The Willard Munger State Trail is a system of recreational trails between Hinckley, Minnesota

Hinckley, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,291 people, 551 households, and 332 families residing in the city. The population density was 454.3 people per square mile . There were 614 housing units at an average density of 216.0 per square mile...

 and Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...

. There are actually three segments of the trail.

Hinckley to Duluth Segment

The most well-known trail is a paved trail that starts in Hinckley and goes northeast, to Duluth. With a length of 63 miles (101.4 km), it is one of the longest paved trails in the world. It passes through Willow River

Willow River, Minnesota

Willow River is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, United States, at the confluence of the Kettle and Willow Rivers. The population was 415 at the 2010 census....

, Moose Lake

Moose Lake, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,239 people, 577 households, and 294 families residing in the city. The population density was 811.1 people per square mile . There were 628 housing units at an average density of 227.5 per square mile...

, Barnum

Barnum, Minnesota

Barnum is a city in Carlton County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 613 at the 2010 census.Interstate Highway 35, Carlton County Road 6 , and Carlton County Road 61 are three of the main routes in the community....

, and Carlton

Carlton, Minnesota

Carlton is a city in Carlton County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 862 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Carlton County.Minnesota State Highways 45 and 210; and County Roads 1 and 3 are four of the main routes in the community....

 before terminating in Duluth. Along the way, it goes through Jay Cooke State Park

Jay Cooke State Park

Jay Cooke State Park is a Minnesota state park located about ten miles southwest of Duluth, just outside the small town of Thomson. Jay Cooke is situated on the St...

 and close to Banning State Park

Banning State Park

Banning State Park is a Minnesota state park stretched along of the Kettle River near Sandstone, Minnesota in Pine County. The centerpiece of the park is of churning rapids, some up to Class IV. The daring kayakers and canoeists who shoot Blueberry Slide, Mother's Delight, Dragon's Tooth,...

. The 15 miles (24.1 km) segment between Carlton and Duluth is particularly scenic, as it passes through forested areas and rock cuts before opening up to scenic views of the Lake Superior harbor and downtown Duluth.

The trail was originally part of the St. Paul and Duluth Railroad

St. Paul and Duluth Railroad

The St. Paul and Duluth Railroad was reorganized from the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad in 1877. It was bought by the Northern Pacific in 1900...

, originally built as the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad

Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad

The Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad is the name for two different railroads in Minnesota.-Historic railroad:The Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad was the first rail link between the Twin Cities and Duluth and came into existence in 1863 when financier Jay Cooke selected Duluth as the...

 and later part of the Northern Pacific Railway

Northern Pacific Railway

The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...

.

The trail is named after Willard Munger

Willard Munger

Willard M. Munger, Sr. was a Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from northeastern Minnesota. First elected in 1954, he was re-elected to four more terms before running for the Minnesota Senate in 1964...

, a Minnesota state legislator who devoted his legislative career to trail development and environmental protection from 1954 until his death in 1999. The Munger family owns the Willard Munger Inn near the end of the trail in Duluth.

Alex Laveau Memorial Trail

This segment of the trail connects Carlton

Carlton, Minnesota

Carlton is a city in Carlton County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 862 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Carlton County.Minnesota State Highways 45 and 210; and County Roads 1 and 3 are four of the main routes in the community....

 and Wrenshall

Wrenshall, Minnesota

Wrenshall is a city in Carlton County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 399 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....

, running just south of Jay Cooke State Park, and terminates at Minnesota State Highway 23

Minnesota State Highway 23

Minnesota State Highway 23 is a state highway that stretches from southwest to northeast Minnesota. At in length, it is the second longest state route in Minnesota, after MN 1....

. From there, bicyclists can ride paved shoulders into the Gary-New Duluth neighborhoods of Duluth. Alex Laveau was a former county commissioner who advocated reusing abandoned railways as recreational trails.

Boundary Segment

The Boundary Segment, as its name implies, runs along Minnesota's eastern boundary. It starts in Chengwatana State Forest

Chengwatana State Forest

The Chengwatana State Forest is a state forest located in Pine and Chisago counties in Minnesota. Its name is derived from the , meaning white-pine town, after the nearby ghost town and township...

, runs northeasternly along the St. Croix River

St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota)

The St. Croix River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The lower of the river form the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The river is a National Scenic Riverway under the protection of the National Park Service. A...

 through the St. Croix State Park and into the St. Croix State Forest, and then in a northerly direction through the Nemadji State Forest

Nemadji State Forest

The Nemadji State Forest is a state forest located primarily in Pine County, Minnesota. A small portion of the forest extends into neighboring Carlton County. The eastern perimeter of the forest borders the state of Wisconsin. It is managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources...

 before terminating near Holyoke. This segment of the trail is unpaved, and is intended for snowmobile

Snowmobile

A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...

 and ATV

All-terrain vehicle

An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...

 use, horseback riding, and mountain biking

Mountain biking

Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...

. The area is more remote, and certain areas may be impassable in the summer.