Put money down for a camping trailer. Future Minnesota plans: Visiting Tettegouche, Cascade River and Split Rock Lighthouse State Parks.
Occupation: Teacher Seen: Bird watching at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park. Gear: Eagle Optics 8 X 32 Ranger Binoculars. Favorite spot at Nerstrand: Hidden Falls and the loop hike. Best experience in a park: Staying in a camper cabin at Lake Maria State Park with time to focus on migrating warblers and nothing more all week long. Worst experience in a park: Never had one. Trail Treat: None. I look and enjoy, but don’t eat while I’m out. With $1,000 I would: Donate to Lake Maria State Park. Advice to visitors of Nerstrand: Hike beyond the waterfall.
Staples, MN
Occupation: Interpretive Naturalist at Forestville Mystery Cave State Park. Seen: Guiding a tour group through Mystery Cave.
How many tour groups do you guide a day? I do two to three tours of about 26 tours at the park.
Eagan, MN
Todd & Mariel Haring Rochester, MN
Occupation: Todd: St. Mary’s University Admissions, Winona, MN Mariel: Curiosity unbridled.
Seen: Hiking with Mom at Inspiration Point and Chimney Rock, Whitewater State Park.
Favorite place: Chimney Rock!
QA
How long have you been a Naturalist? On and off since I was a teenager and I started working for the Minnesota DNR this year.
What’s your favorite part about this park? It’s an undiscovered gem. We have three blue ribbon trout streams, you can see fossils here and take a hike to Rainy Spring, the start of Cascade Creek. This is the best place in Minnesota to learn about Karst hydrogeology. Best Minnesota Experience: Hiking the hills and river valleys of southwest Minnesota’s parks.
Advice for the novice cave explorer: Come take a guided tour, then become a member of the National Speleological Society and join a grotto, or local chapter. With $1000 I would: Use it for my PhD studies of the effect of nature connectedness on human wellness. Favorite Minnesota Place: The Boundary Waters near Ely, for an out-in-the-woods experience in an area that is relatively untouched.
How many miles do you hike a year? About 500-700 miles.
Trail Treat: Whole grain barley cooked with vegetables and spices and a big blob of Sriracha hot sauce.
Gear favorite: Mariel: My sunhat. Look, It folds up and you can use it as a fan!
Best hiking experience: Agnes Lake on the Superior Hiking Trail. Worst hiking experience: We saw a snake right back there!
Favorite trail treat: Unanimous: Peanuts! What hiking means to us: Good to get away from the rush of the city. Relax! Listen to the birds and the water. Fatherly advice for young families: This is not difficult. It is enjoyable for the kids and that makes it not only fun but gratifying for us parents.
Future Minnesota Plans: Visit every state park in MN and spend more time at Itasca State Park. 32 Spring 2019
Minnesota Trails
Where every season is above average!
ur Join us for o il a enjoyable tr rides!!
Caramel R ll RIDE
2nd Saturday in June
lakewobegontrail.com Sleep America’s Best Value Inn
322 12th St. S, Sauk Centre americasbestvalueinn.com (320) 351-7256
The Estates Bed and Breakfast
29 E Minnesota St., Saint Joseph estatesbedandbreakfast.com (320) 557-0300
AmericInn by Wyndham 1230 Timberlane Dr, Sauk Centre wyndhamhotels.com (320) 352-2800
Eat & Drink Avon Cabin Café
Cornerstone Deli and Market
105 Avon Ave. S, Avon avoncabincafe.com (320) 356-7198
379 Railroad Ave., Albany cornerstonedeliandmarket. arvigmedia.com (320) 845-2363
Bad Habit Brewing
Jordie’s Trailside Café
15 E Minnesota St., St. Joseph badhabitbeer.com (320) 402-4442
105 1st Ave., Bowlus jordiestrailside.com (320) 584-8193
Lake Wobegon Trail Gallery
431 Railroad Ave., Albany lakewobegontrailgallery.com (320) 845-4100
PotSpot
Paint your own pottery 107 Avon Ave. N, Avon potspotceramics.com (320) 356-2233
Services Joel Schneider Auto Service
701 Railroad Ave., Albany Auto, cycle, ATV & snowmobile service and accessories (320) 845-4856
Minnesota Trails
Shop
Come r celebrate ove e 20 years of th on Lake Wobeg Trail!
