Northern Minnesota Gravel Ride Guide: Cook County Edition

Cook County is home to some of the best gravel riding in the Midwest on long, winding forest roads, rugged jeep trails, and in quiet spaces where cell service fades and loons call across the lakes. This guidebook features 27 hand-picked routes, from an approachable 8-mile ride to an epic that crosses the county from end to end. Each ride includes details like mileage, elevation, and surface conditions, plus firsthand insights from someone who’s ridden every mile (sometimes underbiked).

Whether you're looking for a scenic afternoon ride or a full-on bikepacking adventure, you’ll find loops that travel through birch and pine, pass remote inland lakes, and link together the wild back roads and rugged jeep trails that define gravel riding in Cook County.