View source for Mesabi Trail

{{Short description|Bike trail in Minnesota}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
The '''Mesabi Trail''' is a 132 mile paved [[bicycle]] trail running from [[Grand Rapids, Minnesota]] to [[Ely, Minnesota]].  As of 2022, two sections remain to be completed: McKinley to Biwabik, and the seven miles south of Tower.  Trail construction is expected to be finished by 2024.<ref>https://mesabitrail.com/trail-complete-from-tower-to-ely/</ref> The trail goes through the many small towns along it, such as [[Marble, Minnesota|Marble]], [[Keewatin, Minnesota|Keewatin]], [[Hibbing, Minnesota|Hibbing]], [[Mountain Iron, Minnesota|Mountain Iron]], [[Virginia, Minnesota|Virginia]], and [[Gilbert, Minnesota|Gilbert]].  Much of the trail runs along abandoned railroad grade.

== The Great River Mesabi Trail Ride ==
Since 2005, the Mesabi Trail has hosted a long bike ride every year in mid-August. Each stop (usually at a town or at intervals between towns) has fruit, water, granola, and other snacks. In [[Buhl, Minnesota|Buhl]], there is ice cream. The refreshments are free, as is the food at the ending destination, but there is a fee to ride in this event.  To accommodate riders of different abilities, the ride includes multiple official starting points; while the full route may be 50 to 70 miles, intermediate starting places along the route may be as close as 8 or 10 miles from the end.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Start
! End
! Max Length
|-
! 2005
| [[Biwabik, Minnesota|Biwabik]] (Giant's Ridge Ski Resort)
| [[Chisholm, Minnesota|Chisholm]] (Ironworld Discovery Center)
| 50 miles
|-
! 2006
| [[Biwabik, Minnesota|Biwabik]] (Giant's Ridge Ski Resort)
| [[Hibbing, Minnesota|Hibbing]] (Bennet Park)
| 57 miles
|-
! 2007
| [[Marble, Minnesota|Marble]]
| [[Virginia, Minnesota|Virginia]] ([[Olcott Park]])
| 51 miles
|-
! 2008
| [[Marble, Minnesota|Marble]]
| [[Virginia, Minnesota|Virginia]] ([[Olcott Park]])
| 51 miles
|-
! 2009
| [[Grand Rapids, Minnesota|Grand Rapids]] (Itasca County Fairgrounds)
| [[Chisholm, Minnesota|Chisholm]] (Museum of Mining)
| 50 miles
|-
! 2010
| [[Biwabik, Minnesota|Biwabik]] (Giant's Ridge Ski Resort)
| [[Hibbing, Minnesota|Hibbing]] (Bennet Park)
| 50 miles
|-
! 2011
| [[Chisholm, Minnesota|Chisholm]] (Minnesota Discover Center)
| [[Grand Rapids, Minnesota|Grand Rapids]] (Itasca County Fairgrounds)
| 48 miles
|-
! 2012
| [[Grand Rapids, Minnesota|Grand Rapids]] (Itasca County Fairgrounds)
| [[Virginia, Minnesota|Virginia]] ([[Olcott Park]])
| 64 miles
|-
! 2013
| ?
| ?
| ?
|-
! 2014
| [[Fayal Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota|Fayal Township]] (Township Hall)
| [[Coleraine, Minnesota|Coleraine]] (Longyear Park)
| 69 miles
|}

== Historical signs ==
Along the Mesabi Trail there are signs that establish the history along it. Most of the signs notice certain areas as important to the Mesabi Range's early mining economy.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.mesabitrail.com/ Mesabi Trail Website]

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{{Minnesota hiking trails}}

[[Category:Bike paths in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Itasca County, Minnesota]]
[[Category:Protected areas of St. Louis County, Minnesota]]
[[Category:Rail trails in Minnesota]]


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