1998-2018
Spring 2019 33
One Rock At A Time
by Dan Lasch
Volunteers Make Mountain Bike Trails Happen in Central Minnesota
When farmer Olaf Ohman pulled a rock from his field in rural Kensington, MN in 1898 he had no idea he had found something special. The Kensington Runestone’s authenticity has been questioned over the years, but it put the town of 300 on the map. Today, Douglas County’s Rune Stone Park, 17 miles southwest of Alexandria, is home to 12km of ski trails, a brand new visitor center and a growing six-mile singletrack mountain bike trail system. Jeff Brand is one of the local trail building volunteers and has pulled many rocks from the ground to make way for an additional seven miles of singletrack. To him and the group of 50 volunteers it’s been a passion for the sport that had them put in over 500 hours of labor since 2016 and he hopes the results will put Kensington on the map once again. “Keeping the trail accessible to riders of all levels is the goal,” said Brand at a recent work session. The single track trails are set in rolling glacial hills of oak, ash, and basswood forest and rolling prairie lands located on Eng Lake. Arrows give directions, and paths are wide enough for the beginner, yet rolling and twisting enough to challenge the experienced rider. There are switchbacks through the woods Trails at and beautiful views of the lake and Kensington Rune Stone surrounding prairies. A small stream Park are well runs into Eng Lake, and riders cross marked. here on a series of carefully placed rocks rather than a bridge. There’s also a teeter-totter feature near the end
of the trail. Trails at the park were Volunteers Alan Nelson and Matt Larson designed by Tim working on a skills area and adding Wegner of Trail steps. photos by Jeff Brand, MD Source, who was also involved with the Cuyuna and Elm Creek trail systems, but an army of volunteers from high school kids to the retired are making it a reality with Brand behind the wheel of various kinds of power equipment. “We can get a lot accomplished with 50 volunteers helping at one time.” he said The Alexandria community has embraced the Kensington Trails and the Alexandria Mountaineers high school mountain biking team now has 32 participants and 14 volunteer coaches headed by Jeff Pokorney. “The kids love the excitement of single track riding. Especially the turns, berms, and jumps.” he said. The team practices at the park weekly, but kids and their parents also help with construction. “We’re creating a culture of volunteerism, and the kids will see the rewards of their work. They’ll be able to look back later in life and reflect on what they created.” The future of singletrack riding in the Alexandria area looks promising. Jake Capistrant, owner of Jake’s Bike Shop in Alexandria, is one of the many volunteers at the Runestone trail and sees mountain biking as a growing recreational activity with many new singletrack enthusiasts. “We are very fortunate to have so many volunteers with a vision of the future expansion of mountain bike trails in the Alexandria area,” he said and he’s especially excited about plans to develop another seven miles of mountain bike trail at Lake Brophy County Park, only five miles northwest of downtown Alexandria. The park is crossed by the Central Lakes State Trail and already sees lots of visitors. “The trails at Kensington Rune Stone Park and Brophy Park will prove to be great assets to the area for residents and visitors alike,” James Feist, Executive Director at Explore Alexandria Tourism said. He’s looking at the big picture and hopes new trails will bring more people to the area. “Tourism has a large economic impact on the Alexandria Lakes Area, and certainly our offerings in the Great Outdoors are a large part of that appeal. People are looking to be adventurous during travel, and these trails compliment it very well.” Jeff Brand and his army of volunteers have yet to find another runestone but they’re waiting for spring work sessions to resume and will continue building trails in the Alexandria area, one rock at a time.
The Alexandria Mountaineers high school team. Craig Andrews photo 34 Spring 2019
Minnesota Trails
THE
CHECKPOINT
It’s not just the challenge unpaved roads present that we love. It’s the possibilities of where the path may lead, and what we might find along the way, that keeps us seeking the roads less traveled.
