|
| WELCOME
TO THE MUNGER-TRAIL |
|
The Willard Munger State Trail
Logging MilesBicyclists on the Willard Munger State Trail in the 2003 season.
Bicyclists on the Munger trail follow the tracks of local history.
Text and photography by Maureen M. Smith
As
we biked the Willard Munger State Trail last May, we coasted down
slopes spangled with white blossoms to wide-open views of Lake
Superior. Our tires slapped the pavement, like the sound of an old
steam engine chugging. Wind piped through our bike frames, like a train
whistle blowing.
The
sounds made it easy to imagine the historic trains that once roared
along this route, carrying loads of lumber and passengers. The railroad
first connected St. Paul and Duluth, and once delivered survivors from
the disastrous Hinckley and Moose Lake fires.
But
those trains stopped running long ago. All that remains of the original
railroad is six miles of tracks, with a lone passenger train that takes
tourists curving and rocking along the St. Louis River in summer. Bikes
and rollerblades leave Duluth on a straighter paved trail, where the
railroad ran near the turn of the century. Near Carlton, the paved
trail rejoins the original railroad route to Hinckley.
When
we saw the junction of the biking trail and the tracks, I marveled at
this intersection of past and present. Later I’d examine historic maps
to see which railroad route really came first.
To
explore this human and ecological history, to glimpse scenery the first
rail passengers saw, I wanted to bike the whole 70-mile trail. My trip
began on a Greyhound bus, with bike in a box and handlebars jutting out
like antlers. My partner, Mark, joined me in Carlton to bike to Duluth
and back over a weekend.
As
we biked, it looked as though spray-paint gods had speckled the woodsy
hills with trillium. We spotted woodpeckers and fox holes; we
distinguished gray-barked aspen from white-skinned paper birch.
Quaking
aspen leaves fluttered like chimes in the breeze. Musical streams and
brooks wove through surrounding ravines. Stout young cedars and taller
firs grew out of rocky crags.
|
The
Willard Munger
State Trail
is a collection of multiple use trails
between Hinckley and Duluth. It consists of interconnecting trails
offering hiking, bicycling, in-line skating and snowmobiling. It
highlights the picturesque scenery and rich history of East Central
Minnesota. The trail follows the route of the railroad that saved many
lives in the historic Hinckley and Cloquet fires in the nineteenth
century.
There are three
different trail segments in the
Willard Munger State Trail: Hinckley - Duluth segment, Alex Laveau
Memorial Trail and Boundary segment.
The 63 mile Hinckley
-
Duluth segment of the Willard Munger State Trail is now completely
paved, making this the longest paved trail in the world. The trail
extends between Hinckley, Willow River, Moose Lake, Barnum, Carlton,
and Duluth. The trail passes near Banning State Park, through
Finlayson, Willow River and General C.C. Andrews State Forest, and
through the spectacular scenery of Jay Cooke State Park. The northeast
portion of the trail provides scenic views of the St. Louis River and
the twin ports of Duluth and Superior.
Read
More... Mesabi Trail
A Premier Minnesota Bike Trail
http://www.mesabitrail.com/
Located
in northern Minnesota between the cities of Ely and Grand Rapids, the
Mesabi Trail is a premier Minnesota bike trail winding through some of
the state's prettiest regions. When completed, the trail will traverse
132 miles and connect more than 25 communities.
A superior paved bike trail that is well-mapped and well-maintained, the Mesabi Trail also makes an interesting walking path.
Partially
built on old railroad beds, guests will find a 10-14 foot wide
bituminous surface (asphalt paving). Great for summer activities such
as biking, inline skating or walking, the trail also offers access to
swimming, canoeing, camping and fishing. Winter activities may include
cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and winter hiking.
Many campgrounds
|
|
  
Willard Munger Trail Log South
|
One
of the longest trail rides in the state awaits riders of the
Willard Munger Trail named after the state representative that served
West Duluth for 43 years supporting many environmental and recreational
projects throughout Minnesota.
The southern segment of
nearly 55 miles, from Hinckley north to
Carlton, and the northern segment of about 15 miles from Carlton north
to Duluth provides bikers a wide variety of experiences from gambling
to rock outcroppings, state parks and lakes.
The southern segment, known
as the Hinckley Fire Trail, goes though
Finlayson, Willow River, Sturgeon Lake and Moose Lake.
Side trips can be made to
Sandstone connected to the Munger with its
own part-trail, part-road route and three state parks: Banning, St.
Croix and Moose Lake.
Nearly all of the trail is
flat and
straight on the bed of abandoned railroad right-of-way, although there
is one spot (M15) the trail takes a dip and curves. The trail crosses
several bridges, skirts ponds, crosses rivers and goes through the
woods; there are also a couple stretches that parallel a busy highway.
The last 3.5 miles into
Carleton were recently paved and takes riders
through a mix of wetlands, woods and even rock before skirting logging
operations.
Highlights along the trail,
beginning at Hinckley
|
|
|
The northern segment
of the Willard Munger Trail takes a 15-mile decent
from Carlton to West Duluth downhill through trees, rocks with a
powerful scenic views all the way.
Bikers can stop on a high railroad trestle to enjoy a breathtaking look
over the St. Louis River estuary, cut through a mountain of rock, relax
through fields of wildflowers and northern pines, view the wonders of a
hydroelectric power plant, peddle through the largest stand of hemlocks
and relax on a hillside rest stop overlooking western Duluth and acres
of water.
Highlights along the trail into Duluth: |
|
|
Willard
Munger Trail Log North
The northern segment
of the Willard Munger Trail takes a 15-mile decent
from Carlton to West Duluth downhill through trees, rocks with a
powerful scenic views all the way.
Bikers can stop on a high railroad trestle to enjoy a breathtaking look
over the St. Louis River estuary, cut through a mountain of rock, relax
through fields of wildflowers and northern pines, view the wonders of a
hydroelectric power plant, peddle through the largest stand of hemlocks
and relax on a hillside rest stop overlooking western Duluth and acres
of water.
Highlights along the trail into Duluth: |
|
|
 
|
|
Support Our Sponsors
Ad Space Available
For More Information!
 Just a few seasonal sites available stop in today for a tour!
|
