Minnesota’s Paul Bunyan Byway packs 54 miles with lakes, pines, and tall tales worth stopping for

It’s tall tales, tall trees and a tower you can climb

North-central Minnesota has a road trip that doesn’t cost a dime to drive, winds through pine forests and past dozens of lakes, and signs the whole way point to a giant lumberjack who may or may not have created this landscape with his boots.

The Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway runs 54 miles through Crow Wing County, and you can knock it out in 90 minutes or stretch it into a full day. Most people do the latter, and once you’re out there, you’ll understand why.

The byway loops through lakes, pines and Bunyan lore

The route is shaped like a backwards letter “E,” branching into separate loops across paved county roads north of Brainerd.

It dips in and out of Crow Wing and Cass counties, passing dozens of lakes, thick stands of pine and birch, and small towns that lean hard into the Paul Bunyan legend. Roadside signs mark the way, so you won’t get lost.

There’s no toll, no gate, no reservation needed. Just fill the tank, point north, and start driving.

Paul Bunyan’s tall tales grew straight out of this landscape

Paul Bunyan is the giant lumberjack of American folklore, and his blue ox is named Babe. The tall tale goes that their enormous footprints filled with water and became the region’s lakes.

That story didn’t come from nowhere. This was serious logging and timber country, and the legends grew out of that work.

Before European settlers arrived, the land was home to the Dakota and later the Ojibwe.

The byway weaves logging history, Native American stories, and resort culture together, with playful Bunyan landmarks scattered along the whole route.

A fourth grader designed Pequot Lakes’ giant bobber water tower

Pull into Pequot Lakes and you’ll spot it before you read a single sign.

A water tower painted like a red-and-white fishing bobber sits above the town, and it’s been that way since 1987. A local fourth grader named Nathan Burns won a town contest with the bobber design, and it stuck.

Local legend says Paul Bunyan left his fishing bobber resting on the tower. The town ran with it.

Their slogan now is “Find the Bobber, you’re there,” and it shows up on signs, bridges and storefronts all over town.

Babe the Blue Ox waits for you down in Bobber Park

Right below the bobber tower sits Bobber Park in downtown Pequot Lakes, and it’s worth five minutes of your time.

A statue of Babe, Paul Bunyan’s giant blue ox, stands in the park alongside a lumberjack chair tied to the bobber legend. It’s free, it’s in the middle of town, and it makes for a good photo stop before you move on.

The bobber theme runs through everything here, and the park pulls it all together in one small spot that families tend to linger in longer than they planned.

Climb 135 stairs to the top of a 100-foot fire tower

The Pequot Lakes fire tower stands 100 feet tall on a wooded hill, and if you’re not bothered by heights, you should climb it.

The Civilian Conservation Corps built it in the 1930s to spot wildfires, and it’s one of the few historic fire towers in Minnesota still open to the public.

From the top, you can see up to 20 miles of forests, lakes and town laid out below you. It sits on the National Register of Historic Places.

The 135 stairs are steep and the platform sways a little, but the view at the top earns it.

The Paul Bunyan State Trail runs 115 miles right through here

The Paul Bunyan State Trail crosses the byway region and runs 115 miles between Crow Wing State Park and Lake Bemidji State Park, which makes it often cited as the longest continuously paved rail-trail in the country.

It follows an old railroad line, so the grade stays flat and smooth the whole way. You can bike it, walk it, or skate it in summer.

In winter, snowmobiles take over.

Trail access points sit right in byway towns like Pequot Lakes, Jenkins and Pine River, so you can park, ride a stretch, and get back on the road.

Stand inside Paul Bunyan’s giant wooden baby boots

The Pine River Information Center holds a pair of oversized wooden baby boots tied to a tall tale about Paul’s family carving him wooden shoes when he was young.

You can step inside them for a photo, which sounds goofy until you’re actually doing it. The center also holds other Paul Bunyan keepsakes worth a few minutes of browsing.

Right next door stands a restored historic railroad depot listed on the National Register of Historic Places, giving the stop a bit of actual history to balance out the fun.

Walk through log cabins frozen in the 1800s at Crosslake

The Crosslake Historic Log Village pulls together old log cabins and buildings moved from across the area, each one set up to show life in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Walk through a general store, a one-room schoolhouse and a town hall, each holding exhibits about the work and daily life of early settlers.

The Crosslake Area Historical Society has run the village since 1975, and in summer, volunteers sometimes lead hands-on demonstrations inside the buildings.

It’s a quiet stop, but the kind that tends to hold your attention longer than you expect.

The byway passes some of the best loon and walleye water in Minnesota

The route runs past the Whitefish Chain of Lakes and many other waters, and this part of Minnesota is serious fishing country.

Walleye, northern pike and panfish draw anglers to Pelican Lake and the Whitefish Chain throughout the summer.

The area also ranks among the best in the country for watching loons, and wildlife management areas along the route have quiet walking trails where you can look for eagles and orioles without driving far off the byway.

The lakes aren’t decorative here. They’re the whole point.

Small towns, antique shops and buried beans tie the route together

The byway strings together Pequot Lakes, Pine River and Crosslake, each with its own reason to slow down. Antique shops, art galleries and Paul Bunyan keepsakes line the main streets.

The Crosslake Dam and recreation area, run by the Army Corps of Engineers, makes a scenic stop. Bean Hole Days, a festival built around slow-cooked buried beans, ties into the Paul Bunyan tales.

Both full-size and miniature golf show up in town too.

Fall colors draw a particular crowd, but the route has something going for it in every season, which is rare for a road trip this easy and this free.

Drive the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway in north-central Minnesota

The byway starts north of Brainerd in Crow Wing County, and you can pick it up in Pequot Lakes or any of the towns along the route.

There’s no fee to drive it, and it runs year-round on paved county roads marked with Paul Bunyan signs.

You can get a route map and visitor information from the official website for the byway or stop at the Pine River Information Center when you arrive.

Plan at least a half day to see the fire tower, the trail and the towns. A full day covers everything.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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