Mesabi Trail: The Untapped Cycling
Heaven of Minnesota’s Iconic North


The Mesabi Trail stretches 162 miles from the Mississippi River in Grand Rapids, MN, to the gateway of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) in Ely.

The trail consists of four segments—Mississippi (Grand Rapids–Nashwauk), Mesabi (Nashwauk–Gilbert), Laurentian (Gilbert–Tower), and Vermilion (Tower–Ely). Each segment offers different natural and manmade landscapes—from glacial lakes to active mines, hardwood forests to pines, and wetlands to rock cuts.

The Mesabi Trail is not a typical “rail-to-trail.” It is not straight nor flat. There are curves and switchbacks, approximately 3,300 feet of elevation change over the full distance, and hills of up to 8% grade with sustained climbs and seriously fun downhills.


 

Mesabi Trail

Mesabi Trail, 111 Station 44 Rd, Eveleth, MN 55734, USA

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