Ride Details

Great River Road Bike Paths- Minnesota

Paved Bike Trail along the Great River Road

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Challenge Hart

Traffic Rate: Auto

Local Weather

Type of Bike: Hybrid , Mountain Bike , Road Bike
Distance: A Variety of paved trails from 11 miles to 46 miles
Terrain:

Level to moderate hills

Traffic:

no motorized traffic on bike trails

Additonal Information:
Itasca State Park: http://www.byways.org/travel/place.html?CX_PLACE=15144&CX_BYWAY=2153&CX_STATE=MN&SUBJ=S,B

Highlights:

Bald Eagle Roosting Site,Cass Lake,Charles A. Lindbergh State Park,Frontenac State Park,Itasca State Park,Munsinger and Clemens Gardens,Sugarloaf Mountain

Commentary

The Great River Road is an adventure along a myriad of quaint towns and urban cities along the banks of the Mississippi River, beautiful bluff lands, and a variety of outdoor recreation and wildlife. The Twin Cities metropolitan area offers hustle and bustle of the city which is rich in history, culture and recreational opportunities. Deep wilderness surrounding the river towns of Minnesota offer relaxation and privacy. Brilliant wildflowers, evergreen forests, colored autumn leaves, rainbows, snowflakes, migrating birds, and waving fields of grain that the road traverses make this byway a photographer's paradise.Catering to bikers, the Great River Road provides easy access to a slew of biking trails along the way. In southeastern Minnesota, where the byway begins, you’ll find the paved trails. In the Woods and Waters area, just above, you have the 28-mile Heartland bike trail, the Paul Bunyan Trail (46 mile blacktop trail between Brainerd and Hackensack), and the Soo Line Trail (11 miles between Onamia and Isle). The paved trails go through the bluffs and river-towns of southeast Minnesota to the Iowa border.

Directions to Start Ride

Start at the various trailheads in Southeast Minnesota

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Mile by Mile

Catering to bikers, the Great River Road provides easy access to a slew of biking trails along the way.

In southeastern Minnesota, where the byway begins, you’ll find the following paved trails:

Cannon Valley Trail (20 miles between Cannon Falls and Red Wing);

Douglas Trail (13 miles betweent Rochester and Pine Island);

Root River Trail (35 miles between Fountain and Money Creek Woods; links to 18-mile Harmony-Preston Valley Trail);

and Sakatah Singing Hills Trail (30 miles between Faribault and Mankato).

In the Woods and Waters area, just above, you have the 28-mile Heartland bike trail,

the Paul Bunyan Trail (46 mile blacktop trail between Brainerd and Hackensack),

and the Soo Line Trail (11 miles between Onamia and Isle).