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TRAIL REPORTS
[ Please send your report to us! ]
 March
31, 2008
" Rode 3/29 and 3/30 on the state trail near Pike Lake. It was a
bit bumpy, but still lots of snow (2-3' off trail). A few dirt spots
on corners south towards Lutsen, then good again down toward Tofte (on
state trail). Lutsen trails were excellent, with no dirt spots where I
rode. Logging and Forest roads were very good also. Best ride of the
year up there for me. I have a cabin and go quite often to this area. "
See "Options C or
K " for planning this route. Report by Jeff H. -
St. Michael, Minnesota. Send your report
to us!
March
29, 2008
" Started at the Mineral Center Trailhead and rode most of the Grand
Portage Snowmobile Trails. Conditions were excellent, few bare spots
and few riders. Conditions may last into first weekend in April. The
past few years we've ridden these trails into first week of April. "
See "Options D or
E " for planning this route. Report by
Chad Jones/Editor snowmobiletrails.com -
Grand Marais, Minnesota. Send your report
to us!
March
26th, 2008 "
My son and I rode about 80 miles last night (3/25) from Lutsen to
North State Snowmobile Trail, then south to Trestle Inn and back. Best
conditions of the year! Didn't see one other sled! Rode today north on
the State Trail to the Expressway, and on up to the Trail Center
Lodge. 4 inches or so of fresh snow on that route. Rode "G Trail" back
to Devil Track Lake and it was freshly groomed. Saw maybe a dozen
sleds all day. Goofed around quite a bit today and put on 135 miles.
Still enough snow in the woods to get stuck! By far the best riding of
the season! If this was the last trip of the year - it was by far the
BEST! "
See "Options
C or K" for planning this route.
Report by Dave S. - Cloquet, Minnesota. Send your report to
us!
March
15th, 2008 "
Rode the North Shore trail out of Lutsen toward Grand Marais. Then
took the Express Way up to the Mushquash Trail. We then took the
Swamper until it connected with the Gunflint Trail. Took the Gunflint
Trail up to Gunflint Lake and then beyond for about another 15 miles.
In all we put on about 180 miles. The trails were well groomed and in
very good condition. Although a few of the corners were wearing down,
over all there was plenty of good snow. "
See "Options
C or K" for planning this route. Report by
Doug S. - Prior Lake, Minnesota. Send your report to
us!
March
11th, 2008 "
Started at the Devil Track
Lake, rode the Expressway up and stopped for lunch at the Gunflint
Lodge. Continued to the end of the trail at Sag and turned around.
Took the G trail back to Devil Track. 122 miles total. Plenty of snow
but rather disappointed in the grooming. Other than the G trail from
the Expressway intersection down to Devil Track, the trails were
washboard and full of stutter bumps. Not sure when the last time it
was groomed but I heard 5 days ago. Other trips in past years have had
awesome groomed trails, not sure what happened this year.
Still an excellent trip with great weather. I'll be back.
" Editor note: this area is groomed weekly, with the
Lower Gunflint Trail "G Trail" (Poplar Lake to Devil Track Lake),
Mushquash, Clearwater and the Hungry Jack Spur groomed on Mondays. The
upper Gunflint Trail "G Trail" (Poplar Lake to Sag Lake) on
Tuesday, and the
Express Way is groomed twice a week once Tuesday and Friday. See full
Cook County snowmobile trail groomer schedule.
See "Option
C " for planning this route. Report by
Tim M. - Duluth, Minnesota. Send your report
to us!
March
11th, 2008 " Over the weekend,
took the Gunflint & Swamper trails from Devil Track up to Trail Center
at Poplar Lake. Both the G-Trail and Swamper were in great shape for
March. Rode the X-Trail down to Devil Track and saw uniformly good
conditions. Also rode the connector trail from the Gunflint system up
to Grand Portage. Some areas of the Connector Trail have logging going
on and you are sharing the road with an occasional logging truck, but
the snowmobile lanes are well separated from the truck lane. Only
about 8-10 miles of this, the rest was sleds only. A few Icy patches,
but good otherwise. Once actually on the Grand Portage system, the
conditions were superb. The Grand portage trails were really, really
nice. "
See "Options
A, B,
C, D, E,
F" for planning this route. Report by
Dave T. - Duluth, Minnesota. Send your report to
us!
