Great Northern
Adventure Route.
The GNAR Film
6 days, 7 riders, 1,300 miles. REVER, CFMoto and a few friends take on the first full ride of the Great Northern Adventure Route aboard the new CFMoto Ibex 450.
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6 days, 7 riders, 1,300 miles. REVER, CFMoto and a few friends take on the first full ride of the Great Northern Adventure Route aboard the new CFMoto Ibex 450.
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Beautiful vistas, Great Lakes, small lakes, rivers, waterfalls, forests, beaches, rustic campgrounds, national parks, national forests, state forests, twisty dirt, sand, gravel and paved roads, lefse, cheese curds and pasties: The Great Northern Adventure Route has it all, 1360 miles of riding through three states and some of the most scenic and wild land in North America.
The GNAR takes riders across northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan and through or adjacent to Voyageurs National Park, Superior National Forest, The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness, Ottawa National Forest, Hiawatha National Forest, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, twelve state parks, and the shores of Lakes Superior, Huron and Michigan.
In order to make the route more manageable, we've divided the route into six sections. These sections are not designed to be ridden in a day, but instead have endpoints with reliable cell service to allow for loading or editing the next section.
A list of campgrounds is provided for each section. Make the GNAR yours by choosing your own stopping points! Using the REVER app and the linked maps, you can add side trips, lengthen or shorten the route, or ride it in either direction. The GNAR is your adventure to alter and customize! Share your ride, changes, discoveries, experiences and photos with other riders on the REVER app.
01
Section
Section One takes riders through the peatland forest of northern Minnesota before ending in Crane Lake, gateway to Voyageurs National Park and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
02
Section
On Section Two, riders will experience the lake country of northern Minnesota, riding just outside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and along the shore of Lake Superior. This section is a very long one and it is highly recommended that you don’t try to ride it all in a day!
03
Section
This section takes you out of Minnesota, over the hills and through the woods of northern Wisconsin and into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
04
Section
This section takes riders through the forests and along the coast of the beautiful Keweenaw Peninsula with great dirt roads, twisty pavement and spectacular views of Lake Superior.
05
Section
This section takes riders on fun dirt roads through the forests of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with a brief food and fuel detour to the college town of Marquette before getting back on dirt and ending in Munising.
06
Section
This section takes riders through Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and includes some moderately challenging sand roads before finishing the ride at the Mackinac Bridge in St. Ignace, Michigan.
Behind every route, a partnership that propels every journey, hand in hand, wheel by wheel
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Stephen Wisner has worked as a fly fishing guide, avalanche controller, commercial fisherman and high school English teacher. In 2014, along with a friend, he rode a motorcycle from Sault Ste. Marie, Canada to Valparaiso, Chile. He has also ridden ADV bikes to the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec and all around the American West. He designed the Great Northern Adventure Route to showcase the beauty of the Upper Midwest. He lives with his wife, children and stepchildren in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Glad you asked, the GNAR or Great Northern Adventure Route is a curated adventure route on mostly dirt roads that span across the upper reaches of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It begins at Hayes Lake State Park in Northern MN and ends at the Mackinac Bridge in MI.
The full route is around 1,300 miles. The route has also been broken down into six sections that start and end at bigger towns. The route does not have to be ridden in these set sections.
Great question, this depends on the size of the group, pace, and how much you want to stop for notable points-of-interest. Our crew did it in 5 days while filming, but the final section was a big push to finish. Our suggestion would be to allow for 6-8 days to fully experience the route.
The GNAR passes through many small towns with ample opportunities to fill up. You won’t need to go more than 150 miles, so if your bike requires less than that, bring some extra fuel.
Although the name suggests it is gnarly, this route is quite tame. Like any adventure, you can expect a challenging section or a few, but for the most part, this route features beautiful views, cool canopy cover, and wide gravel/dirt roads.
After the thaw! This route would be most ideal from late June to mid October. That being said, each year differs so take that into consideration.
Whether this is your very first adventure trip or you are a seasoned veteran, this route is wildly awesome, but approachable. You can expect to reach some remote regions that most folks have never experienced nor ever will, you will visit small, quirky towns and find neat points-of-interests along the way. The route rides along Lake Superior, but dives into the forests and along many other lakes along the way.
There are many remote sections of this route, in addition to your typical clothes and camping supplies, it’s essential that you have the proper tools, tubes, patch kits, etc to fix your bike if something goes wrong.
You can easily do both on the GNAR. There are ample remote and managed campsites along the way as well as small Inns. If you plan to ride a section on the weekend, we recommend booking a site or room in advance.
Ya, you betcha. Be prepared with spray and cover.
Just like the spelling of REVER, it goes both ways! The route can be ridden either direction, when you launch the route as “Follow Route Line,” you can use the static line on the map to follow along either way.
