City Escape: Bemidji, MN

Bemidji, MN, claims to be the birthplace of Paul Bunyan. This City Escape will convince you he hails from northern Minnesota. It’s easy to picture Paul chopping down trees with a single swipe of his ax among the forests and lakes you’ll see along the ride.

Starting at Bemidji’s famous Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statue, you’ll motor through peaceful rural Minnesota, skirting lakes and woods as you pass into the Leech Lake Reservation. Heading south, you’ll hit the gorgeous lakeside Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway. The final leg of the route takes you through two state forests on gently curving and undulating two-laners.

By the time you roll back into Bemidji, you can certainly understand how the nature and logging history of this region gave birth to the legends of Paul Bunyan.