Mesabi Trail Group Ride: A Guide for Cyclists

The 164-mile paved Mesabi Trail offers amazing options for group rides, cycling clubs, or organized events. Sections of the trail range from easy to some challenging elevation shifts that will put that awesome burn in your thighs! To help plan your trip we’ve created part one of a Guide to the Mesabi Trail for groups: Grand Rapids to Giants Ridge.

A Group Ride Choose-Your-Own-Adventure

The Mesabi Trail in northern Minnesota stretches from Grand Rapids in the west to Ely in the east, with the Mesabi Iron Range in between. Passing through 28 communities, the Mesabi Trail is a destination trail that is ideal for groups. With a flexible Shuttle Service, plus lodging, dining and bike shops along the way, your group is sure to find a fun, safe adventure. Go out-and-back or just one way; we’ve got a plan that will appeal to any size of group, and all abilities.

This recommended tour covers just over 80 miles, one way, and takes you past interesting stops, great places to eat, and multiple lodging options:

Grand Rapids to Hibbing: 39 Miles of Serenity 

This Mesabi Trail adventure starts in Grand Rapids in the beautiful Mississippi River valley. This community on the shores of the Mighty Miss got its start in logging but today is a retail, entertainment and shopping hub for Itasca County. Be sure to stop in at Rapids Brewing for great food and beer, and don’t miss the Judy Garland Museum for a peek into the childhood home of this beloved actress. Group rates offered here.

The 39-mile first leg winds through nine towns and will cross four hills that top off with an 8% grade. So fuel up on carbs before you leave, or have that ebike battery fully charged for an unforgettable ride that passes by lakes and small towns on your way to Hibbing. Ardent Cycles in Grand Rapids is another must-stop if your bike has any needs before you hit the trail or you want any fresh gear for the ride.

In Hibbing, Stay Awhile and Explore!

All biking and no exploring can make for a boring trip! Spend a little extra time in Hibbing. You’ll be glad you did. Here’s a few reasons your group needs to make time for this historic town.

1. Hibbing is a hub of history on the Range, with great attractions your group will love. Check out Hull Rust Mahoning Mine View for a FREE immersive lesson on modern mining with incredible views. Visit the Greyhound Bus Origin Museum. We’ll bet you didn’t know that intercity bus travel was invented in Hibbing! Group rates are available. The parking lot of the Bus Museum serves as another easy-access trailhead for the Mesabi Trail, and the Mine View is close by. It’s another great spot to start a day-trip on the trail.
2. Your lodging options abound. The Hampton Inn on the edge of town and the Red Rock Inn both love catering to cyclsits. You’ll find yourself just minutes from BoomTown Brewery and Woodfire Grill, Sportsman’s Cafe (offering great breakfasts!) and other downtown locations like Black Bear Bakery, with it’s pastries and specialty coffees. Red Rock is the closest hotel to the Mesabi Trail, accessible on city streets, with Palmer’s Tavern located just a few blocks from the trailhead. The Mitchell-Tappan House is a great choice for small groups who want unique lodging in a former carriage house. Be sure to ask your hotels about group rates, which may be available. 
3. Bikes on Howard is a longtime bike shop right on Hibbing’s main drag. It’s close to the historic Hibbing High School, built with mining funds in the 1920s and known as “the castle in the woods.” Tours are available by appointment.  If you have time, be sure to see the school. It offers an experience that will impress and amaze you! Call 218-749-8161 for details.

Hibbing to Giants Ridge: 43 Miles from Mining to the Superior National Forest

We know you came to ride, but seven miles from Hibbing you’ll find the Minnesota Discovery Center, home of a narrated trolley ride to a mining ghost town, and indoor and outdoor history and geology exhibits on its 660-acre campus.  If you don’t stop here on your way to Giants Ridge, be sure to hit it on your way back. Be sure to check out Redhead Mountain Bike Park. You’ll want to come back with your mtb gear tuned and ready for adventure herer. This entire museum complex is a must-see on the Range. Group rates available.

Chisholm

Just beyond Minnesota Discovery Center and the friendly town of Chisholm is the Bruce Mine Headframe. The last standing underground mine structure on the Mesabi Iron Range, this free-admission area offers plenty of bike parking, picnic areas and interpretive signs that tell the history of the site.You can’t miss this one as it’s right on the trail! But prepare for another hill with an 8% grade.

Mountain Iron

Your next stop on the way to Giants Ridge is Mountain Iron’s Locomotive Park. Twenty-one miles from Hibbing, Locomotive Park is a trailhead and outdoor museum with signage that educates you about mining (we really want you to know about mining!) and more. In addition to a great little bar/restaurant called Mac’s, you’ll find a covered pavilion with plenty of picnic tables. So relax and catch your breath for the next leg of your adventure.

Virginia and Gilbert

About four miles down the trail you’ll find the town of Virginia, once the site of the country’s largest white pine lumber mill. You’ll pass through historic Olcott Park; be sure to check out the fountain and Heritage Museum. And since you’ve been burning calories, take a quick detour to Canelake’s Candies. The oldest candy store in the state, Canelake’s has incredible chocolates in all varieties, ice cream, old fashioned sodas, floats and more. Canelake’s is a must-stop in Virginia.

If you’re looking for lunch, Natural Harvest Food Co-op has a great deli with indoor and outdoor seating, and it’s  just a stone’s throw from the trail. The Sugar Shack, down the block from Canelake’s, is another great stop for coffee, sandwiches, bakery and pizza.

Mesabi Recreation is the bike shop in Virginia, and it’s close to the trail if the need arises for any gear or mid-trip fixes!

From here, travel over the Thomas Rukavina Memorial Bridge, the state’s tallest bridge that’s 200 feet above a former iron ore mine, now filled with 400 feet of glacial water. As you stop along the Mesabi Trail for a view of the bridge before you cross it, be sure to note that the bridge is shared with pedestrians and ATVs, with clearly marked wide lanes.

The next town is Gilbert, just seven miles from Virginia, and if you haven’t had lunch, now might be the time! Wandering Pines has a great porketta sandwich. If you’re so inclined, a dip in Lake Ore Be Gone, a former mine pit filled with crystal clear water, might be in order.

Biwabik and Giants Ridge

From Gilbert, you’ll travel eight miles to Biwabik. Along the way, you’ll cross a beautiful new section of trail that includes a floating bridge. Keep an eye out for waterfowl and raptors. Stop at Biwabik Pizza Company or Luke’s Pub for food and beverages, and drop in to Pine Grove Gallery for souvenirs that will fit in your pack.

Another four miles brings you to Giants Ridge, the acclaimed golf and ski area. Here, find a pool haus with saunas, plus outdoor dining at The Burnt Onion Restaurant or Wacootah Grille. Lodging is available at the all-suites hotel The Lodge, or in one of the condos at The Villas. This is a great place to kick back and enjoy the company of your group around an outdoor fire before heading back in the morning, either by bike or shuttle.

Find your morning provisions at Super One Foods in Biwabik, or make the six-mile trip to The Hive in Aurora in the morning for a fantastic breakfast.

Let Us Help You Plan

Still have questions? We’d love to help you plan your trip, and even provide Mesabi Trail stickers so everyone in your group can boast about their amazing adventure. Give us a shout at info@ironrange.org or call 218-749-8161. See you on the trail!