37 FALL 2019 ISSUE 01 / VOL . 01 SNOWGOER . COM
38 run side-by-side . It also offers stops every 8 miles or so , including one in the town of Dorset , affectionately known as the “ Restaurant Capital of the World .” Dorset doesn ’ t offer fuel , but the town lives up to its name and Compañeros offers arguably some of the finest Mexican cuisine around .
A little short of the Heartland ’ s end-point in Cass Lake , we took an alternate route into the Paul Bunyan Forest trail system and onto Trail 53 . Extending across northern Minnesota from Crow Wing State Park to Lake Bemidji State Park , the 115-mile long trail is the longest of Minnesota ’ s state trail systems and the longest continuously paved rail-trail in the country , according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources .
We rode on Trail 53 until it connected to Trail 55 – the Nevis Trailblazers Snowmobile Club from Nevis , Minnesota , actively maintains both trails , which wound and weaved through hilly terrain that provided a slightly challenging ride . The club has nearly 60 members and grooms approximately 245 miles of trails .
Trail 55 led us to our pit stop for the day , which would be the Stompin ’ Grounds Bar & Grill in Akeley , Minnesota . The bustling restaurant had plenty of sleds out front , an entryway with racks for storing helmets and only a table or two left empty when we arrived . Regardless , we were still served promptly with
Numerous trails throughout the Park Rapids area remain open all winter long , often connecting to trails that reach neighboring communities .