The Paul Bunyan State Trail is a multi-use recreational
rail trail
A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...
in north-central
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, United States, running between the cities of
Baxter/
Brainerd and
Bemidji
Bemidji ( ) is a city and the county seat of Beltrami County, in northern Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,574 at the 2020 census. According to 2021 census estimates, the city is estimated to have a population of 15,279, making it ...
. It is named after the giant lumberjack
Paul Bunyan
Paul Bunyan is a giant lumberjack and folk hero in American and Canadian folklore. His exploits revolve around the tall tales of his superhuman labors, and he is customarily accompanied by Babe the Blue Ox. The character originated in the or ...
of American folklore.
The route was part of the
Burlington Northern Railroad
The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a Mergers and acquisitions, merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996.
Its historical lineage begins in the e ...
lines abandoned in 1983. The trail covers a distance of . The southern extension, completed in 2012, moved the southern terminus to
Crow Wing State Park
Crow Wing State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, at the confluence of the Mississippi and Crow Wing Rivers. The park interprets the site of Old Crow Wing, one of the most populous towns in Minnesota in the 1850s and 1860s. The ...
. The route through Bemidji follows city streets until an off-road path can be secured.
The Paul Bunyan State Trail intersects with the
Heartland State Trail
The Heartland State Trail is a multi-use recreational rail trail in north-central Minnesota, USA. It runs between Park Rapids and Cass Lake, intersecting with the Paul Bunyan State Trail around Walker. The entire route is paved, with a parall ...
in
Walker
Walker or The Walker may refer to:
People
*Walker (given name)
*Walker (surname)
*Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer
Places
In the United States
*Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County
*Walker, Mono County, California
* ...
and in Bemidji joins the
Blue Ox Trail
Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ob ...
, which continues to the
Canada–United States border
The border between Canada and the United States is the longest international border in the world. The terrestrial boundary (including boundaries in the Great Lakes, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts) is long. The land border has two sections: Can ...
.
As of 2013, the
Bemidji Blue Ox Marathon
The Bemidji Blue Ox Marathon is a race in Bemidji, Minnesota, first run in 2013. The race runs around a lake, along a state trail and through a state park. It takes place in October, when many of the forest surroundings are bright with color.
Th ...
runs on the portion of the trail along Lake Bemidji to Lake Bemidji State Park.
References
External links
Paul Bunyan State TrailPaulBunyanTrail.com
{{Authority control
Burlington Northern Railroad
Leech Lake
Minnesota state trails
Protected areas of Beltrami County, Minnesota
Protected areas of Cass County, Minnesota
Protected areas of Crow Wing County, Minnesota
Protected areas of Hubbard County, Minnesota
Rail trails in Minnesota
Brainerd, Minnesota