Edge of the Wilderness

Minnesota

National Scenic Byway

Map

Byway Details

Designation
National Scenic Byway
Length
47 mi in Minnesota

About Edge of the Wilderness

Edge of the Wilderness is a 46.7-mile scenic drive in northern Minnesota, linking the towns of Grand Rapids, Bigfork and Effie. It carries three designations: National Scenic Byway, Minnesota State Scenic Byway and National Forest Scenic Byway. Part of the route runs through national forest land, and the three towns along it make natural starting, ending and stopping points. Summer is the most comfortable time to drive it. Typical July highs reach about 80°F with lows near 55°F, based on averages from a nearby weather station in Grand Rapids. Winters are severe, with January highs around 19°F. Hiking lies just off the road. The Suomi Hills trail network and the Laurentian Divide Interpretive trail sit about a tenth of a mile from the byway. The Suomi South Side Dispersed Sites offer camping roughly 0.7 miles away, and Trout Lake Trail, a cross-country ski route, is about 1.8 miles off.

Scenic byway data: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: May–Sep. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 66–80°F and lows of 40–55°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Grand Rpds Forest Lab, MN weather station, 1.8 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan19° high-1° low
  2. Feb26° high2° low
  3. Mar39° high15° low
  4. Apr53° high28° low
  5. May66° high40° low
  6. Jun75° high51° low
  7. Jul80° high55° low
  8. Aug78° high53° low
  9. Sep68° high45° low
  10. Oct53° high33° low
  11. Nov36° high20° low
  12. Dec23° high6° low

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Towns along the route
Grand Rapids · Bigfork · Effie

Source: USGS GNIS populated places

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 2 miles of the route, PostGIS distance)

    Edge of the Wilderness — Scenic drive in Minnesota | Roamze