Section Two begins with riders leaving Crane Lake and heading south on Crane Lake Road. After four miles of pavement, you’ll take a left on the Echo Trail and begin the 40 mile ride to Ely, MN. The Echo Trail is gravel for all but the last 10 miles and is located just outside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. You’ll be having a great time on the winding gravel road, but don’t miss stopping to look at the lakes along the way. A stop at Lake Jeanette is highly recommended. Along this ride, you’ll pass several entry points where canoe travelers embark for trips into the wilderness. This section of the ride is home to moose, bears, and wolves, so be on the lookout for wildlife. The final ten miles of the Echo Trail is paved, but never fear, it is some of the most fun paved riding you’ll ever do. Enjoy getting your lean on all the way to Ely. Ely is a great town for a stop. There are many restaurant and motel options as well as gas. One attraction totally worth visiting is the International Wolf Center. Here you can learn the history of wolves in Minnesota and see some actual wolves. You’ll head south out of Ely on Hwy 1. This is some very fun paved riding with lots of corners and elevation changes. You’ll continue south on 1 for about 17 miles until you take a left on FR377 where the surface turns to gravel. You’ll be turning onto a number of different roads, but the next 110 miles to Grand Marais will be all winding gravel. There are a number of great places to stop and enjoy lake views along the way. Entering the town of Grand Marais you’ll get your first look at Lake Superior on the GNAR. Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world and the view from Grand Marais really shows the size of the lake. Grand Marais is a fun town with lots of food and hotel options as well as a great municipal campground. Because you’ll be returning to Grand Marais later in this section, one good option is to plan to stay here overnight and leave your gear behind while you ride the portion up to Grand Portage and back, which features some very exciting two-track riding. The portion of this ride from Grand Marais to Grand Portage is not to be missed. The gravel road will get narrower and narrower until you find yourself on Rengo Road, a very fun, hilly two-track road through the Grand Portage Reservation. On this road, you are the guest of the Grand Portage Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa. You’ll eventually arrive at the Pigeon River and the US/Canada border. Joe’s Road takes you back down to Hwy 61 which you’ll ride along the shore of Lake Superior back to Grand Marais and all the way to Duluth, MN, which has a host of lodging and food options. The ride down Hwy 61 to Duluth is beautiful, with multiple state parks, waterfalls and views of Lake Superior. There is a gravel variation for those wanting less pavement time, but be aware that it will add significant time to the trip. Also, the short detour south of Grand Marais that takes you up to the Carlton Peak Overlook is not to be missed, with spectacular views of Lake Superior. Be aware, though, that this is a little challenging with loose rock and rain ruts.