Tag Archives: Giants Ridge

From Giants Ridge, the Mesabi Trail Towns offers history and great biking adventures.

Many bike/hike adventures await your visit to the Mesabi Trail Towns

by Andrew Ellis

In Minnesota’s north mining region, the towns along the Mesabi Trail host several of the state’s historical gems and a family fun destination to explore by bike or on foot. In this pristine area of the state, you will find over 28 small mining communities along this well-known paved trail system. With the trail here, it is easy to travel from town to town by bike. From Grand Rapids on the western end to Ely, 150 miles to the east, there are a lot of fun sights to see as you ride. For the mountain biker, this area has left many rugged deposits to perfect your skills. The area also boasts some of Minnesota’s best scenic road touring routes, with low-traffic roadway loop options returning to the Mesabi Trail.

Mesabi bike trail near Hibbing

Mesabi bike trail near Hibbing.

More About the Bike-Friendly Mesabi Trail Towns

A vast area, the Mesabi Trail Towns string through the Iron Range, covering many mining towns you can start and stop at. They include Grand Rapids to the west; and further east, Hibbing, Chisholm, Mt. Iron, Virginia, Eveleth, Gilbert, Biwabik, Aurora, Hoyt Lakes, Embarrass, and now Ely. Along the way, if you prefer, there is no shortage of walking tours.

The west end of the Mesabi Trail is Grand Rapids, where touring cyclists will find the Mississippi River Trail (MRT), and mountain bikers can enjoy the Tioga Recreational Area.

Further east, in Hibbing, you can visit Bob Dylan’s childhood home; the Hull Rust Mine overlook, and Greyhound Museum. Mountain bike Redhead Mountain next to the Minnesota Discovery Center. And further east, look into the history of the Range’s “Queen City” at the Virginia Heritage Museum. Or take a walk around the US Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth. To enjoy the scenic thrills of downhill mountain biking, there is Giant Ridge near Biwabik. There are also plenty of lakes to drop a line, swim, or enhance your tan.

The Iron Range Area covers many miles, but it’s all accessible – especially if you use your bike. The Mesabi Trail makes for a convenient connecting point for all the communities. So it’s easy to travel around pedaling on two wheels to all the unique stores, eateries, and attractions.

Mesabi bike trail near Virginia.

Mesabi bike trail near Virginia.

Biking Opportunities in the Iron Range

There are several opportunities for biking in the Iron Range. If you’re into mountain biking, it’s just a matter of where you want to go first, with four different systems to choose from. You can also extend your adventure using the Mesabi Trail to connect to various forest and mining roads.

The Mesabi Trail

Besides mining, bicycle tourism is the other attraction that connects the communities here. A fantastic adventure in its own right, the Mesabi Trail takes you through the beautiful northern Minnesota forests full of nature and wildlife. And with so many scenic views, there is no doubt you will want to stop to take a picture or two to share your experience here.

And don’t forget the Great River Energy Mesabi Trail Tour. Ride for fun or ride for the challenge. Either way, mark your calendar for Saturday, August 5, 2023, for the most fun you can have on two wheels!

With several mountain bike parks there is something for every skill level.

With several mountain bike parks, there is something for every skill level.

Mountain biking here includes an edgy new park.

The Iron Range may not have mountains, but there are plenty of trails and loops for mountain bikers to battle down. From the Tioga Recreational Area, near Grand Rapids, to the new Redhead Mountain Trails near Chisolm, they say it will rock you. This huge park, with over 30 loops, covers over 25 miles. Offering spectacular views of reclaimed mine lands, bright blue pit lakes, and more. Enjoy this edgy-designed park with remarkable terrain.

Further east is Giants Ridge offering over 24 miles of trails and loops to challenge you and offers great scenic views. Big Aspen offers a whopping 21 miles of trails to shred on old logging roads and abandoned railroad grades. The sections here vary in difficulty, with many loop opportunities offering scenic vistas.

There’s also Lookout Mountain, thanks to the hard work of the Iron Range Off-Road Cyclists, which has over five miles of single-track and over six miles of the multi-use rideable ski trail.

Road Biking Options

While the Mesabi Trail connects the Iron Range towns, each community has its own road system that allows for easy bike travel and loop options. These roads allow you to navigate from place to place and explore each town as in-depth as you wish. e the area.

See more at At-A-Glance Mesabi Trail.

