The practicing attorney has earned a reputation in the area for being one of its most dedicated biking enthusiasts . In fact , 2023 marks the third time he has been the primary organizer of the annual Tour of Lakes , a ride that since 1989 has drawn hundreds of bicycling enthusiasts to Brainerd Lakes .
The Tour of Lakes
The 2023 Tour of Lakes will take place on June 3rd , the first Saturday of the month . Participants in the noncompetitive recreational ride can get started on the tour any time between 6 a . m . and 8 a . m . As in past years , the ride will begin and end on Laurel Street near the Sage on Laurel restaurant , located at 606 Laurel Street in historic Downtown Brainerd . There will be three different routes to consider .
The shortest route will stay in and around Brainerd and cover just over 10 miles . The longer routes will go into Baxter , Nissawa and around Gull Lake , and cover either 40 or 70 miles . There is a registration fee , and Shaw said it will be similar to what people paid to ride in 2022 .
Cost ranges from $ 50 to $ 70 for adults going on the 33 or 66 mile tour , depending on when they register , and $ 25 to $ 35 for the 12 mile tour . Youth tickets , for those between 7 and 17 years of age , range from $ 25 to $ 35 . Children six and under ride free .
Tickets can be purchased online at Tempotickets . com / TourOfLakes2023 . Service fees ranging between $ 2.94 and $ 4.63 will be added to the ticket cost .
Shaw reminds riders they don ’ t need to wait for the Tour date to begin exploring all the beautiful bike trails that Brainerd and the surrounding areas have to offer . Here are his suggestions for people who have just a few hours to ride , and for those who have a half-day , a full-day , or an entire weekend to ride .
Just a Few Hours to Ride
If you only have a few hours to ride , Shaw recommends you check out the Paul Bunyan Trail . “ From Brainerd , going down to Crow Wing State Park and back is quite pleasant ,” he said . “ There ’ s also the trail that goes down to the park from Baxter . You can get to it from most anywhere .”
Shaw said there are also some nice short gravel roads South of Crow Wing State Park in Northern Morrison County that have very little car traffic .
A Half-Day Trip
For those who want a longer ride that ’ s a little more strenuous and challenging , Shaw recommends taking the Paul Bunyan Trail to Crow Wing State Park , then going south on Koering Road . Cross 371 , pass the rest stop , then Koering Road becomes gravel east of 371 and goes south , more or less parallel to 371 .
“ It goes up a descent hill that has some pretty good views at the top of it ,” said Shaw who explained riders could go down Koering Road , cross Sleepy Hollow Road , then go up a hill past a cell phone tower . Continue down the hill past the tower , turn left at the next intersection ( gravel ), on Hay Creek Road , ( no sign at the intersection ), continue east to County 121 , turn left on 121 which goes up the hill to the village of St . Mathias .
After passing through St . Mathias you can turn right on Sleepy Hollow Road , then left on County 45 , which has a wide shoulder to get back to Brainerd . “ It ’ s best to avoid that route in times of high traffic ,” said Shaw , who also suggested a lower traffic route .
Riders can turn right on 121 , take it to County Highway 2 , turn right on 2 , cross Highway 371 , then take a series of gravel roads along the river that will lead to the south side of Crow Wing State Park , and the Crow Wing park section of the Paul Bunyan Trail .
“ It ’ s a route I ’ ve ridden many times and it ’ s quite pleasant ,” said Shaw .
A Full Day Trip
If you have a full day from sun-up to sun-down to ride , Shaw recommends you hop on Paul Bunyan Trail and ride as far north or south as you want to go . Hackensack is about 100 miles north of Brainerd .
A Weekend Trip
If you want to make a weekend of it , a ride south of Brainerd to the town of Freedom may be a fun to do . Freedom is about 200 miles south of Brainerd .
In both directions , there are plenty of places to stop to eat , and to take water and restroom breaks .
If distance riding isn ’ t your thing , but you still want to spend a day on the trail , you may want to consider visiting the Cuyuna Lakes State Trail or Buffalo Hills Trail . Cuyuna Lakes is a 50-milelong mountain bike trail system that takes riders up and down steep inclines and past turquoisecolored lakes that were formerly abandoned mining pits .
The Buffalo Hills Trail includes a 2.15 mile segment that links Buffalo Hills Park in south Brainerd to Kiwanis Park , which is between Boom Lake and the Mississippi River , just south of Brainerd High School . The trail takes riders past sand and gravel pits on one side and a swamp on the other . It features a downhill incline with a 72-foot change in elevation from Bufffalo Hills Park to the Mississippi River . It also takes riders past the Brainerd Community Gardens and the city ’ s dog exercise park , Buster Park .
For more information about The Tour of Lakes , check out the Paul Bunyan Cyclists website : PaulBunyanCyclists . com . The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources also has plenty of information about the best places to cycle on its website : DNR . state . mn . us / biking / index . html . destinationupnorth . com 19