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Mississippi River <br />Paul Bunyan/Heartland Trail <br />MRT Alternative Route <br />Mississippi Headwaters <br />Mississippi Northwoods <br />Mississippi Crossings <br />Open Water <br />Trails <br />State Parks <br />Interstate Highways <br />US Trunk Highways <br />State Trunk Highways <br />County Boundary <br />\ Paul Bunyan <br />1 State Tra i l <br />\ <br />Heartland <br />State Trail <br />• 2 <br />Cass Lake <br />Me-Gi-Zi <br />Trail <br />Chippewa <br />National <br />Forest <br />Heartland <br />State Trail <br />Walker o <br />Hackensack <br />Mississippi River Trail Bikeway - The MRT is a <br />bikeway, largely on the shoulders of low volume, paved <br />roads, offering the safest and best bicycling experience <br />along the length of the Mississippi River through ten states, <br />from the headwaters at Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico. <br />Leech Lake <br />Paul Bunyan <br />State Trail <br />°Backus <br />Pine River o <br />Jenkins o <br />Pequot Lakes o <br />Nisswa 0 <br />Baxter o <br />Crow Wing State Park <br />Cass <br />o Fort Ripley <br />Crow Wing <br />Cuyuna LaKes'State Trail <br />Crosby Cuyuna Country <br />o State Recreation <br />0 Area <br />o Ironton <br />Riverton <br />Mississippi <br />Crossings MRT <br />°Brainerd <br />AUL BUNYAN/HEARTLAND <br />OUTE COMPOSITION: <br />% On -road Route <br />9% Off -road Trail <br />Key Themes <br />Bike, hike and rollarblade <br />- this fully accessible trail <br />offers a variety of travel <br />opportunities, and equipment <br />rental is available in many of <br />the adjacent towns. <br />Family fun - this off -road, <br />trail segment is a great place <br />for children to enjoy a longer <br />trek. Find plenty of amenities <br />for a comfortable ride, and <br />recreation of all kinds in the <br />nearby towns, from fishing <br />and swimming to amusement <br />and water parks. <br />Character <br />') Away from the river, the trail <br />provides an opportunity to <br />experience the picturesque <br />Central Minnesota Lakes <br />Region. <br />1 <br />ROUTE CHARACTERISTICS: CA S S LAKE TO B RA I N E R D <br />Tranquili <br />Surface: Paved For more information: www.dot.state.mn.us/bike/mrt.html <br />Distance: 93 miles <br />surrounds <br />the Paul Bunyan Trail / Heartland State <br />Trail link. This link provides an alternative <br />way to travel between Cass Lake and <br />Brainerd. While riding on an off -road <br />bikeway nearly 100 miles long. You will <br />witness change as the landscape varies <br />from deep pine forest to meadows <br />ablaze with wildflowers and lakes and <br />historic sites richly scattered throughout <br />the countryside. Characterized by the <br />gentle terrain of a former railroad bed, <br />you'll experience a serene ride through <br />a patchwork of farmlands, small towns, <br />beaches, and parks within a region that <br />retains its wild character. <br />The trails link some of the best amenities <br />northern Minnesota has to offer. In fact <br />the Paul Bunyan Trail has been inducted <br />into the Rail -Trail Hall of Fame. Break your <br />journey among the ample swimming and <br />fishing prospects, like Leech Lake and its <br />renowned recreational opportunities. The <br />route winds and rolls through nine miles <br />of the Chippewa National Forest - home <br />to the highest breeding population of <br />bald eagles in the lower 48 states. In the <br />towns, find restaurants and shopping in <br />popular tourist districts, and resorts and <br />camping where you can relax and enjoy <br />the surroundings. <br />