When completed, the Paul Bunyan State Trail will
be over 100 miles long and run from
Crow Wing
State Park to Lake Bemidji State Park. The trail
is generally level and is
wheelchair accessible with the
exception of the 9 mile segment through the Chippewa
National Forest. This segment has many rolling hills with
grades reaching 8 %. Currently,
a total of 80 miles of the trail is
paved. There are 73 finished miles from Baxter to north
of Walker, and an additional 7 miles
running south from Lake Bemidji State Park. The
remaining
28 mile section is undeveloped with variable surface
material ranging from the
original railroad ballast to
sand. |
The
trail
runs through some of Minnesota's prime
resort country.
Gift stores,
antique shops, restaurants, coffee shops, and
bike
stands are everywhere along the path. Bikes and
in-line skates can be rented at most of the towns. There
is also a bike-in campground just south of Pine
River on
state forest land. It is accessible only from the trail and has four campsites. Each pair of sites
shares a pit toilet, fire ring and picnic table. |
 |
When the entire trail
is finished, it will run through 15 towns, cross nine rivers and
streams,
and run along the shorelines
of 21 lakes. When completed, the Paul
Bunyan State Trail will also connect with the Blue Ox Trail
forming one of the longest rail-to-trail conversions in
North America, for a total distance of 210 miles.
Paul Bunyan Trail Information:
| DNR Information Center |
651/296-6157 (metro area & outside MN)
888/646-6367 (MN toll free) |
|
|
parking
