Paul Bunyan National Scenic Byway

This resort region is rich in history and beauty. This thoroughfare and bike trail are named for the legendary lumberjack whose giant footprints produced the area's abundant lakes, or so the tale goes. The water tower in Pequot Lakes is painted to look like Paul's fishing bobber.

Wide-shouldered, paved county roads offer a scenic drive to bike, hike, walk trails, visit parks, gardens, and playgrounds, and enjoy the wildlife management areas and historical artifacts. What started as an attempt to raise money to improve the shoulders on the roadway and aid in bicycle safety turned into an application to be a National Scenic Byway in 2005. This byway in Northern Minnesota has two themes: the family resort story and the influence of the nationally known tall-tale character of Paul Bunyan.

Step into Paul’s wooden baby boots at the Pine River Information Center and look for Paul Bunyan’s bobber atop the Pequot Lakes’ water tower. The area is a favorite spot for fishing year-round. In winter months ice shacks dot the lakes, and it's common to see horse drawn sleighs or snowmobiles. The many lake-side resorts offer swimming at the many beaches along the route. You can learn more about the area’s logging history and early peoples.

This drive is bursting with options for nature enthusiasts – birding, fishing, biking and hiking – and for golfers or casual day-trippers who prefer the boutiques, galleries and gift shops of Pequot Lakes, Pine River and Crosslake. The Uppgaard Wildlife Management Area has a walking trail through the woods. Before a visit, birders may want to check the byway website for an online guide to birding along the route.

The Paul Bunyan National Scenic Byway is great for recreation year round. Like the intricacies of a good Paul Bunyan tale, Minnesota's Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway weaves together the recreation, logging, resort, geology, early settlers and Native American stories of a well traveled past. Tour in your cars, pedal your bikes, or just put on some good walking shoes. Here's your invite to the lakes and lands that helped give life to the Great Northwoods legend of Paul Bunyan. Recreation comes naturally along Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway.

The legends and tall tales will tickle your funny bone and challenge your imagination. Glistening lakes and lush forests, still home to nature's wildlife and loaded with history, will spark your own desire to Explore the Lore. And the scenic landscapes reveal stories of geologic formations, and offer glimpses of the ever changing small town and rural cultures.

For cycling enthusiasts, part of the road offers wide, smooth paved shoulders, with numerous spots to stop, snack, dine, swim and relax. The Paul Bunyan State Trail has 70 miles of paved trails for biking and in-line skating.

Pelican Lake and the Whitefish Chain of Lakes are popular fishing and boating waters. This vacation destination has dozens of resorts and campgrounds.

Visitors love exploring the many historic sites along the byway, enjoying golf (both Paul Bunyan and minisized), and shopping for antiques and Paul Bunyan memorabilia.

This byway is shaped like a backwards “E.” One section of the route is Highway 1 east from Pine River to Manhattan Beach, then Highway 66 and 3 takes you on south to Crow Wing State Forest. From there, take Highway 11 back west to Pequot Lakes. The middle route is Highway 16 from Rush Lake back west between Upper and Lower Whitefish Lake and Ideal Corners to just South of Jenkins. Another spur is on Highway 15 from Jenkins, north to catch Highway 1 again.