Paul Bunyan trail section completed
Parks & Trails there to celebrate
The final 19 miles of the Paul Bunyan State Trail connecting Bemidji to Brainerd was officially opened recently with a ribbon cutting near Guthrie.
Judy Erickson, government relations consultant for Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota, participated in the bike ride organized by Bemidji officials and was part of the dedication of the section from Walker to Bemidji.
"We have partnered with Bemidji to get the trail there," Erickson said. "We helped secure state funding for it. The mayor of Walker said this is the first connection to Bemidji since the railroad stopped running."
At 120 miles, the Paul Bunyan is now the longest paved trail in the state, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Bemidji and Walker officials still are working on small segment additions in their cities, but the trail is essentially complete. The mayors of the two cities consider the trail an important part of their area and another way to bring visitors, money and development to their towns. The Bemidji Pioneer newspaper lauded its completion in an editorial.
The Bemidji-Walker section has been open since spring, but the dedication and ribbon cutting occurred Aug. 21.