Visit your Trek dealer today
Northern Cycle
Adventure Cycle & Ski
OneTen Cycles
178 Center St, Winona, MN 55987
1040 Dakota Dr., Mendota Heights, MN 55120
DL Bike Shop
Ramsey Bicycle
1121 Highway 10, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501
6825 Hwy. 10, Ramsey, MN 55303
Downtown Bicycles
Revolution Cycle and Ski
321 Division St. S, Northfield, MN 55057
160 29th Ave. S, St. Cloud, MN 56301
Gateway Cycle
Rick’s Cycling and Sports Center
6028 Hwy. 36 Blvd. N, Oakdale, MN 55128
320 SW 3rd St., Willmar, MN 56201
Gear West Bike & Tri
Rochester Cycling
1786 W Wayzata Blvd., Long Lake, MN 55356
1211 7th St NW, Rochester, MN 55901
Jake’s Bikes
Rydjor Bike Shop
419 N. Nokomis St., Alexandria, MN
219 N Main St., Austin, MN 55912
Maple Grove Cycling
Straight River Sports
13950 Grove Dr., Maple Grove, MN 55311
222 Bridge Street, Owatonna, MN 55060
Martin’s Cycling & Fitness
The Bike Shop
1137 S Broadway, Albert Lea, MN 56007
219 West Main Street, Marshall, MN 56258
507-452-4228 www.advcycle.com
218-844-5320 www.dlbikeshop.com
507-786-9191 www.downtownbicyclesllc.com
651-777-0188 www.gatewaycycle.com
952-473-0093 www.gearwest.com
320-219-7433 www.jakesbikes.com
763-420-8878 www.maplegrovecycling.com
507-377-3704 www.martinscyclingandfitness.com
Minnesota Trails
218-732-5971 www.northerncyclemn.com 100 Mill Road, Park Rapids, MN 56601
651-454-2066 www.onetencycles.com
763-323-6666 www.ramseybicycle.com
320-251-2453 www.revolutioncycleandski.com
320-235-0202 www.rickscycling.com
507-289-7410 www.cycling-fitness.com
507-433-7571 www.rydjor.com
507-451-1666 www.straightriversports.com
507-532-3633 www.thebikeshopmarshall.com
Spring 2019 35
Tioga Rising
Grand opening of new recreation area near Grand Rapids is on the horizon by John Connelly
Just a few miles from downtown Cohasset about building a Grand Rapids, Minnesota, and its new trail system.” neighboring community of Cohasset, The city of Cohasset mining has left an indelible impact on was not only agreeable, the landscape. What once was the Tioga but signed on as a fiscal iron ore pit is now a 250-foot deep agent and major driver in crystal-clear mine lake. Pine-covered the project. Fast-forward overburden piles in the 460-acre through a dizzying array of decommissioned Tioga mine rise up conversations, meetings, hundreds of feet and are surrounded grant applications, and on three sides by Pokegama Lake, the lease agreements, and the area’s largest body of water at 6,700 new Tioga mountain bike acres. area is set for a grand opening Given Tioga’s proximity to the in late summer or early fall growing communities of Grand of 2019 with an initial 20While Tioga’s main draw will be Rapids and Cohasset, it was inevitable 25 miles of trail. its outstanding someone would take notice. The Grand When complete, mountain bike trails, Rapids Itasca Mountain Bicycling Tioga will provide a the area will also Association (GRIMBA) first began high-quality outdoor have a high-quality system cater to other forms seriously considering the recreational experience along with of human-powered that provides something for recreation. possibilities at Tioga in 2011. easy access to the local everyone. There’ll be skills “It was some of our members who communities and new trails for the kids and beginners, first saw the potential at Tioga in terms restaurants, breweries, and cross-country flow trails, downhill of singletrack trail development,” said retail shops. Tioga is primarily being flow trails, plenty of uphill climbs, and Corey Tabbert, vice chair of GRIMBA built as a mountain bike destination, also really fun black and double-black and an optometrist in Grand Rapids. and approximately 25 miles of trails for the advanced riders.” “About five years ago, a few of singletrack will wind their In addition to the singletrack, them approached the city of way through the area’s development at Tioga includes Since the Tioga various landscapes and construction of a new parking lot, mine closed in 1961 ecosystems including day use area, trailhead, picnic shelters, much of the area has been planted hardwood forests, pine bike repair stations, changing shelters, with pine trees. plantations, rolling a fishing pier, and more. Elements are All photos by hills, and overburden being designed in ways that complement John Connelly piles. Trails will also lead and enhance the landscape and history to a number of scenic of the area. Think