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Willard Munger State Trail

Minnesota is lucky to have the most paved bicycle trails in the U.S.—trails that give you wonderful choices of places to go and terrains to cover. The Willard Munger State Trail spans seventy-four miles of eastern Minnesota’s beautiful landscapes, between Hinckley and Duluth. If you and your grandchild enjoy biking, the Munger Trail is well worth checking out.

With sixteen access points (eight with parking lots), the trail has plenty of places to jump on or stop off. For instance, you’ll come across the Alex Laveau spur, Moose Lake State Park and Jay Cooke State Park. Plus, there’s a big attraction that’s waiting for you and your grandchild at trail’s end: the Lake Superior Zoo!

The flatness of the trail allows bicyclers young and old to enjoy themselves. The section from Hinckley to Finlayson is very easy to bike, and the land around the trails is a mix of wetlands and forest, while incorporating the famous James Root railroad route that saved so many lives during the Hinckley fire of 1894.

Between Finlayson and Rutledge, you’ll find the most rolling part of the trail. As you enter the Rutledge area, you’ll notice that the trail is bordered by sand plain prairie, not to mention a beautiful bloom during the summer months. This is also the section of the trail that covers the 1918 fire, commemorated at the old depot in Moose Lake.

Perhaps the most impressive and enjoyable section of the trail is found between Carlton and Duluth. The trail crosses the St. Louis River and a dark rock canyon before passing through Jay Cooke State Park. Deep gullies and dark woods give way to the volcanic rocks that overlook the Duluth harbor. Best of all, it’s downhill most of the way.

The Munger Trail was named the fiftieth trail of the month by the Rails to Trails Conservancy in 2000. Its breathtaking scenery and its many beautiful access points make this trail an incomparable place to bicycle with your grandchild. A trip down the Munger Trail is a trip through some of the most amazing spots that Minnesota has to offer.

Bonding and bridging:

Some activities naturally put safety at the forefront of our thoughts. Bicycling is one such activity. We can tell our grandchildren time and again, “Safety first.” But they notice what we do far more than they hear what we say.

When you’re bicycling with your grandchild, always wear a helmet, and use the stop and turn signals taught in elementary school. If you do these things, your grandchild will follow suit. Hopefully, the safety habits that she learns from you will carry over into her future choices—when you’re not there to protect her.

A word to the wise:

Take the spur from the trail to the Jay Cooke Nature Center. You and your grandchild will enjoy hiking over the swinging bridge that goes over a fast and complex waterway. You’ll truly appreciate the water rushing between the black rocks, the root-beer-colored water, the white foam of the rapids and the deep green forest. It is a wonderful landscape. Plus, kids get quite a thrill when they realize that the swinging bridge moves under their weight. You’ll also find restrooms, a picnic shelter and a small interpretive display here.

Age of grandchild: 10 and up

Best season: Spring and fall

Contact: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR): Willard Munger • www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_trails/willard_munger

Also check out:

Bike/walk Twin Cities; www.bikewalktwincities.org/maps-routes/bike-maps

Root River State Trail; www.rootrivertrail.org/site/index.php

Mesabi Trail; www.mesabitrail.com/

Brainerd Lake Trails; www.brainerd.com/bikemaps/

Gitchi-Gami Trail; www.ggta.org/

The charm of a woodland road lies not only in its beauty but in anticipation. Around each bend may be a discovery, an adventure. DALE REX COMAN