Duluth, Minnestota

[camera84]

Greetings,
I have a couple of friends who are preparing a tour from Munising, Michigan to Portland, Oregon as an awareness tool and fundraiser to fight breast cancer.  They will be passing through the Duluth, Minnesota area enroute to the North Tier, meeting it in Grand Rapids,MN.  My question today is seeking suggestions of how to get through/around Superior,Wisconsin/Duluth,Minnesota but stay near US 2.
Any suggestions?

Please visit
www.annariverpedalers.org
www.pedalers4acure.org

[PaulEhlers]

There is a pedestrian bridge across the St Louis River.  The upper part is for cars and bikes aren't allowed but the lower part allows pedestrians and bikes.  Its called the Bong bridge and is part of US 2.  Good luck

[MTK]

The Richard Bong Bridge is actually the only way to get from Superior to Duluth.  There are a couple of good resources, one is a Duluth-Superior cycling map which you can find online (http://www.ardc.org/mic/bikemap/opening.asp)

Second, the Wisconsin DOT has an excellent set of maps by county specifically for cycling.

I used both of these resources extensively last year when I soloed from Pittsburgh to Ely, MN.

BTW, the steepest hill I faced on that trip was climbing out of Duluth.  It's a bear.

[TwoWheeledExplorer]

Actually, there are two other bridges between Superior and Duluth: The Blatnick Bridge (I-535) which, if memory serves me right, has a walk/bikeway on the sides, and the Hwy. 39 bridge from Gary/New Duluth to Superior, off of US Hwy. 23, and MN Hwy. 39, which is Central Ave./Hwy 105 in Superior.

County Rd. 3 off of Hwy 23 is probably the easiest road out of Duluth. It is still a hill. Duluth is down in a glacial valley like most of the cities on the south end of New York's Finger Lakes. But it is not as steep as going up Mesabi St. or Miller Hill Rd.

You betcha!
Hans

St. Brendan's Travelers Bicycle Missions Team
www.stbrendans-spoke.org

[camera84]

Thanks for all of your replies. They have been helpful.  I am not sure of the route that Todd and Rob have settled on.  But they do have your suggestions as well as a look from Google Earth.
Thanks again,
Scott

Please visit
www.annariverpedalers.org
www.pedalers4acure.org

[freightbike]

Take the Munger trail out of west duluth. It's a railroad grade so it's long but scenic and REALLY easy

May the wind at your back always smell like home.
                  MORG

[wildandcrazy]

My wife and I live in Bay City and toured around Superior last year (2008).  We went through Munising.  The Bong Bridge at Superior/Duluth was a great experience.  It is very high, very long, and very safe.  There is a separate path that is walled off from traffic.  We posted the tour on CGoB "Lake Superior - Clockwise".  Hope the info helps your planning.  Day 34 and 35 have pictures of the bridge. 

[tomdett]

What is GCoB?

My wife and I live in Bay City and toured around Superior last year (2008).  We went through Munising.  The Bong Bridge at Superior/Duluth was a great experience.  It is very high, very long, and very safe.  There is a separate path that is walled off from traffic.  We posted the tour on CGoB "Lake Superior - Clockwise".  Hope the info helps your planning.  Day 34 and 35 have pictures of the bridge. 

[jfitch]

"GCOB" is a typo -- should have been "CGOB" for crazyguyonabike.com. There are literally thousands of bicycle tour journals there, plus a very active touring forum, classifieds, product reviews, etc, all related to bicycle touring.

Jim