BIKING

Whether you are a biker who likes paved trails, dirt trails, highways or quiet country roads, you'll find your ride in the Cass Lake area.

Besides the scenic highways and quiet pine needle-lined forest roads, a new  paved trail in the Chippewa National Forest meanders along the shoreline and  campgrounds.

Close by are the state's oldest and now newest paved trail, the Heartland  Trail, stretching 34 miles from Walker to Park Rapids, and the Paul Bunyan Trail  a 42-mile ride from Hackensack to Brainerd.

The 20-mile paved bike trail around Lake Itasca, the source of the Mississippi River, is just a 45-minute drive from Cass Lake.

For those who want to go mountain biking, area forest provide a nearly limitless source of dirt roads and scenic trails.

The Chippewa National Forest, (218) 335-8600, has a four-page hand-out featuring eighteen different loops and bike routes for the experienced mountain biker as well as the casual touring family.