Find the top rated birding trails in Hibbing, whether you're looking for an easy short birding trail or a long birding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a birding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
My husband and I rode the Mesabi trail in early September. The maples were just beginning to change and fall was in the air. It’s a beautiful well-maintained trail. We liked the variety of up and down, something you don’t always get on a strictly rail trail. The small towns along the way are charming. However, know that you are often riding on streets and some towns have better signage than others. Notes from SpiketheBiker were especially helpful. (Referenced below.) We are 65 year olds who ride in Colorado and Wyoming with hills and wind. We usually do anywhere from 20 to 40 mile rides 2 - 3 times a week. We bikepacked from Grand Rapids to Ely in 3 days, (loaded with 20 lb panniers) staying in campgrounds most nights. We did get rerouted around Giant’s Ridge due to work on the trail and ended up just riding the highway all the way into Tower (25 miles). It had an OK shoulder most of the way, but would not recommend riding it with weekend traffic. It was hard to find many details about the trail online until I found SpiketheBiker’s post on Trip Advisor dated June 26, 2023. A big shoutout to them. The post was helpful and accurate. Several had mentioned a long 8% grade hill which had me a bit concerned, but never really said where it was and I never figured it out either. There are definitely some leg burning hills, but the only one that caused me to stop several times was one on the highway to Tower, other than that the others were manageable and I didn’t think terribly long even riding loaded. Our favorite part was between Tower and Ely. It is the newest and smoothest section. Absolutely beautiful at the top by Eagle’s Nest where we did see a bear, but it seemed more scared of us than we were of it. We stayed at Itasca County Fairgrounds in Grand Rapids, Chisholm Iron Trail Campground in Chisholm, and Hoodoo Campground in Tower (although the Vermillion state park might have been a better choice because you don’t have to leave the trail and it’s less expensive, but also no showers). A big shoutout to Ron and Lara in Ely for the warm shower and bed. Also recommend Brainstorm Cafe in Ely for coffee/tea/smoothies and bakery goodies. Yum! Highly recommend the Mesabi Trail even though it’s not a rail trail per se, it is just the right amount of challenge. There are also plenty of entry points to do out and backs if you don’t want to do the whole trail.
Rode the trail the week of August 11, 2025....rode from Virginia to Biwabik, Virginia to Chisholm, Hibbing to Keewatin, and Tower to Ely. Tower to Ely was by far the part of the trail that was in the best condition...the others were a bit rough in spots. Tower to Ely had a couple good climbs in them. Thought the signage for the trail could be better. There are places to go to the bathroom along the way, although not always that frequent. However, if it's a hot day...make sure you have enough water as there are no spots to fill up.
This is not, I believe, a flat, converted railroad line. It is hilly, but flying down the hills is part of the fun. The blacktop can be bumpy with tree roots. You'll pass abandoned open-pit mines, now filled with gorgeous, turquoise water. The trail is full of the proud history of the iron mining that helped win World War II. Some of the tiny towns have seen better days, but all are part of the story. Would have appreciated more ice cream shops and cute lunch places along the way. Bar food too often was the only option. Can't wait for the final leg, Tower to Ely, to be completed (2026?). Greatly recommend in Hibbing the Red Rock Hotel. Newly renovated, reasonably priced, and HIGHLY accommodating to bikers with friendly, personalized service.
The trail from Ely to Tower is simply the best. The smooth pavement, the beautiful forest gives the rider a wonderful experience. You feel you should expect wildlife of any kind could pop out from the trees.
Great bathroom at Tower's trail access.
The Gilbert to Chisholm ride had more 'bumps' but still provided a neat, scenic trip. Each mining town shared their proud history in some type of display.
Black Bear Bakery in Chisholm made the best donuts.
I am eager to see the new trail updates later in summer of 2025 and 2026 between Embarrass and Tower so the trail will be complete.
Do your homework before riding, the picture accompanying the trail description is misleading. ATVs are allowed on some sections of the trail.
Rode from Ely to Mountain Iron. Loved the scenery and the history. Towns are great! Will be back to ride the rest!
Enjoyed the trail for about 30 miles coming Grand Rapids. Loved the change in landscape and the floating bridge. The biggest issues is the signing is poor when coming into each city. Sometimes the arch is in the city and the trail goes off another way. Need better signing.
We biked the roughly 23 mile trail that connects Tower to Ely and it is absolutely spectacular! The condition of the trail is perfect and the scenery is so beautiful! I am sure the rest of the 90+ miles of this trail are amazing too! Can’t wait to explore more-I’ve bike all over the country and this trail is second to none… Biking friends-Put this trail on your bucket list! Come to NE Minnesota!