timber, rock, and highpoints looking out over rusted, corrugated metal. There’s even the surrounding forests, talk of incorporating a few pieces of Pokegama Lake, and the decommissioned mining equipment. Mississippi River. “Tioga is a special area, and we want “We’re excited about to do things that not only preserve that the new trails in part because uniqueness, but enhance it,” said Peters. they’re being constructed “The idea is to create an experience by expert contractors that’s not only fun and exciting for from around the country,” locals, but that strengthens our region’s said Max Peters, Cohasset’s appeal as a tourism destination.” director of city operations. While Tioga’s main draw will be its “When they’re all done, we’ll outstanding mountain bike trails, the
For updates on Tioga, please visit
www.grimba.org or www.facebook.com/groups/grimbamn 36 Spring 2019
Minnesota Trails
area will also cater to other forms of human-powered recreation. For years locals have hiked and walked their dogs in the area, and that opportunity will still exist. But snowshoeing, trout fishing, swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, and trail running will also be welcomed. Currently, the Tioga trailhead is located just across Tioga Beach Road from the public water access on Pokegama Lake, but a new one will be constructed nearby this year. A swimming beach, picnic shelter, and playground are just up the road at Tioga Beach, and a paved trail takes off from there toward Cohasset and Grand Rapids. During the fall of 2018, contractors from Michigan, Minnesota, and Idaho completed approximately five miles of singletrack at Tioga, and some GRIMBA members had the opportunity to ride the new trails. “Over the past several years, many people have put in a lot of hard work on this project. Once construction actually started, it was amazing how quickly things progressed,” said Philip Imholte, GRIMBA’s chair. “We’re really excited about the trails built so far and also feel very With fortunate to have a 20-25 miles high-quality team of trails, on board.” Tioga will have
about the Author:
The city of Cohasset has already secured a number of contractors for 2019, and as soon as the ground dries John Connelly is a writer, photographer up in late spring, construction will and biking enthusiast who lives in continue. The goal is to have about 20 Grand Rapids with his wife Laura and more miles completed by late summer. their two sons. In 2018 he started a Other elements like the parking lot and high school mountain bike team for day use area will also be worked on. kids from 6th to 12th grade in the “Our overall goal is to ensure Tioga Grand Rapids area. He’s also a board is a standalone attraction, but we also member of the Grand Rapids Itasca hope it will be seen as a great addition Mountain Bicycling Association. to Northern Minnesota’s growing list of mountain bike destinations,” said Max Peters. “Ideally, these areas all stand on their own, but also work together to Swimming, attract new residents, fishing, kayaking visitors, and businesses and stand-up paddle boarding will all to the state.” be part of the experience at the Tioga recreation area.
biking for all ages.
The trail system is surrounded by Lake Pokegama on three sides. Minne-
sota Trails
Spring 2019 37
Garden Island Rec. Area
Lake of the Woods
Zippel Bay Lake Bronson
Red River of the North
Rainy River
Hayes Lake
Franz Jevne
75
International Falls
Old Mill
Red Lake
59
Crookston
Lake Bemidji
2 La Salle Lake Rec. Area
Leech Lake Walker
Itasca
Glendalough Central Lakes
Lake Wobegon
Alexandria
75
Glacial Lakes
Sibley Chippewa
Monson Lake Lac qui Parle
Willmar
Lake Maria
Father Hennepin
59 71
212
Lake Rec. Area
Split Rock Lighthouse Gitchi Gami Trail Two Harbors
Moose Lake
Alex Laveau Segment
Sand Stone
Banning St. Croix
MAP LEGEND PRAIRIE DECIDUOUS FOREST CONIFEROUS FOREST TALLGRASS ASPEN PARKLAND
Snake
35
St. Croix River
STATE PARKS
Rum
North Branch Sunrise Prairie Hardwood Creek Grand Rounds
Minneapolis Luce Line Hutchinson Crow, Dakota LRT South Fork Greenleaf
212 Upper Sioux Agency
12
Kettle
Mora
94 Mississippi
Crow, Glacial North Fork Lakes
Gooseberry Falls
Hinckley
169
George H. Crosby Manitou Silver Bay
Superior Hiking Trail Lake Superior Duluth
Munger
Mille Lacs Lake
Lake Superior
Tofte
Tettegouche
Cloquet
Jay Cooke Savanna Portage Willard
Soo Line Saint Cloud
ROCORI Paynesville
Pomme de Terre
