On The Road Again: 5 Motorcycle Trips to Take From Grand Forks

Since North Dakota is home to 1 motorcycle per 19.4 people, you can be assured the area welcomes the familiar sight of motorcyclists passing through their towns and restaurants on tours through the plains. As an avid biker myself, I’ve assembled a list of five regions and destinations within a day’s ride of the Grand Forks area for your rubber to meet the road.

Heading east out of East Grand Forks on Highway 2, you can quickly put some flatland miles behind you as you traverse the agricultural countryside. You can actually see the land change as you climb out of the plains of old Lake Agassiz and into the hilly area of its ancient, rocky shoreline before entering the deciduous forest around Lake Itasca. Here you can rent a canoe, hike the trails, or even kick off your surely hot riding boots and tip toe across the headwaters of the mighty Mississippi River.

If you’d like to make a weekend trip out of the Itasca ride, you can continue from Itasca and into the winding roads of northeastern Minnesota via various routes. You will want to plan your route on your own, but remember to never take the same road twice – there are many to choose from! I suggest my personal favorite, Minnesota State Highway 1 from Ely to Tettegouche State Park. From there, you can ride south along the North Shore of Lake Superior on Highway 61, and witness firsthand the route of the iconic Grandma’s Marathon from Two Harbors to Duluth without even breaking a sweat!

The straight lines of the fields and flat blacktops of the land are a great place to learn to ride on two wheels and put some easy miles on your machine, but we’re neighbors to what I consider to be the most scenic and elegant roads around. Leave the mile markers behind you and enter the “Lakes Region” of Minnesota. Heading Southeast out of the Grand Forks area, you will find yourself in twisties along lakeshore roads between Detroit Lakes and Battle Lake, enjoying burgers and breweries from Nisswa to Walker, and “catching” each of the proud Minnesota fish statues you encounter along the way.

Sometimes you just want to put some miles on your odometer on an open weeknight evening. One such worthwhile destination off the radar of the immediate in-town hustle and bustle is Revelation Aleworks located in Hallock, Minnesota. Bearing north out of town along various routes (such as Minnesota Highway 220), Revelation is a common and popular visitation destination for area motorcyclists to pick up a growler of their regionally famous and loved brews to enjoy upon return home and the kickstand down.

Finally, for one of the last motorcycle trips from Grand Forks we’re going west, young man. Haven’t you been told? Devils Lake is full of twisties, windies, and roads. The Devils Lake Oversees Causeway is built up from the lake itself! You can enjoy various mom and pop diners, the Spirit Lake Casino (if you’d like to take a chance), and word on the street is that a new brewery is slated to open soon in the town proper!

No matter what you ride, where you choose to ride to, or where you’re coming from, I personally hope to meet you to share a ride or a story of the road. If you’d like to meet other motorcycle enthusiasts in the region, the Red River Valley Motorcyclists are always friendly to new members to help put on fundraisers, bike shows, and host good company. I hope you gleaned some ideas for tours within a day’s ride of the Grand Forks area. Ride safely, and keep the shiny side up!