We did the Virginia-to-Buhl segment over Labor Day and wished we had rented electric-assist bikes. We're used to the flatter trails AND we have not biked a lot this summer because of the heat, and I can say we were fairly disappointed in our inability to make it to Chisolm. The 95-degree weather didn't help - LOL! The trail winds past beautiful scenery, particularly the quarries. There is a section east of Buhl where the trail runs through a swamp and it was like biking over moguls. Ouch! The trail is maintained well and once we figured out how to get out of Virginia, the signage is pretty good. Finding places for water/shade within the smaller towns is a challenge (maybe because of the holiday?) so pack a lot of water/snacks if you're going to be out for the day. The ATVs alongside the trail east of Virgina were nice and polite, but the 2 sets of trails merge over the bridge (in which the view is stunning, BTW). We will do more of the trail once we get our legs back in shape and look forward to more fun!
08/23, Grand Rapids to Biwabik section. I was choosing between Paul Banyan and Mesabi Trail for bikepacking and chose the last one mainly because there are more camping options. Paul Banyan has some camping options, but our group included 7 yo girls who just switched to a geared 20" bike and we were limited by about 20-25 miles per day. Mesabi worked out for us better. Our itinerary was the following:
Day 1. A night at the trailhead in Itasca County Fairgrounds Campground in Grand Rapids. There is an ongoing reconstruction, but you can camp there, booking is not required, campground host is right there. Payment is on-site by cash, $25 or so. Avoid camping there during events, the place can be noisy.
Day 2. 21 mile ride. A night in Swan Lake Campground and Resort in Pengilly. 3 miles ride from the trail over public roads. Road shoulder is wide so it was an ok ride. We tried to workaround over ATV trails, but they were too difficult for kids and we were towing a cargo trailer. The campground has limited number of tent only sites so plan ahead. Reservation by calling the host. Payment is $30 or so cash.
Day 3. 3 + 18 miles ride. A night in Hibbing. The only night not in camping. The closest campground in Chisholm did not work for us as it adds 5 or so miles and the campground itself is terrible according to the reviews. There are very few options for staying in Hibbing. I ended up booking a house for $170 per night close to the trail.
Day 4. 19 miles ride. A night in West Two Rivers Campground. It is 1.5 miles away from the trail, but the road goes to the campground only, so there were only few cars. The only problem was to cross the hwy 169 with kids, but after some wait we did that safely. Reservation online. They have tent only sites, but they are smaller for the same rate - $35 or so. I switched to an RV one. I recommend sites 23 and 24.
Day 5. 23 + 1.5 miles ride. A night in Biwabik Vermilion Trail Campground. It is a popular campground, especially on weekends. Reservation online. Payment is $35 or so. Last section of 5 miles or so on a public road with a wide shoulder. That was not the best experience with kids, but drivers were respectful to us.
Originally we planned Day 6 riding to Heritage Park & Campground in Embarass, but shuttle guy have not responded to us quickly and we cut our route by one day planning me to ride all the way back to the car while my family is waiting in the campground. He responded last night and gave us a ride from Biwabik to Cedar Rapids for $128. It is a good price for 80 miles of 4 people with 4 bikes and backpacks. Plan ahead. I planned only one week prior to the trip.
About the trail. First of all it is a tremendous work! The shuttle driver was from the trail management. He said how much time and money they invest in it for us to be able to ride it. So please, don't forget to buy a Wheel Pass - it is a minimum to pay back for all their effort. Europe countries natively have extensive network of trails and driving culture allowing bikers and drivers to coexist. Those who promote healthy lifestyle through building bike trails in the US deserve all sorts of endorsements. The towns we passed seem to know about cyclists and drivers where very respectful to us. Don't loose your attention though, we had couple of issues in one town. Drivers made excuses to us so the great work in progress in this aspect too. As I said the trail is not 100% serenity in the woods, the trail direction is planning to build the Biwabik section, but over it was an excellent ride and we were very happy. August is a beautiful time to bikepacking. I bet Fall time will be amazing too, even though colder for bikepacking.
Had the chance the other day to ride from Chisholm to Kinney and back. Section from Chisholm to Buhl was much smoother than Hibbing to Chisholm, but had a couple of steep hills. The section from Buhl to Kinney was VERY rough. Be sure to stop and read the sign by the water treatment plant about the town of Fraser - interesting facts.
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