Explore the best rated trails in Bemidji, MN. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Blue Ox Trail (Voyageur Trail) and Heartland State Trail. With more than 7 trails covering 440 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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Paul Bunyan State Trail, stretching 119 miles from Bemidji to Brainerd, is one of the longest rail-trails in the country. The multiuse, fully paved trail is mainly for nonmotorized use; however,...
Itasca State Park is famous as the headwaters of the mighty Mississippi River, which starts as shallow, 18-inch deep stream out of Lake Itasca and flows 2,400 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. Visitors...
The Shingobee Connection Trail, spanning nearly 7 miles, offers a key link between two much longer rail-trails—the Paul Bunyan State Trail and Heartland State Trail—making it possible to travel more...
The Heartland State Trail is one of many long-distance trails managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. When established in 1974, it became one of the first rail-trail conversions in...
The Shingobee Connection Trail, spanning nearly 7 miles, offers a key link between two much longer rail-trails—the Paul Bunyan State Trail and Heartland State Trail—making it possible to travel more...
The Soo Line North Trail travels for 113 miles through forest and bog between Moose Lake in the south and Cass Lake in the north. The trail, which is popular with ATVs in the summer and snowmobiles in...
The Heartland State Trail is one of many long-distance trails managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. When established in 1974, it became one of the first rail-trail conversions in...
Itasca State Park is famous as the headwaters of the mighty Mississippi River, which starts as shallow, 18-inch deep stream out of Lake Itasca and flows 2,400 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. Visitors...
Paul Bunyan State Trail, stretching 119 miles from Bemidji to Brainerd, is one of the longest rail-trails in the country. The multiuse, fully paved trail is mainly for nonmotorized use; however,...
The Wapiti Trail is primarily used by snowmobilers and connects with the Big Red Lake Bog and McTrail system trails. The remote trail passes among boreal forests of willow and poplar. You may see...
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The Blue Ox–Voyageur Trail is a multi-use trail that permits ATVs and snowmobiles. It also accommodates mountain bikers, hikers, and equestrians along the former railroad right-of-way between...
Paul Bunyan State Trail, stretching 119 miles from Bemidji to Brainerd, is one of the longest rail-trails in the country. The multiuse, fully paved trail is mainly for nonmotorized use; however,...
The Heartland State Trail is one of many long-distance trails managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. When established in 1974, it became one of the first rail-trail conversions in...
The Shingobee Connection Trail, spanning nearly 7 miles, offers a key link between two much longer rail-trails—the Paul Bunyan State Trail and Heartland State Trail—making it possible to travel more...
Itasca State Park is famous as the headwaters of the mighty Mississippi River, which starts as shallow, 18-inch deep stream out of Lake Itasca and flows 2,400 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. Visitors...
The Blue Ox–Voyageur Trail is a multi-use trail that permits ATVs and snowmobiles. It also accommodates mountain bikers, hikers, and equestrians along the former railroad right-of-way between...
The Soo Line North Trail travels for 113 miles through forest and bog between Moose Lake in the south and Cass Lake in the north. The trail, which is popular with ATVs in the summer and snowmobiles in...
The Wapiti Trail is primarily used by snowmobilers and connects with the Big Red Lake Bog and McTrail system trails. The remote trail passes among boreal forests of willow and poplar. You may see...
My husband and I rode 100 miles on Oct. 11, 2021. We started in Baxter and rode to Hackensack then turned around and went back. The weather was perfect and the scenery was beautiful. We stopped in Nisswa (great facilities for riders!) and Pine River. Hackensack didn’t really seem to cater to the needs of riders on the trail as well as other towns. Wish we could have ridden the whole trail but we didn’t have any way to shuttle back to Baxter. The trail was nice except for periods of cracks that don’t seem like much at first, but after awhile they get irritating.
Agree with the other reviewer that this follows the road a bit too closely, but that's not a problem if it's only 1/3 of a longer route, taking the Paul Bunyan Route NW at the junction (this is a gorgeous newly paved stretch with hills and curves, tho not too strenuous) and continuing ENE along an old RR grade back to Walker, where you can celebrate with a beer and lunch. We saw wolf scat on the second third of this route once (first wondered why folks were walking dogs this far off the road, then stopped and noticed fur in the poop, plus it was still steaming a bit!) Really great loop.
We began the trail in Baxter and went all the way to Bemidji and back. There were parts that were better maintained than others but on the whole we’d give it 5 Stars! Good signage and the website was helpful for distances between towns. I highly recommend this trail.
Our first ride, we rode the section from Pine River to Brainerd and back to Pine River (68.35 miles RT). Very nice trail, mostly flat. Follows the highway for the first 7 miles or so but then moves away. Most scenic from Nisswa to Brainerd. Many sections of bumpy “seams” but not the entire ride...they come and go. No one on the trail until the afternoon, then it became a little busy but mostly around the small towns. Many places to stop and rest along the way. Highlight of our ride was spotting two bald eagles perched in a tree no more than 50 ft from us. The 2nd section, we rode north, starting at the Walker Hotel, down to the trail and followed the trail to the 18 mile marker (41.32 miles RT). There were some rough spots in the trail but for the most part, it was a nice, quiet, smooth ride.
We, my husband and I, rode a 20 mile round trip on this trail on August 31, 2019. The stretch of the trail which we were on, from Brainerd and Merrifield, was safe, clean and well maintained. It is fairly flat, so no real chances for coasting! I call it a Zen Trail because I felt safe enough in my riding to let my mind relax and simply take in the natural surroundings.
It is a good stretch for families, walkers and even slow bikers. There were several benches and one picnic table by a shelter.
Nice trail with some small town fun sites like Akeley’s Paul Bunyan, stop and pose on his hand, Nevis’ huge Muskie. We love the many MN trails. Thanks for paving all these trails.
We’ve done several sections of this trail. Some parts north of Brainerd are a little bumpy through the small towns. Our favorite section is the 8.5 miles going west towards the Heartland trail, north of Hackensack, south of Walker.
As a connection trail it’s good and parts out of town are nice. But there are a lot of crossings and the highway one was crazy. Pretty high speed traffic, could use an overpass or some safer way to cross.
My friend and I biked from brainerd to pine river . 64 miles round trip. The trail is flat which is awesome. Also most of the trail from Brainerd is straight for miles. Easy to bike and lots forest. Scenic from nisswa.
the trail does NOT go over the massive Little Fork River. be careful
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