March
9th, 2008
Silver Bay AmericInn to Papa Charlie's Saloon / Lutsen Ski Hill -
Approx. 70 miles.
" We left the Silver Bay AmericInn on spur #158 that goes right from
the hotel to the
North Shore Snowmobile Trail. When we got
to the Lutsen area we turned onto the Lutsen Access Trail and onto the
Mountain Access Trail, and followed the Ski Hill Road / County Road 5
north about a mile & a half to Papa Charlie's, the
Gooney Birds were playing
last night, great music and dancing. Trails were great and we only saw
4 other sledders on the trail and a moose. We stayed at the
Mountain
Inn, right on the Ski Hill Road. "
See "Options K or
H " for planning this route. Report by
Chad Jones / Editor snowmobiletrails.com -
Grand Marais, Minnesota. Send your report
to us!
TRAILHEADS - WHERE TO
LAUNCH
OPTION A - South Brule River Trailhead east
towards Grand Portage 15
miles up the Gunflint Trail / County Road 12 from downtown Grand Marais.
On the right hand side immediately after the South Brule River
bridge is a large unmarked parking lot and snowmobile trail heading north out of parking
area to main junction, then right / east towards Grand Portage.
For
dining and lodging
go to Grand Marais or up the
Gunflint Trail / County Road 12 would be best. Try this one, one
day and the one below the next... Get both maps needed for this route;
Gunflint Trail Map and
Grand Portage Snowmobile Trail Map.
OPTION B - South Brule River Trailhead
south towards Devil Track Lake 15
miles up the Gunflint Trail/County Road 12 from downtown Grand Marais.
On the right hand side immediately after the South Brule River
bridge is a large unmarked parking lot and snowmobile trail heading north out of parking
area to main junction, go left/south over pavement of Gunflint
Trail / County Road 12 and onto the Devil Track Lake area via the
Gunflint Snowmobile Trail. You can also try the Mushquash Trail to
connect to the Expressway, which will hit the west end of Devil Track
Lake. Devil Track Lodge / The Landing Restaurant has lunch and dinner on the east
end of Devil Track Lake. Some days not open until 4pm, call
218.387.9414. Or check out the
dining and lodging Grand Marais. Get map needed for this route;
Gunflint Trail Map.
OPTION C - Devil Track Lake / Old Cook County Runway Access
area 4 miles up the Gunflint Trail / County Road 12 from downtown
Grand Marais, turn left at County
Road 8 / Devil Track Road and go 7 miles to Sky Port Lane / Devil Track
Lodge sign, turn left go 1/4 mile to old runway parking area on right.
Access trail system from Expressway Trail junction, at northwest end
of lake. From there you go north to Mid-Gunflint Trail area or
Mushquash Trail. Devil Track Lodge / The Landing Restaurant has lunch and dinner on
the east end of Devil Track Lake. Some days not open until 4pm, call
218.387.9414. Or check out the
dining and lodging Grand Marais. Get map needed for this route;
Gunflint Trail Map and
Upper
Gunflint Trail System Map.
OPTION D - Mineral Center / Grand Portage
Trailhead Take Hwy 61 through Grand Marais 30 miles to left turn
onto County Road 17 then 7 miles to trailhead on left side of road. Use caution - road is
rough, there are large frost heaves, you will go airborne if you drive
too fast or don't pay attention. This trailhead is marked "Trail
Center," on the Grand Portage Snowmobile Trail Map, we call it "Mineral
Center" Trailhead so it is not confused with Trail Center Lodge, on
the Gunflint Trail / County Road 12. Large parking area and trail signs. I suggest using the trails
east / west or north out of parking area. For dining; the Grand
Portage Lodge has good food. For lodging the Lodge / Casino has
rooms, or the Outpost Motel is on Hwy 61 and you'll drive right by it
8 miles after Grand Marais at mile marker 118.
See all lodging options. Get Grand
Portage Snowmobile Trail Map.