Big Stone Lake 12
Charles A. Lindbergh
Sauk Sauk Centre Albany
St. Louis
Crosby
Soo Line Little Falls
Lake Carlos
OHV Rec. Area
Grand Portage National Monument
Grand Marais
Temperance Cascade River River
Hibbing Iron Range
Hill Annex Mine
2
Cuyuna Country Rec. Area
Mille Lacs Kathio
71 Long Prairie 10
Bear Head Lake
Grand Portage Judge C.R. Magney
Kekekabic Trail
Eveleth
169 Mississippi
North Country Trail
Crow Wing
Glendalough
Fergus Falls
Mesabi
Grand Rapids
Heartland Park Buffalo River Detroit Paul Rapids Lakes Bunyan North Country Pine Trail Crow 59 Wing Maplewood Otter Tail 94 Brainerd Wadena
Moorhead
McCarthy Beach
Lake Cass Winnibigoshish Lake Paul Bunyan Migizi Schoolcraft
Bemidji
75
BWCA
Lake Vermilion /Soudan Undergound Mine
Scenic
Erskine
Border Route Trail
53 Vermillion
Big Fork
71
Lower Red Lake
Red River Rec. Area
Voyageurs National Park
Little Fork
Big Bog Rec. Area
Upper Red Lake
Rainy Lake
Rainy Lake
Hugo
Fort
Saint Paul
52
Wild River Interstate William O’Brien Marine on St. Croix Brown’s Creek Stillwater Gateway
Afton Hastings
STATE RECREATIONAL AREAS BIKE TRAILS ROADS STATE WATER TRAILS MAJOR CITIES LONG DISTANCE HIKING TRAILS Not for Navigation Jan. 2019
Snelling Cannon Red Wing Minnesota Valley 61 Redwood Fair Frontenac Valley Cannon Ridge Rec. Area 35 Falls Lake City Fort Camden Marshall Cannon Goodhue 63 Mississippi Flandrau Nerstrand Ridgely Sakatah Camden New Ulm Cottonwood Big Woods Great Zumbro Lake Mankato 14 River Faribault Carley 75 Springfield Sleepy Straight Douglas Ridge John A. Latsch Sakatah Eye Lake Shetek Whitewater Pipestone Minneopa Singing Hills 14 Watonwan National Monument Winona Owatanna Rice Lake Pipestone Great River Bluffs Rochester Whitewater St. James Des Casey 52 Root Moines Cedar Root 59 Jones River Kilen Woods Myre Blue Blazing 90 Split Rock Lanesboro Big Island Blue Earth Star Creek Shooting Mounds Beaver Creek Valley Preston Star 63 90 Blue Blue Austin Shell Albert Harmony-Preston Valley Earth Mounds Worthington Rock Lea Lake Louise Harmony Forestville / Luverne Minnesota
Mystery Cave
WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE Stop Invasive Species In Your Tracks
PlayCleanGo.org 38 Spring 2019
Minnesota Trails
Business Directory
INFORMATION
CENTRAL LAKES TRAIL ASSOCIATION 320-763-0102
324 Broadway, Alexandria www.centrallakestrail.com
FERGUS FALLS CVB
Online & In Print $250/annually Call Jan @320-266-5132
BIKE SHOPS
14084 Baxter Drive, STE 12, Brainerd www.visitbrainerd.com
CENTRAL LAKES CYCLE
218-739-5651
EASY RIDERS BICYCLE & SPORT
415 Washington Street, Brainerd www.easyridersbikes.com
218-829-5516
FITZHARRIS BIKE & SPORT
320-251-2844
JAKE’S BIKES ALEXANDRIA
320-219-7433
105 7th Avenue S, St. Cloud www.fitzharrismn.com
419 N. Nokomis St., Alexandria www.jakesbikes.com
REVOLUTION CYCLE AND SKI 320-251-2453
160 29th Avenue South, St. Cloud www.revolutioncycleandski.com
TOURIGHT BICYCLE SHOP
124 2nd Street NE, Little Falls www.tourightbicycleshop.com
320-639-2453
OUTDOOR MOTION
320-587-2453
ITASCA TRAIL SPORTS
218-326-1716
NORTHERN CYCLE
218-732-5971
NORTHERN CYCLE
218-751-(BIKE) 2453
141 Main Street South, Hutchinson www.outdoormotionbikes.com 316 NE 4th Street, Grand Rapids www.itascatrailsports.net 100 Mill Road, Park Rapids www.northerncyclemn.com 117 3rd Street NW, Bemidji www.northerncyclemn.com
BIKE KING
651-457-7766
CARS BIKE SHOP
763-784-6966
GATEWAY CYCLE
651-777-0188
PIONEER CYCLE
763-755-8871
RAMSEY BICYCLE
763-323-6666
6489 Cahill Avenue, Inver Grove Heights www.bike-king.com
2661 Co Road I & Old Hwy 10, Mounds View www.CarsBikeShop.com 6028 Hwy. 36 Blvd N, Oakdale www.gatewaycycle.com 12741 Central Ave., NE, Blaine www.pioneercycle.com 6825 Hwy. 10 NW, Ramsey www.ramseybicycles.com
STRAUSS SKATES AND BICYCLES 651-770-1344
1751 Cope Avenue E, Maplewood www.straussskatesandbicycles.com
TONKA CYCLE AND SKI
952-938-8336
TRAILHEAD CYCLING & FITNESS
763-712-0312
16 Shady Oak Road S, Hopkins www.tonkacycleandski.com
Northeast Region
2
112 Washington Ave. W, Fergus Falls www.visitfergusfalls.com
2010 Hwy. 210 E., Fergus Falls www.centrallakescycle.com
Minnesota Trails Directory Regions
Northwest Region
VISIT BRAINERD
HUTCHINSON CHAMBER
Bemidji
218-332-5425
2
35
Central Region
94
800-450-7247 Southern Region
Metro Region Mankato
71 35
90
90
VISIT DULUTH
225 West Superior Street, STE 110 www.visitduluth.com
LANESBORO CHAMBER
800-438-5884
A quick and easy reference for planning your adventure!
