Bikin' Lake County
Bike the north shore Trails
Lake County offers bike trails for all kinds of riders. So, whether you like smooth cruising for miles on paved paths or you’re an adventure-seeker who craves rough terrain and twisting trails that challenge your abilities, you’ll find the North Shore in Lake County a must-do biking destination.
GB Leighton rides split rock wilds
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north shore bike trails map
The Big Lake Bike Path
The family-friendly Gitchi-Gami State Trail features a paved path to encourage open-road cyclists to bike off the congested Hwy 61 along Lake Superior.
Eventually, the course will connect Two Harbors to Grand Marais via a paved bike path. In addition, riders in Lake County now have a 17.2 portion connecting Gooseberry State Park, Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, Beaver Bay, and Silver Bay. Hikers, joggers, inline skaters, and bikers can enjoy riding a safe route near Lake Superior.
Gravel Biking
A newer bike model, the gravel bike resembles a road bike but has larger tires and disc brakes. Interestingly, these bikes seem to be made specifically for Lake County! While they hold their own on paved roads, these bikes were designed to be efficient and fast on gravel or dirt roads.
Lake County has converted the extensive mining and timber railways to gravel roads today. There’s also a network of recent timber haul roads still maintained by State and County Forestry departments that are more rugged and adventurous.
Race events, such as Heck of the North, capitalize on these routes by linking them into a 100-mile race that draws more than 600 riders each fall. Riders can follow predetermined routes or, even better, plan their own adventures! Those looking for the ultimate experience carry camping gear and string multiple days of riding and camping together.
Mountain Biking on the North Shore
While Lake County doesn’t possess actual “mountains,” its most recent biking development endeavor created purpose-built single-track mountain bike trails. Mountain bikes hold an essential purpose in Lake County; they’re perfect for riding through the abundance of forest roads and snowmobile trails.
The Demonstration Forest features Lake County’s first purpose-built mountain bike trails. Initially created for hiking, the county has modified or newly constructed routes to make mountain biking more enjoyable. The success of the Demonstration Forest seeded even bigger visions of making Lake County a mountain biking destination.
Split Rock Wilds – the newest mountain biking trail in Lake County – was inspired by the vision of a County Forestry employee. Also an avid mountain biker, he walked through a piece of County-owned land to manage some dead and dying birch.
The scenery and terrain screamed for a mountain bike trail: no roads, amazing Lake Superior views, dynamic terrain, and many rocks. Now complete, Lake County boasts its sick mountain biking park, offering 20 miles of varied terrain between Beaver Bay and Split Rock Lighthouse State Park.
This unique North Shore mountain bike park gives passionate mountain bikers a thrilling, adrenaline-pumping adventure.
Advanced sections of the diverse course carry over rock gardens and challenging elevation gain. The park’s remote location delivers a distinctive experience in Minnesota; who wouldn’t enjoy a pit stop on a rock outcrop and gaze out at the world’s largest freshwater body of water?
Today’s riders own bikes that can handle rough terrain. With the explosion of mountain bike popularity, riders’ skills have improved, and they crave new obstacles.
However, have no fear: Split Rock Wilds features trails for beginners and advanced mountain bikers alike.
Winter Biking: Fat bike Trails
Riders in northern climates have always looked for a way to ride outside in the winter. Through many attempts by individuals and manufacturers, riders now have a well-suited bike to ride when the snow piles up.
Enter the fat bike! Fat bikes feature 3.8- to 5-inch tires specifically designed to ride through the snow. Because of their new popularity, Lake County and the Minnesota DNR have created winter biking routes that wind through the woods on snowy trails. The county grooms the trails to pack the snow and keep ruts to a minimum. The Lake County Demonstration Forest and Split Rock Lighthouse State Park are prominent areas to ride.
north shore bike rentals
Those who want to try fat tire or mountain biking, or simply don’t want to haul their gear can rent bikes at the following places:
Red Raven North
Spokengear Bike Shop
From Trailheads to Shorelines
Explore Lake County Bike Trails
Gitchi-Gami State Trail
The Gitchi-Gami State Trail features a paved, non-motorized biking and walking trail along the North Shore of Lake Superior. Once completed, the route will stretch …
Lake County Demonstration Forest
Sonju Trail
Split Rock Wilds
