Resources for Planning a Minnesota Summer Biking Vacation

Summer is just around the corner and now is the time to start planning your Summer biking vacation(s).  With so many biking destinations around our great state you may want to get more information to help you decide where to go and where to stay.  There are so many resources available at your fingertips that planning your trip has become easier than ever.  Cities and regions around Minnesota are competing for your travel dollars this summer and they have made it easy to find more information about their destinations to attract you.

Minnesota has a lot to offer cyclists whether your discipline is road cycling, mountain biking, gravel, trail or bikepacking.  A great place to start is the Explore Minnesota website.  There is a lot of information here to help you plan the kind of rides you would like to take.  It contains an array of brochures that you can download, view online or have mailed to you.  Quite a few free regional brochures are listed for all areas of the state that can also be selected for mailing.  Go to the Explore Minnesota Travel Guides page to access these brochures.  There are also planning tools beyond just the website, Explore Minnesota Tourism staffs a travel information center with travel counselors that will help you with customized information (by phone, mail or e-mail) for planning your trip.

The 2015-16 Pedal MN Minnesota Biking Guide is another great place to start.  This free publication is available to view online, download or have mailed to you.  It is full of information on paved trails, on-road touring and mountain biking around the state.  It also contains links to trail maps, events and biking destination areas.  Another useful source of Minnesota cycling information is the Pedal Minnesota website that is filled with upcoming events, places to ride, trail information and trip planning resources.

If you have a destination in mind for your trip, try heading to the tourism or visitor's bureau website for that area or city.  Sites like Visit Duluth, Iron Range Tourism, Cuyuna Lake Chamber of Commerce and Root River Trail Towns are full of information that will help you find lodging, dining, attractions, events and area trails.  You may also visit my MN Tourism Resources page for a huge listing of online resources throughout the state.

The Minnesota DNR website contains all sorts of information on biking including State Trails, State Parks & Recreation Areas, State Forests, camping/lodging and other biking opportunities.  If you're looking to get off the beaten path, do some bikepacking or ride somewhere with great scenery, the DNR website is a great choice to get you started.

Summer is right around the corner, so use the wealth of information available on the Internet to make planning your next biking trip a breeze.  For easy to find trail maps and trail information for the Twin Cities Area, Southern MN, Central MN and Northern MN, don't forget about MN Bike Trail Navigator.  I have already done the research to find the links so you don't have to.

Resources to Get You Riding Gravel

The idea for this post came to me after I received an email from a woman who was a gravel first-timer and thought she would enjoy riding gravel but didn't know where to start.  She asked me for some recommendations of where to ride near the Twin Cities.  I gave her a list of resources to point her in the right direction.  Riding gravel is one of my passions so I decided I should put this information into a post so others can enjoy the Minnesota gravel riding experience.

There are several resources I use to help me discover new places to ride.  With this information I can plan out routes and by using my smartphone I can stay on track without the worry of getting lost in unfamiliar territory.  If you are new to riding gravel or an experienced aficionado, I hope this information will help you find new roads to ride.

Google Maps

Google Maps has been a longtime favorite of  mine for finding gravel and planning routes.  Using the Google Earth (satellite) layer I can find gravel roads and map out a ride.  Once my route has been created, Google Maps displays the route distance, elevation profile and the option for turn by turn directions by selecting "List all steps" in the elevation profile box.  From here you can print a cue sheet by selecting "Print text only" or with the map included by selecting "Print including maps" in the print options above the map.

Mobile Apps

There are quite a few cycling website/apps that use Google Maps for their mapping engine to plan routes, Strava, MapMyRide, RideWithGPS, Runtastic, and Endomondo just to name a few.  Creating routes using these websites will sync them with the corresponding mobile app for use out on rides to keep you on course.  These apps will also let you search other user's routes and some even give you the option to download GPX files of the routes for export into the app website of your choice or Garmin GPS devices.  For more information and features on Runtastic's Road Bike Pro app see my post App Review: Runtastic Road Bike Pro.  To learn how to create routes with your PC using the Strava Route Builder for use with the Strava iPhone and Android apps, see my post Strava Routes Now Available For iPhone & Android.

Gravelmap

Gravelmap is an interactive user-submitted gravel route database created by a web developer/cyclist from southern Oregon.  This is a growing resource with new road/routes being added weekly as the word gets out about it.  Read my post Gravelmap Launches Interactive User Submitted Gravel Route Database for more details.

 Forest Roads

Image Credit:  MN DNR

Minnesota has many miles of forest, logging and fire roads located in our State and National Forests waiting to be explored.  For more information on riding gravel in Minnesota's State Forests, see my post Explore Minnesota's State Forests by Mountain Bike With Resources From the MN DNR.  GORP has compiled a list of road and trail rides in Superior National Forest and more information can be found on the USDA Forest Service website.  Information for Chippewa National Forest can be found on the USDA Forest Service website.  The Cook County Visitors Bureau has also compiled a list of adventure riding opportunities in Northeastern Minnesota.

Riding Gravel Forum/
Gravel Grinder News

The Riding Gravel Forum is a place to share your knowledge, experiences and photos with others that like to crush gravel. It's also a good resource to learn from experienced gravel riders, ask questions and join in the conversation on everything from bikes, components, accessories, gravel racing and everyday gravel riding.  Read my post New Riding Gravel Forum Provides a Place to Talk "Gravel" to learn more.

