The Headwaters 100 is a casual ride. At one time, the Headwaters 100 had a race component along with the ride. Itascatur discontinued the race in 2009.
Registration begins at 7:00 AM, with the official ride time listed as 9:00 AM. You can start the ride at any time, but we encourage you to leave by 9:00 AM so you’ll have time to make the food stops.
- The Century School: 7:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Itasca State Park: 8:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Mantrap Valley: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
- Nevis: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- 42 mile route: Mantrap Valley (at mile 17) and Nevis (at mile 29)
- 75 mile route: Itasca State Park (at mile 21) and Mantrap (at mile 57)
- 100 mile: Itasca State Park (at mile 31), Mantrap (at mile 67) and Nevis (at mile 89)
At Itasca State Park there are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cookies, and oranges with Powerade, coffee and water for beverages; At Mantrap there is wild rice soup and vegetable barley soup, peanut butter and jelly, cookies, bagels, grapes, bananas, and Powerade. At the Nevis stop: cookies, bananas, apple with caramel, trail mix, and various candy bars.
- Century School: 7:00 am – 9:00 am
- Itasca State Park: 8:00 am – 2:00 pm
- Mantrap Valley: 9:30 am – 3:00 pm
- Nevis: 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Volunteers thoroughly mark the route before the ride. You will also receive a map at registration that clearly outlines the separate routes.
If you're registered and riding the Headwaters 100, there is no fee for you to enter the park and ride there during the day time ride hours. (Typically anywhere from 7:00 AM - 6 PM.) If you would like to enjoy Itasca State Park on any other day, there is a $7 day-use fee or a $35/ year fee that will get you into any Minnesota State Park. If you are camping in the park and registered for the Headwaters 100, you'll have to pay the fees associated with using the park's facilities.
All of the roads on the route are paved.
There are some appreciable hills on this ride- very much a rolling terrain. The MapMyRide Headwaters 100 map page has an elevation change screen where you can track the hills and gauge the gain. Basically there is an elevation gain of 1214 feet (ride starts at 1446 feet, the highest elevation is 1651 feet.)
We prefer that you don’t use headphones or TT handlebars. Other than that, you’re free to equip your bike however you are comfortable riding it. Our riders bring everything from road bikes to mountain bikes to crossovers, bike trailers hauling gear or children, and more. Don't forget your helmet!
Please note that speeds on the Heartland Trail should not exceed 20mph for safety reasons, due to the size of the trail and the amount of traffic.
The Headwaters 100 is a family friendly ride, however please keep in mind all protective equipment required for adults is also required for children, especially helmets. Also, our SAG is not equipped to transport small children so you will want to have some support available that can transport your children safely should you find you can't complete the ride.According to the Office of Traffic Safety (MN Department of Public Safety) children 8 and under and under 4' 9" must have a federally approved car seat or booster seat. (Child Passenger Restraint Law: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ots/laws/Pages/child-passenger-safety.aspx)
Yes; we currently have 10 vehicles monitoring the roads and 2 riders monitoring the Heartland Trail from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. SAG vehicles carry a bike pump, first aid kit and a cell phone. The SAG support vehicles are clearly marked in the windshields and on the sides.
Due to advice from law enforcement, Itascatur does not condone riders providing their own SAG support. We communicate carefully with local law enforcement to make them aware of our support vehicles and can't be responsible for extra vehicles and potentially dangerous situations. Our SAG support vehicles are well equipped and trained in the routes. They can get you quickly to a repair station if needed.
There is a drop box at the first and second stops, Itasca Park and Mantrap Conservatory. Your items will be brought back to the Century School for you to pick up after the ride. We do keep a lost and found also, so if something goes missing send us an email: webmaster@itascatur.org.
We do not issue refunds. Itascatur volunteers must anticipate resources and services based on the number of riders who sign up. That service is provided as per the contract formed at registration, and providing it costs the same amount of money whether the person rides or not. We regret that we cannot adjust every rider's fee due to circumstances beyond our control, however the club feels that our registration fees are generously low for the level of services provided. If you choose not to ride the Headwaters 100, please know that your fee directly benefits the Park Rapids and surrounding community as well as community and government projects supported by Itascatur volunteers that benefit outdoor activities in our area. We appreciate your support.
We are awaiting word on the availability of showers and will update this question when a final answer is received. Stay tuned!
There are currently no organizations that host riders overnight, however we do have a nice selection of hotels and local resorts. Two resorts offer our riders discounts for a two night stay: Pine Cone Lodge & Vacation Rentals and Sleeping Fawn Resort and Campground, which is right on the Headwaters route. You can also find out about hotels at the Park Rapids Chamber.
We have moved our registration online through SignMeUp.com. This saves trees, postage and man hours while allowing us to concentrate on other aspects of the ride. You can safely use a credit card or opt to pay by check by going to SignMeUp and logging in. If you have an account it’s a great way to manage all of your event sign-ups. You can also register as a guest.
We do offer same-day registration. However, we strongly suggest pre-registration if you're certain you'll make the ride. Please note: Headwaters 100 logo items will not be available with late registration. Register by Sept 11 to receive your logo long sleeve t-shirt.
Itascatur uses pre-registration to plan resources for the riders, and we would like to encourage you to register early to not only guarantee a t-shirt but also help us plan food and volunteers. Headwaters 100 logo items must be ordered two weeks prior to the event, and picked up on Headwaters 100 event day at the Century School.
Our t-shirts are locally printed this year, and if you would like to purchase one following the ride you may contact Camp 71 Shirts at 928-530-4053. Additional fees may apply.
Long sleeve t-shirts will be handed out to riders the day of the event. No t-shirts will be mailed following the ride.
SignMeUp uses your email address to send a verification of registration. Even if you mail in a registration form, your information is entered into SignMeUp for our record keeping purposes and you will be emailed a verification of registration by SignMeUp. In addition, the distributor for our Headwaters 100 logo items may need to contact you for additional information regarding your order.
All of your information is handled carefully. Itascatur does not use your email address without your permission, and only for the purpose of verification.
We really, really want you to! If you absolutely can't, send a request for a registration form to:Itascatur, PO Box 581, Park Rapids, MN 56470. You can also email webmaster@itascatur.org with your preferred mailing address.
You can confirm your registration by clicking this link: https://www.bikereg.com/Confirmed/50520
Unpredictable at best! We are usually fortunate to enjoy temperatures in the 60s to 70s, however some years have seen rain (and one memorable year had a light dusting of snow!). The bottom line is that fall is usually lovely in Northern Minnesota, but the not guaranteed to be so. Please dress accordingly!
Send me an email: webmaster@itascatur.org or post to our Facebook group. You'll get a speedy reply and your question will be added to the list. Thanks!