At 115 miles, the Paul Bunyan is the longest continuously paved rail-trail in the country, running from Crow Wing State Park in the south all the way up to Lake Bemidji. It passes directly through Nisswa, which means you can be on it within minutes of leaving your room.
Don’t be put off by the number. Almost nobody rides the whole thing. The pleasure here is an easy out-and-back — head north toward Pequot Lakes or south toward Brainerd for three or four miles, turn around when you feel like it, and you’ve had a proper morning. It’s a former railway bed, so it’s flat, wide and smooth the entire way. Good for nervous cyclists, tag-alongs, pushchairs and anyone who hasn’t ridden in a decade.
Bike hire is available in and around Nisswa, and the trail is well signed with mileage markers between towns. Bring water; shade is generous but not continuous.
Best time to go is early morning before the day warms up, or the hour before sunset when the light comes sideways through the pines. Autumn is exceptional — the first two weeks of October are worth planning a trip around. In winter, sections are groomed for skiing and snowmobiling instead.
The Nisswa trailhead sits right by the downtown shops, so coffee before and ice cream after are both easily arranged.
