Where to Stop While Biking the Heartland State Trail
From north to south, the 49-mile Heartland State Trail connects Cass Lake to Park Rapids, with Walker being just about the halfway point. The multi-use trail is one of the earliest rail-to-trail projects in the country, which accounts for its paved and lightly graded nature.
Running through sections of the Chippewa National Forest and Paul Bunyan State Forest, the trail is marked by grassy meadows, northern hardwood, and spruce fir forests sprinkled with the occasional towering white pine. Views of lakes, rivers and streams are aplenty throughout the Heartland State Trail. White deer and red fox may be seen by land, beaver and muskrat by water, and bald eagle by sky.
Notably, the trail connects to — and shares eight miles with — the Paul Bunyan State Trail, a 120-mile-long paved trail in Walker.
Ojibwe Fisheries
Cass Lake
Ojibwe Fisheries carries and sells Leech Lake wild rice a quarter mile south of Cass Lake, next to the main DRM building. Traditionally hand-harvested for generations by Tribal members of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, the wild rice is wood-parched and 100% natural and organic.
The Leech Lake Reservation is located in the center of Minnesota's wild rice country. The Leech Lake Band uses 40 lakes to produce more wild rice than any other reservation in the state. Revenues from sales go toward purchasing next year’s crop from Tribal members.
Portage Brewing Company
Walker
Described as a destination brewery and taproom, Portage Brewing Company is situated in the Chippewa National Forest off the banks of Leech Lake in Walker. It welcomes bikers, boaters, and locals all year round. The brewery opened in 2017 in Walker’s original hospital, but in 2019, a catastrophic fire almost ended the entire project.
Since opening, the craft brewery has produced more than 240 beers, ranging from sour ales to wood-aged lagers. It specializes in complex, hybrid styles that deviate from the standard IPA (though it does have those, too).
Green Scene Market & Eatery
Walker
Supporting Minnesota purveyors, Green Scene Market & Eatery serves foods made with fresh and local ingredients. Its curated grocery collection includes gourmet chocolate bars, local produce, Minnesota-made treasures, and more. Featuring two spaces — the Eatery & Cocktail Bar and the market and to-go deli — bikers can sit down to enjoy a fire-roasted pizza or grab a made-to-order sandwich for the trail. The dinner menu and craft cocktails change seasonally, using in-season ingredients from local farms.
From June to September, the Green Scene hosts a farmers market featuring a bounty of Northern Minnesota goods, including fresh produce, baked goods, fresh flowers, honey, maple syrup, pork, beef, cheese, kombucha, goat soaps and more.
Paul Bunyan Historical Museum
Akley
The name doesn’t quite say it all. While the Paul Bunyan Historical Museum might suggest that the entire space is dedicated to the American folk legend, the museum contains a collection of pictures and artifacts that portray Akeley’s early history when it was home to the largest sawmills in the state, as well as a time capsule from the high school’s class of 1989.
The museum opened in 1984, and the nearby 60-foot Paul Bunyan statue — unveiled in 1985 during the town’s Paul Bunyan Days — invites visitors to step onto his outstretched hand for a photo.
World’s Largest Tiger Muskie
Nevis
Looking for a way to attract drivers-by to the town of Nevis, a 31-foot tiger muskie sculpture was crafted from cement and debuted in 1949. The muskie was so popular that the city changed its annual festival to Muskie Days and the grassy lot where it stood into a park.
Today, the roadside attraction on Highway 2 features a brighter colorway, a roof over its head, and a toothless mouth that once featured sharp wooden teeth.
Iron Horse Bar & Grill
Nevis
Located inside a converted train station that once served the track that is now the Heartland State Trail, the Iron Horse Bar & Grill in Nevis features an extensive menu. With almost every offering under the sun, from one-of-a-kind burgers and St. Louis-style BBQ that’s smoked in-house daily to local brews and craft cocktails that change seasonally, their “no one leaves hungry” tagline reads like more of a guarantee than a perfunctory marketing claim.
World Famous Mayor Race
Dorset
In the small unincorporated community of Dorset, the self-described World Famous Mayor Race — held at the annual Taste of Dorset outside of the Dorset General Store — has gained the small northern Minnesota hamlet national attention. There are no stipulations on who can throw their name in the hat (quite literally), and entrants simply pay a $1 ballot fee to add a name of their choice. (All proceeds go to support Dorset’s summer events.)
While mayors for the year are chosen at random, there’s no shortage of campaigning to gather public interest and secure an influx of votes for better odds. Past mayors have ranged from a toddler to a golden retriever.
Companeros Mexican Restaurant
Dorset
With the most restaurants per capita (four to its population of 22), Dorset touts itself, in jest, as the Restaurant Capital of the World. In 2014, lightning strikes burned two of the four restaurants to the ground, including the beloved Companeros. The Mexican restaurant was rebuilt and reopened in 2016 with new owners.
Not in the mood for Mexican food? The Dorset Family Restaurant offers home-cooked meals right next door, and 218 Venture Bar and Eatery serves burgers and Italian food at La Pasta Eatery in the Dorset General Store down a block across the street.
Good Life Cafe
Park Rapids
A modern spot in the heart of Park Rapids serving lunch and dinner since 2009, Good Life Cafe ’s seasonal, handcrafted menu has the standard fare you’d expect from a Northern Minnesota cafe and a little more, with adventurous options that take influence beyond state borders. The cafe features a full bar with local craft beer on tap, and touts its Bloody Mary as Queen.
From the food to the hospitality, the cafe’s mission is to provide laid-back comfort and happiness through good eats. Take your pick of seating — a place at the bar, corner booth or garden patio — wherever it is, owners Molly and Luke, who built the cafe from the ground up, invite regulars and out-of-towners alike to make themselves at home.
Red Bridge Park
Park Rapids
Depending on where bikers start, Red Bridge Park is either at the beginning or end of the Heartland State Trail. One acre in size, the park displays sculptures as part of the Park Rapids Sculpture Trail, which stretches into downtown.
Artists are picked annually at a spring competition, and their work is displayed for one year (and available for sale). The 2025–26 season features 12 new sculptures, and for the first time since the trail’s inception in 2018, artists were given a suggested theme (Mississippi Headwaters).
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