Local bikers may want to head down the North Shore for the 13th annual Gitchi Gami Bike Ride on August 17.
The 13th Annual Gitchi-Gami Trail Association North Shore Bike Ride will take place on Saturday, Aug. 17. The recreational bike ride will once again begin and end in beautiful Gooseberry Falls State Park, located between Two Harbors and Silver Bay on scenic Highway 61.
As in past years, riders will be able to choose between 28-mile and 55-mile routes. New this year is a 37-mile option that will give bikers a chance to ride on the new 3.2-mile section of the Gitchi-Gami State Trail between Silver Bay and Beaver Bay that was officially opened with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting in June.
The 28-mile ride option is entirely on the Gitchi- Gami State Trail, from Gooseberry through historic Split Rock Lighthouse State Park to a rest stop at the Beaver Bay trailhead, returning on the trail. The 55-mile option follows the GGST to Beaver Bay and adds a loop north of Beaver Bay on paved county and state roads. The new 37-mile option adds a shorter loop north of Beaver Bay, circling back through Silver Bay and returning on the new trail section. Both of the longer rides return to Gooseberry on the trail.
The ride begins at 9 a.m. Riders are asked to depart by 10:30 a.m. Parking for the ride is in a lot inside Gooseberry Falls State Park. Vehicles will need an annual state park vehicle sticker or a daily vehicle pass (a daily pass will be provided by the GGTA as part of the registration fee).
More information is available on the GGTA website, www.ggta.org. On the website, riders can register for the ride online and can also download mail-in registration forms. Ride brochures with registration forms are also available along the North Shore.
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