507-467-2696
100 Milwaukee Road, Lanesboro www.lanesboro.com
LODGING/CAMPING BERT’S CABINS
B&Bs
COUNTRY BED AND BREAKFAST 651-257-4773
5 miles from Taylors Falls www.countrybedandbreakfast.us
GREEN HERON B&B
Duluth
St. Cloud
320-587-5252
2 Main St., Hutchinson www.explorehutchinson.com
61
71
2810 Meyers Bay Road, Grand Rapids www.greenheronbandb.com
218-999-5795
More trails and park information at
www.mntrails.com
15782 Wilderness Drive, Lake Itasca www.bertscabins.com
218-266-3312
COUNTRY INN TWO HARBORS 218-834-5557
1204 7th Avenue, Two Harbors www.countryinntwoharbors.com
SINCLAIR LEWIS CAMPGROUND 320-352-2203
826 Park Road, Sauk Centre www.ci.sauk-centre.mn.us
FUN SPIRIT MOUNTAIN BIKE PARK 218-628-2891 800-642-6377
9500 Spirit Mountain Place, Duluth www.spiritmt.com
Take a Take a e e break at th break at th lake! lake! discoverstjamesmn.com discoverstjamesmn.com • 888-859-0813 • 888-859-0813 Over 9 miles of paved bike trails starting at Memorial Park
Over 9 miles of paved bike trails starting at Memorial Park
- Picnic Tables and Grills - Beautiful Lake Views - Kayaks, Canoes, & Paddle Boards - Disc Golf - Sand Volleyball - Fishing Docks - Skateboarding
- Picnic Tables and Grills - Beautiful Lake Views - Kayaks, Canoes, & Paddle Boards - Disc Golf - Sand Volleyball - Fishing Docks - Skateboarding
11350 Aquila Drive, Suite 505, Champlin www.trailheadcyclingandfitness.com
FREE bike rentals
Right on St. James Area Bike Trail
super8.com | 800-800-8000 Tiell Campground | 507-375-3241 Minnesota Trails
Spring 2019 39
FREE HOT HOME-STYLE BREAKFAST
INVITING INDOOR POOL
UPDATED GUESTROOMS
ADVENTURE AWAITS AT
AMERICINN
[800] 634.3444 www.wyndhamhotels.com
See more about these locations at www.wyndhamhotels.com.
From Minnesota’s rugged north shore to its southwestern prairie, the northwestern tallgrass parklands, to the Minnesota River Valley, taking good care of people in this great state of ours is what we do best. We’ve earned our stripes when it comes to genuine hospitality, and you’ll feel it the moment you walk through our doors. From a friendly smile to a free, hot American breakfast, stop in and discover true AmericInn® hospitality.
Austin, MN Baudette, MN Cloquet, MN Hutchinson, MN Lake City, MN Pequot Lakes, MN Red Wing, MN Roseau, MN Sauk Centre, MN Silver Bay, MN St. Cloud, MN Tofte/Lutsen, MN Two Harbors, MN Virginia, MN
[507] 437.7337 [218] 634.3200 [218] 879.1231 [320] 587.5515 [651] 345.5611 [218] 568.8400 [651] 385.9060 [218] 463.1045 [320] 352.2800 [218] 226.4300 [320] 253.6337 [218] 663.7899 [218] 834.3000 [218] 741.7839
©2019 AMERICINN INTERNATIONAL, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ALL HOTELS ARE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED EXCEPT CERTAIN HOTELS MANAGED BY A SUBSIDIARY OF WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS, INC.
