The 54 miles of the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway driving route pass through fourteen different local jurisdictions; eleven are in Crow Wing County and three are in Cass County. Some, like Ideal Township, Timothy Township and the City of Crosslake each have more than 5 miles of the Byway route within their boundaries. Ideal Township, in fact, has the most at nearly 10 miles. Others, like Mission Township and the City of Pine River have less than a mile of the route within their borders.

Each jurisdiction has its own part to play in the daily production we know as the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway. Unlike scripted theater, however, these parts, influenced by so many things, seem perhaps more improvisational. Jurisdictions have stories to share, resources to tout, funding to contribute, people to celebrate, events to market, dreams in progress and unique and special features to add to the overall mix that makes the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway “one of the most highly regarded byways in Minnesota”, according to Mark Anderson, Minnesota Scenic Byways Coordinator.

Through the years, the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway townships and cities have played a vital role in helping the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway Association to promote, protect and enhance this nationally-designated driving route. These jurisdictions:

• provide space for interpretive panel kiosks (which tell the tales of the Byway),

• allow Byway representatives to educate their councils on the Byway’s  varied resources and amenities, as well as on the Byway Association’s activities,

• help coordinate efforts with other governmental agencies to enhance the Byway, through projects like widening the road shoulders for bike traffic,

• assist in the collection of historical information from the Byway region, preserving the stories for future generations,

• include the Byway Association in local celebrations, festivals and events,

• offer links from their web sites to PaulBunyanScenicByway.org, as well as assist in promoting Byway events and activities, and

• some contribute financially to the Byway Association operations, as well as for special projects like the new Paul Bunyan footprints, slated for completion this summer

Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway travels through 14 jurisdictions:
Cities are:
Breezy Point, Crosslake, Jenkins, Manhattan Beach, Pequot Lakes, and Pine River

Townships are:
Barclay, Gail Lake, Ideal, Jenkins, Mission, Pelican, Timothy, and Wilson.

Learn more about the resources and amenities within these local government jurisdictions in Crow Wing and Cass Counties.