Bike Pic March 10, last of MN’s fat bike and snow rallies

Spring bike season is in the air, but Minnesota still has a couple fat bike fun rallies up its sleeve. This weekend on Saturday, head for Grand Rapids. Then Sunday, on to Buck Hill, in the Twin Cities south suburbs for the King of the Hill Fat Bike Duel, sponsored by Buck Hill and Penn Cycle. Then the grand finale is next weekend up in Iron Range for the for the Giants Ridge Fat Bike Enduro.

Above photo shot at Penn Cycle Fat Tire Loppet in Minneapolis, MN, in February. Here is more information on the last of Minnesota’s fat bike snow rallies:

Fat Forest Fourteen – March 12, 2016
Forest History Center
At-A-Glance Grand Rapids, where to stay and play throughout the year.

King of the Hill Fat Bike Duel, March 12, 2016
Buck Hill
At-A-Glance Lakeville, where to stay and play throughout the year.

Giants Ridge Fatbike Enduro – March 19, 2016
Giant Ridge, Biwabik, MN
At-A-Glance Mesabi Trail, where to stay and play throughout the year.

 

See more places to ride and explore in the new Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.

Thanks for viewing the Bike Pic of the Day here at HaveFunBiking (HFB). 

Now, rolling into our 10th year as a bicycle tourism media our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike, while showcasing unforgettable places to ride. As HFB searches and presents more fun cycling related photos, worth a grin, scroll through the information and stories we have posted that may help you find your next adventure. Then, while out there if you see us along a paved or mountain bike trail, next to the route you regularly commute on, or at an event you plan to attend, be prepared to smile. You never know where our camera’s will be and what we will post next!

Do you have a fun bicycle related photo of yourself or someone you know that you would like to see us post? If so, please send it our way and we may use it. Send your picture(s) to: [email protected] with a brief caption (of each), including who is in the photo (if you know?) and where it was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 800 pixels wide or larger for us to consider using them. If we do use your photo, you will receive photo credit and an acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As HaveFunBiking continues to encourage more people to ride, please reference our blog and the annual print and quarterly digital Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide to find your next adventure. We are proud of the updated – At-a-Glance information and maps we are known for at the HFB Destination section on our website and in the guide. Now, as the Guide goes into its seventh year of production, we are adding a whole new dimension of information, now available for mobile devices. 

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure – we may capture you in one of the next photos we post.

Have a great day!

Bike Pic March 2, see Paul Bunyan at fat bike rallies

Here a young Paul Bunyan impersonator is ready to rock the world on his fat bike, at the Rally this weekend in Bemidji, MN.

Here is more information on Bemidji and a couple other events this weekend in Minnesota:

Northland Fatbike Rally– March 5, 2016
Lake Bemidji State Park
Bemidji, MN 28k, 10k
At-A-Glance Bemidji, where to stay and play throughout the year.

3Way10K Family Event – March 5, 2016 Cancelled
Zorba’s on Gull Lake
At-A-Glance Brainerd/Baxter, where to stay and play throughout the year.

Fatbike Gravity Fest 2016 – March 6, 2016 Cancelled
Mount Kato
At-A-Glance Mankato, where to stay and play throughout the year.

 

#FindYourNextAdventure

Thanks for viewing the Bike Pic of the Day here at HaveFunBiking (HFB). 

Now, rolling into our 10th year as a bicycle tourism media our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike, while showcasing unforgettable places to ride. As HFB searches and presents more fun cycling related photos, worth a grin, scroll through the information and stories we have posted that may help you find your next adventure. Then, while out there if you see us along a paved or mountain bike trail, next to the route you regularly commute on, or at an event you plan to attend, be prepared to smile. You never know where our camera’s will be and what we will post next!

Do you have a fun bicycle related photo of yourself or someone you know that you would like to see us post? If so, please send it our way and we may use it. Send your picture(s) to: [email protected] with a brief caption (of each), including who is in the photo (if you know?) and where it was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 800 pixels wide or larger for us to consider using them. If we do use your photo, you will receive photo credit and an acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As HaveFunBiking continues to encourage more people to ride, please reference our blog and the annual print and quarterly digital Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide to find your next adventure. We are proud of the updated – At-a-Glance information and maps we are known for at the HFB Destination section on our website and in the guide. Now, as the Guide goes into its seventh year of production, we are adding a whole new dimension of information, now available for mobile devices. 

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure – we may capture you in one of the next photos we post.

Have a great day!