Grab your bike. Lace up your walking shoes. Maybe pack a snack or two.
The Mesabi Trail is officially complete.
After nearly three decades of planning, paving and piecing together one segment at a time, Minnesota’s longest paved trail now stretches 165 miles from Grand Rapids to the edge of the Boundary Waters near Ely. And for the first time, you can travel the entire route without hitting a gap.
That’s a pretty big deal.
The Mesabi Trail began taking shape in the mid 90s, with new sections added over the last 30 years. The route follows a mix of old railroad beds, logging and mining roads, highway corridors and newly constructed trail through the forests of northern Minnesota.
Today, it winds through 28 communities, including Hibbing, Virginia, Chisholm, Eveleth, Tower and Ely. Along the way, riders and walkers get a little bit of everything: forests, lakes, wildlife, former mining landscapes and plenty of Iron Range history.
Three decades. A lot of teamwork.
A project this big takes a village or, in this case, 28 communities and a whole lot of partners.
And Lottery dollars, provided through the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF), have played a big part in making the trail a reality.
The ENRTF's support of the Mesabi Trail goes back three decades, with the first appropriation in 1993 providing more than $700,000 for planning, land acquisition and development. Since then, more than $19 million in ENRTF funds have helped build one of the longest paved trails in the United States.
So when Minnesotans play, some of those dollars help support projects that protect and enhance the places that make Minnesota, well… Minnesota.
Pretty cool, right?
Now, get out there and enjoy it.
Want to tackle all 165 miles? Go for it.
Prefer a shorter ride with a few stops for food, sightseeing or a little small-town exploring? You can do that, too. The trail has access points throughout the route, with nearby restaurants, shops, bike businesses and other local amenities.
And you don't have to be on two wheels to enjoy it. The trail is open to biking, walking, hiking and running.
So whether you're training for a serious ride or just looking for an excuse to get outside, there's a stretch of Mesabi Trail waiting for you.
Thirty years. 165 miles. 28 communities. And one heck of a finish line.