OPTION E - Otter Lake Road
Trailhead Take Hwy 61 through Grand Marais 18 miles to left turn
onto Arrowhead Trail / County Road 16 then 10 miles to unmarked Parking
Lot/Trailhead at intersection of Arrowhead Trail / County Road 16 and
Otter Lake Road. Large parking area and trail signs, with trails going
west towards Gunflint Trail via Esther Lake Forest Road and east towards
Grand Portage Snowmobile Trail System. For dining; the Grand Portage
Lodge has good food. For lodging the Lodge / Casino has
rooms, or the Outpost Motel is on Hwy 61 and you'll drive right by it
8 miles after Grand Marais at mile marker 118.
See all lodging options. Get Grand
Portage Snowmobile Trail Map for trails going east from parking.
Get map for going west;
Gunflint Trail Map.
Dining and lodging in Grand Marais.
OPTION F - South Brule River Trailhead
north towards upper Gunflint Trail System 15
miles up the Gunflint Trail/County Road 12 from downtown Grand Marais.
On the right hand side immediately after the South Brule River
bridge is a large unmarked parking lot and snowmobile trail heading north out of parking
area to main junction, go left / south over pavement of Gunflint
Trail / County Road 12 and onto the "G" Trail south towards Devil Track
Lake area, or go north on "G" Trail or Swamper Trail. You can also try the Mushquash Trail to
connect to the Expressway, then go north or south. Many choices for
dining; south to Devil Track Lake, you can try the Landing Restaurant at Devil
Track Lodge, some days not open until 4pm, call 218.387.9414. or if you go north you can try Trail Center Lodge,
varied hours call 218.388.2214. There is also a Bistro @Gunflint Lodge or Gunflint Pines Resort
has a nice burger and pizza type menu. Or check out
dining Gunflint Trail. Get map needed for this route;
Gunflint Trail Map.
OPTION G - Ontario Canada from Gunflint
Lake This trip takes some advance planning, but is a great ride. 45
miles up the Gunflint Trail / County Road 12 from downtown Grand Marais.
Turn right on South Gunflint Lake Road / County Road 50 and travel one half mile to
left turn into Public Water Access. Entrance to Ontario Snowmobile
Trail System is half way down lake on north side. Trail takes you to
Northern Light Resort, they have fuel and food and then onto
Kashabowie, they also have fuel and food. From there you can stay
overnight, travel on to Atikokan or head back to Gunflint Lake.
Gunflint Lake to Kashabowie is 63 miles. Kashabowie to Atikokan is 81
miles. Atikokan is a full service town. Special border requirements
apply. Check out permit info before
riding into Canada, a OFSC
trail permit is required. Go
to more details. You must possess a
RABC Permit
to enter Canada remotely, there are no stations on this route to stop
and check-in at.
OPTION H - Silver Bay north towards Grand
Marais 55
miles up the North Shore
Drive from Duluth, on the lakeside a few minutes after Silver Bay,
stay / park at Silver Bay
AmericInn.
Spur Trail right out of parking area to State
Trail System. Go east / right onto State
Trail System. You'll need two maps
you can download from our maps page, the
Central North Shore Area Map has Silver Bay and east to the
Cook
County / Grand Marais Lower Gunflint Trail and connection to
State Trail and
Gunflint Trail System. You can also
pick-up good printed maps at many places on the North Shore; Holiday, SuperAmerica, visitor centers, etc...
Silver Bay lodging and dining.
OPTION
I - Starting
in / near Two Harbors
From Hwy 61, drive north on County Road 2 about 8 1/2 miles
to parking and State
Trail System access or ride the 9.6 mile Two Harbors Corridor Trail, which has a trailhead and parking just east of town on Hwy 61.
Trail takes the rider from town to the State Trail. From there you have many
trails to choose from. We suggest staying at the
Two
Harbors AmericInn, they welcome Sledders and have a trail leaving
the parking lot to the spur trail and onto the State Trail System. You can also
pick-up good printed maps at many places on the North Shore; Holiday, SuperAmerica, visitor centers, etc...
Two Harbors lodging and dining.
OPTION
J - Starting in downtown Grand Marais
Head east, up the shore to the Gunflint
Trail / County Road 12 and HWY 61 intersection. [ note the new location
for the Gunflint Trail / County Road 12 is now near the east end of
town, by the Chevy dealer. ] The 6 mile spur to the trail system is on
the east/right hand side of Gunflint Trail/County Road 12. You can also
pick-up good printed maps at many places in Grand Marais; Holiday, SuperAmerica, visitor centers, etc...
