Where Minnesota Ranks In Biking In the Nation

It's going to be May in just a few days and May is National bike month.  Minnesota is the number 1 biking state in the Midwest and ranks number 5 in the county overall according to the league of American bicyclists.  Jake Juliot from Explore Minnesota joined me on WJON.  He highlights the following:

• Minnesota has over 4,000 miles of paved trails all over the state.
• Longest paved trails include root river, Paul Bunyan, Central Lakes Trails
• Many of the trails have access to renting bikes, particularly places like Lanesboro where you can rent a bike and go on the trails and bike to local shops and restaurants
• Some trails pass through scenic farm country, and some go through a remote forest
• Whatever trail you are on, it’s a great way to see cities in a different way
• 30 free DNR tune up stations along the state bike paths
• Each station is equipped with basic bike maintenance tools, including air pumps.
• Many different people do different types of biking, but spring and summer are some of the best times to go biking in the state.
• Mountain Biking – Legendary in Duluth and Cuyuna – utilize the ski lifts

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Popular Trails

CENTRAL LAKES TRAIL

This railroad route turned trail links riders to 10 communities. Starting at Osakis the trail goes northwest ending at Fergus Falls. Towns are about 7 miles apart. Visually, this trail offers a bit of everything – farmlands, forested hills, lakes, and prairie. The Central Lakes State Trail connects to the Lake Wobegon Regional Trail in Osakis, thereby adding another 46 miles of paved biking trail.

PAUL BUNYAN STATE TRAIL

This is the longest continually paved bike trail in Minnesota. Starting south of Brainerd at Crow Wing State Park, the trail heads north through many of central Minnesota’s popular tourist destinations before ending in Bemidji. The trail departs from the old railroad grade north of Hackensack. Paul Bunyan Trail riders will experience forests, lakes, wetlands and more. The trail shares 8 miles with the Heartland State Trail.

MIDTOWN GREENWAY

Stretching from the Chain of Lakes to the Mississippi River, the world-famous Midtown Greenway is like a bike highway for South Minneapolis. The 5.5-mile trail is grade-separated from the street grid, providing barrier-free and traffic-free bicycling. Find an abundance of local eateries and shops on Lake Street, one block south of the Greenway, or connect to the Hiawatha Bike Trail for direct access to U.S. Bank Stadium.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Jake Juliot it is available below.