Another one of my go-to gravel resources is Gravel Grinder News from Trans Iowa Race director, Guitar Ted.  It covers everything from bikes, equipment, events and gravel-related links.

Riding Safely

There are several good articles on how to stay safe out on those lonely gravel roads.  Guitar Ted has put together this post entitled Safety And The Gravel Road Rider.   Marsh Jones, Miesville Grinder organizer has some Common sense tips for riding gravel on his blog.  I have on many occasions encountered aggressive dogs out in the country and Crazy Guy on a Bike has written Some tips for handling encounters with "Man's Best Friend" while cycling that will help you know what to do in just such an event.

Gravel Events

For those looking to challenge themselves or ride with others there are still quite a few gravel races/rides left for 2014 in Minnesota.  I have compiled a list of 2014 Minnesota Gravel Grinders with links to more information and registration details.  2014 is winding down and I will be publishing a new list for 2015 as next year's gravel events start to be announced.  For additional gravel events outside of Minnesota, visit the Gravel Grinder News Calendar of Events page.

The upcoming Fall riding season is my favorite time of the year to hit the gravel.  Weather conditions can range from warm and sunny to cool, cloudy and sometimes windy.  Dress accordingly and be prepared for sudden weather changes because you may find yourself a long way from your finish destination if things turn cold or rainy.  When the leaves begin to change colors expect some spectacular scenery on rural country rides.  Southeastern Minnesota is where I like to ride this time of year, the hardwood forests along gravel roads in this region are quite a sight for the eyes.  Begin a new adventure, leave the hustle and bustle of the city and head out into the country for some great riding on the road less traveled.  

Resources To Help You Plan Your Minnesota Summer Biking Trips

Root River State Trail

Now that the weather is beginning to warm up and summer is fast approaching, you may be thinking about planning your Minnesota biking trip(s).  With so many biking destinations around our great state, you may want to get more information to help you decide where to go and where to stay.  There are so many resources available at your fingertips that planning your trip has become easier than ever.  Cities and regions around Minnesota are competing for your travel dollars this summer and they have made it easy to find more information about their destinations to attract you.

Willard Munger State Trail

A great place to start is the Explore Minnesota website.  There is a lot of information here to help you plan the kind of rides you would like to take.  It contains an array of brochures that you can download, view online or have mailed to you.  Quite a few free regional brochures are listed for all areas of the state that can also be selected for mailing.  Go to the Explore Minnesota Travel Guides page to access these brochures.  There are also planning tools beyond just the website, Explore Minnesota Tourism staffs a travel information center with travel counselors that will help you with customized information (by phone, mail or e-mail) for planning your trip.

Red Jacket Trail

One brochure you may find particularly useful is the 2013/2014 Explore Minnesota Biking Guide.  It contains maps of bike trails, trail information by region (Southern, Central, Northeast, Northwest and Twin Cities area), on-road touring and information about Minnesota's best mountain biking destinations.  The Trail Listings segment informs you about the trails, area businesses and scheduled monthly bike rides complete with website links to bring you more details.  Another useful source of Minnesota cycling information is the Pedal Minnesota website that is filled with upcoming events, places to ride, trail information and trip planning resources.

Lake Wobegon Regional Trail

If you have a destination in mind for your trip, try heading to the tourism or visitor's bureau website for that area or city.  Sites like Visitduluth.com, Minneapolis.org, Cuyunalakes.com and Lanesboro.com are full of information that will help you find lodging, dining, attractions, events and area trails.  Visit my MN Tourism Resources page for a huge listing of online resources throughout the state.

Afton State Park

Minnesota has an abundance of State Parks with scenic trails for biking, mountain biking and hiking.  These State Parks are scattered throughout Minnesota and chances are there is one near you or your vacation destination.  The Minnesota DNR provides a lot of information on it's website about our State Parks and all they have to offer.  Go to the Minnesota State Parks page to find out more.

Summer is right around the corner, so use the wealth of information available on the internet to make planning your next biking trip a breeze.  For easy to find trail maps and trail information for the Twin Cities Area, Southern MN, Central MN, Northern MN and MN MTB Project Trails, don't forget about MN Bike Trail Navigator.  I have already done the research to find the links so you don't have to.

2014 Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide Now Available in Print & e-Version

The 2014 Minnesota Edition Bike/Hike Guide is now available at bike shops, libraries, tourism centers and community centers throughout the state.  This year's edition includes even more bike related event listings, maps for bike-friendly areas around the state, a kids section and helpful biking tips.

This handy pocket guide also contains an extensive listing of bike shops in the Twin Cities and around the state, bike clubs & race teams in your area and city & regional tourism resources.

The Bike/Hike Guide is full of regional maps that highlight bicycling road routes, paved trails, gravel trails and mountain bike areas.  These regions include:

• Twin Cities Gateway
• Apple Valley/Rosemount
• Lakeville
• Faribault
• Winona
• Root River Trail Towns
• Albert Lea
• Mankato
• Western Minnesota Prairie Waters
• Willmar
• Cuyuna Lakes
• Brainerd
• Mesabi Trail Towns
• Little Falls
• Itasca Trails Area
• Wisconsin areas of Menomonie, La Crosse, Chippewa and Trempealeau Counties.

Pick one up today or page through the e-Version.  The e-Version of the Bike/Hike Guide also contains links to more information from the listed resources.  Scan the QR code with your smartphone, tablet or digital device to view the e-Version now or click here.