You’ll begin the GNAR at Hayes Lake State Park. There is a campground at the park that makes a nice place to spend the night before hitting the route. Be sure to pack insect repellent! Right off the bat you’ll find yourself riding some fun gravel on River Forest Road. This road winds under a canopy and provides a great way to ease into the gravel roads that will follow. You’ll stay on this road until you turn for a short section of the Winner Forest Road and then onto the Faunce-Butterfield Road. A great place to make your first stop is the Faunce Fire Tower, located about 32 miles into the ride. Built in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the 100 foot tower is fun to climb and provides a spectacular view of the surrounding forest. Leaving the fire tower leads to more fun gravel riding on the Stony Corners Trail. A brief stint on Hwy 72 takes you to a left turn on 71st street and another section of fun gravel until you hit pavement again on Hwy 32. You’ll follow this north until you take a right on Hwy11 at Lowman. On your left, you’ll see the Rainy River and on the far side of the river is Canada. You’ll follow the border for a few miles before heading south on Hwy 1, which you’ll stay on until you arrive in Littlefork. Located 112 miles into the ride, Littlefork has a gas station and it’s a good idea to fill up here. There is also a cafe and grocery store in Littlefork making it a great place to stop for lunch. You’ll head east out of Littlefork on Hwy 217 before turning south and getting back on gravel on Old Galvin Lane. A few turns lead to some very fun winding gravel on Budris Road, which will take you east to Hwy 53. You’ll go right on 53 and after a very short stint on pavement, take a left on Sheep Ranch Road. From here it is 50 miles of very fun winding and hilly gravel to Crane Lake. About six miles before you arrive in Crane Lake, you’ll see the right turn for Vermillion Falls. Don’t ride by because the falls really are spectacular. Instead of being a classic waterfall, Vermillion Falls is more of a violent rush of water through a narrow gorge. It’s a short walk from the parking lot and totally worth the effort. This section ends in Crane Lake, MN, which is a gateway to Voyageurs National Park and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. You will see people preparing for trips into the wild in houseboats and canoes. There are several motel and restaurant options in Crane Lake, however there isn’t a campground. If you want to camp, you’ll need to ride a few miles south to the National Forest campground on Echo Lake. Gas is available in town at Handberg’s Marina.