ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has started planning a 400-mile off-road adventure trail that would eventually stretch from Lake Superior to the North Dakota border.

The DNR is working with the National Off-Road Vehicle Conservation Council and the Minnesota 4 Wheel Drive Association in developing the trail, which is popular in Colorado and other western states.

The Border to Border trail will have low speeds and connect with communities and scenic spots, said Mary Straka, the DNR’s consultant.

“So instead of zooming across the state at 55-plus miles per hour, you may meander across the state at 20 mph or less,” Straka said. “The ideal is to provide an adventure touring route that gets people out into our rural parts of Minnesota, connecting in and out of communities, some of our great scenic features, some of our great state food.”

Planners don’t know where the trail will go exactly or when it’ll be completed.

Some segments may open in two or three years, according to Ron Potter, a consultant with the Off-Road Council. He said the next steps will include setting up meetings in each county across the northern part of the state to discuss what’s unique in each area.

“What should we try to tie into this trail?” Potter said. “What underutilized campgrounds should we try to tie in? What history should we try to tie in? We want them to feel like they’re out in the woods.”

A kickoff meeting is scheduled Monday in Grand Rapids with representatives from the DNR, the U.S. Forest Service and others.