Grand Marais is a small town that rolls up the sidewalks pretty
early...plan your dinner before 8pm; after 8 we suggest The Birch Terrace across from
the Rec. Park off of 7th Ave W and HWY 61, The Birch has a late night
pizza and full beverage menu.. Or the Howling Wolf Saloon, which you
probably passed on your way into town, from downtown it is up the hill
a mile and a half on HWY 61 on the left / lake side. The Wolf serves
until 10PM! Get map needed for this route;
Gunflint Trail Map and
Upper
Gunflint Trail System Map. Or if you're going down the shore
you'll need: the
Central North Shore Area Map has Silver Bay and east to the
Cook
County/Grand Marais Lower Gunflint Trail and connection to
State Trail and
Gunflint Trail System
OPTION
K - Snowmobile / Ski / Snowboard - Starting from Lutsen Mountains Ski
Hill Area
This is a great place to stay and play, if some of
your party would like to ski or snowboard while others snowmobile. If
you are only using the Ski Hill Road area as a trailhead or if you have a large trailer please use the
large gravel parking area about a mile and half up the
Ski Hill Road / County Road 5, turn right / east after the
Mountain Inn.
This parking lot fills on weekends. If you only have a small trailer
and are staying on the Ski Hill you may be able to park at your lodging establishment. From the
parking area or any lodging establishment head south / down the Ski Hill
Road to the Mountain Access Spur which
will be on the left side of the Ski Hill Road as you go downhill. This
spur will take you to the Lutsen Access
Spur, which will take you to fuel/food/coffee shop if you go right
to Lutsen. Once in Lutsen you can pick-up the
Fox Trail from the fuel station. If you
go left on the Lutsen Access Spur it
will take you to the North Shore State
Snowmobile Trail or to the Caribou or
Beaver Trails. There are many great places to dine and relax
on / near the Lutsen Ski Hill. Papa Charlie's is our favorite place to
dine and watch live entertainment. It is at the very top turn-around
of the Ski Hill Road / County Road 5, about 3/4 of a mile farther
uphill from the Mountain Inn.
The
trailheads and routes above are a selected few of the numerous places
you can launch from. Most lodging establishments have a spur trail nearby, where you can pick-up the main trail systems
from.
SNOWMOBILE
TRAIL SYSTEMS
North Shore State Snowmobile Trail
From Duluth to Grand Marais, Minnesota the 153
mile long
North Shore State Snowmobile Trail system traverses St.
Louis, Lake and Cook Counties of Northeastern Minnesota, along the
vistas overlooking Lake Superior. The trail system winds its way
through forests and nearby Lake Superior scenic overlooks.
(Requires MN "State Trail" Snowmobile Permit Sticker, this is an
addition to the regular registration.)
More Local North Shore Snowmobile Trails
Duluth Cross Town Trail - West Section 33
miles West area of Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth Cross Town Trail - East Section 12
miles East area of Duluth, Minnesota
Taft Trail North out of Duluth, Minnesota
Pequaywan - Hoyt Lakes Trail 43 miles North out of
Duluth, Minnesota
Two Harbors Corridor Trail 12 miles East end
of Two Harbors, Minnesota
Gooseberry Spur 14 miles
Located at Hwy 61 and Gooseberry River/State Park
Red Dot Trail 37.5 miles East end of Beaver Bay,
Minnesota
Tettegouche Trail 12 miles and Sawtooth Trail 14
miles East of Silver Bay, Minnesota
Moose Walk Trail 20 miles North of Silver
Bay, Minnesota
Tomahawk Trail 85.5 miles North of Little
Marais, Minnesota
Lutsen Trail System 60 miles Between Tofte,
Minnesota and Cascade River State Park
The X Trail North of Cascade River State
Park and leads to the Gunflint Trail System
Grand Marais Downtown Spur Trail 6 miles
Gunflint 'G Trail' Snowmobile Trail System 125 miles
Grand Portage Trail System Over 100
miles of loops, great scenery and well groomed trails.
Ontario Snowmobile Trails from the
Gunflint
Trail / Gunflint Lake / Sag Lake area.
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