Hi rugnuts, Lucky for me that I'm in 'northern' Minnesota when it comes to the trails.

If you're ever up in the area, I really enjoy the 'Thistledew' trail for a long relaxing trail ride. There are several nice lakes to see, picnic areas, some shelters with fire rings and a nice parking area. Not much for technical challenges but it's an enjoyable place to ride.

If you're up on the North Shore the Red Dot/Moose Run trail is fun. There are lots of terrain changes, some mud and lots of red goo (you're on the Iron Range) to drive through. You get to see some of the North Shore and lots of old mining areas along with plenty of tall pines. The trip up to Finland is a blast. A little more technical in places.

Round River trails are strewn with narrow sections and a fair amount of fallen trees after windy days but it's a fun ride if you like lots of twists and turns. Lots of elevation changes and there's a nice bar & grill near the trails for lunch or dinner. I've been down there many times and enjoy it more every time.

Moose River is great but what makes it even greater are the trails that attach to it by the efforts of the Over The Hills Gang ATV club. They've worked extremely hard to build and maintain a full network of trails for everyone to enjoy. They've published excellent maps and the members are very proactive in the care, maintenance and control of the trails so that a few idiots don't ruin it for the bulk of the users. You can ride the Moose River trails and then travel down to Outing & Emily, MN for lunch and fuel. There are over 100 miles of combined trails and it's one place you have to try.

Red Top has a little more of a technical side (in places) but it's not tough to ride. I've only been there once but it would be fun to go back for another ride sometime, I really enjoyed the elevation changes and the interesting forest areas.

That's my synopsis of a few 'northern' trails. I'd still like to get over to Spider Lake, Blind Lake (near Aitkin) and the new '70-mile' trail opening up this summer.

 

thank you for the excellent trail info.
i'll definitely work on checking those trails off the list in the upcoming future:biggthumpup:

Round River trails... there's a nice bar & grill near the trails for lunch or dinner. I've been down there many times and enjoy it more every time.

are these the trails in Paul Bunyan SF where you take off north out of Akeley? is the bar n grill called watering hole or something like that? i've talked to two different parties down here while riding who were raving about this place/trails.

 

how far are you from la crosse wi?

 

2.5 hours to the border
i was just over by winona last weekend. went to "snake creek" "trout valley" and "chatfield" trails.

 

I will put my vote on spider lake! Still want to try some more of those "Northern Trails" also. CC Andrews is my back yard pretty much.

 

Hi Guys, is there a good map of where all these ATV trails are in MN? I live in the Ssuthern metro but have my wheeler stored at the cabin on the east side of Leech Lake. I'm just loking for some new and fun places to ride anywhere in the state.

 

OHV trail locations map: Minnesota DNR

 

Thanks rugnuts!

 

Red Top ATV Riding Trails!

It's not quite in southern MN, but it sounds like you don't mind a hike.

Red Top ATV Trails are my favorite! They're sandy, well groomed and really fun.

It's about 100 miles SE of Duluth, smack dab in the middle.

There's some good camping in the area too, if you don't want to make that drive in a day.

Don't take my word for it! These guys called it one of the best ATV trails in MN.

Have fun!

 

I have to agree with Red Top. The wife and I have been going there several times a year since we got our machines in 2008. With all the loops in there, you can ride around all day and not get bored of it. Unless you are looking for super difficult and technical stuff, there's something for pretty much everyone there. Great place to take the family riding.

You can park in Isle or McGrath and take the Soo Line Trail to the entrance to Red Top. If you want to make it a weekend trip, the trails also connect to the Snake River Campground off of Hwy 65. There's also an "unofficial" parking area right off 65 by the campground that a lot of people use because it's closer than going down the Soo Line.

 

I am a new member, but thought that I could add my two cents in.

If you don't mind crossing the boarder to ride, you should try the trails in northern WI, I live in Superior, just across the bridge from Duluth and camp in Iron River, WI. There are thousands of fantastic trails from there up to Lake Superior and down as far as Hayward and there are plenty of places to stop for food and gas.
Good luck finding the spot to ride and have a safe trip.
Mike,
07 Sportsman 700efi
05 Sportsman 400

 

Let me know if you need riding friends when you head up north, we ride soo line, spider, redtop, and several other trails and always open to new ones. HAVE TRAILER WILL TRAVEL..

 

when I was in college I thought the Blue Ox Trail would be a fun one to bike up

I tried it and found out the paved trail ended at Co Rd 20... after that it was a loose gravel/sand ATV trail. it's a straight shot, but a long one, and there is a lot of nice scenery out there. I've biked all over the paved portion of the Blue Ox and Paul Bunyan trails. that would be a fun one to drive up with the ATV! it actually starts just north of Lake Bemidji not at Funkley like the DNR website lists. that's just the first town along the trail. you could probably park at Beuna Vista or near there. and go from there.

 

East Central MN... St. Croix State Forest- 15 miles East of Hinckly. Keep ya busy for a half day. Chengwatana State forest is cool but not a lot of miles. Paul Bunyan State Forest in Aklely is great on bikes. Havent tried atv yet.

 

Blind Lake ATV Club | Come Join Us For A Ride In The Wild

Go to the trail page on their web site and see a great trail. 29 miles long one way to the Soo Line. Then you can keep going either north or south..