Best ATV Trails in Minnesota Part 2
If our first article on Best ATV Trails in Minnesota didn’t provide enough trails to explore, we decided to provide even more amazing destinations to roll through on your all-terrain vehicle.
Red Top Trail
OPEN: May 5 – October 31
LENGTH: 25 miles
Located between Isle and McGrath, this trail offers a balance of both easy and challenging paths. The main track is wide and sandy, which is perfect for beginners. Those veteran riders who need a boost of adrenaline can venture through the Adventure Trail loop to brave the steep, rocky terrain.
Blue Ox Trail (Voyageur Trail)
OPEN: April 1 – November 30
LENGTH: 74 miles
Located in northern Minnesota, the Blue Ox trail follows an abandoned railroad grade and provides a relatively straight and easy ride. The trail is known for incorporating beautiful railroad trestles across the Little Fork and Big Fork rivers. At its southern end in Lake Bemidji State Park, this trail connects to the Paul Bunyan State Trail at County Road 20. Ideal for viewing wildlife, remember to watch for beavers, eagles, moose, wolves and bobcats.
Chisholm Trail
OPEN: Year Round
LENGTH: 25 miles
The Chisholm Trail links the cities of Chisholm and Side Lake. Rated easy to moderately difficult, it features rolling hills, tight corners, and a backdrop of mature pine and hardwood forests. The ATV-friendly communities of Chisholm and Side Lake offer gas, lodging and food within riding distance from the trail.
Iron Range
OPEN: Year Round
LENGTH: 36 miles
This 3,600-acre park has trails exclusively for ATVs including 4X4 vehicles, all-terrain trucks, and motorcycles. This 36-mile trail is in Gilbert, the heart of Minnesota’s mining country. Trails range from easy, beginner-friendly romps to some of the most difficult riding you’ll find in the state. Iron Range is an ATV playground including mud holes, woods, rocky hills, and more! Gas, restrooms, food, and lodging are all available in town.
Snake Creek ATV Trail
TRAIL OPEN: May 1 – November 1
LENGTH: 13 miles
With trails twisting their way through the bluffs of the Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood Forest, the Snake Creek ATV Trail riding area borders the Mississippi River Valley and serves up some of Southern Minnesota’s most scenic vistas and overlooks. This wooded trail climbs 300 feet along the Snake Creek Valley with sections of the trail reaching to the bedrock, which creates challenging outcroppings and cobbles to traverse on your four-wheeler. This trail is about a 15 minute drive north of the Trout Valley Trail ATV Trail, if you’re looking to visit a similar trail on your all-terrain vehicle.
Trout Valley OHV Trail
OPEN: May 1 – November 1
LENGTH: 9 miles
Trout Valley has challenging ATV trails through tough terrain that skirts the edges of bluffs, yet delivers incredible views of the surrounding Trout, Whitewater and Mississippi River valleys. Nearby towns of Kellogg, Minneiska and Winona offer up food, fuel and lodging, or you can choose the available campsite adjacent to the Trout Valley Trail parking lot. If you want to have a back-to-back adventure on your four-wheeler, travel 7 miles north and try Snake Creek ATV Trail!
Timber Trails
OPEN: April 1 – November 1
LENGTH: 114 miles
The Timber Trails System has five trail sections connecting businesses and other trail systems while providing access to the beauty of Northern Minnesota. Riders along the trail may observe wildlife such as bears, deer, wild turkey, grouse, foxes, turtles, rabbits, ducks, geese, porcupine, wolves and many wild bird species.
Gandy Dancer Trail
OPEN: Year Round
LENGTH: 30 miles
Gandy Dancer Trail follows an abandoned railroad grade that begins in Danbury, Wisconsin, and travels north through Minnesota before looping back east. Connections to OHV trails in the St. Croix and Nemadji state forests, along with a wide variety of landscapes and terrain, make this trail a popular destination.
Soo Line South Trail
TRAIL OPEN: April 1 – October 31
LENGTH: 122.5 miles
This scenic route includes a mixture of woods, farmland, and trestle crossings on the Kettle River and Birch Creek and includes the Northern Pine Riders ATV Trail. The Soo Line South trail connects with the 148-mile Soo Line North ATV Trail, southwest of Moose Lake.
Fourtown-Grygla Trail
OPEN: June 1 – October 30
LENGTH: 170 miles
The Fourtown-Grygle is among the state’s longest ATV trails. Much of the trail system follows county roads, ditch banks and existing trails. County ordinances allow ATVs to operate on the far-right side of the travel lane, but use caution as highway-licensed vehicles share parts of the route.
Mesabi Mountain ORV Trailhead
OPEN: Year Round
LENGTH: 4 miles
Covering some of the state’s most gripping terrain, the Mesabi Mountain ORV trail includes challenging rocky gorges and granite walls as you ride along the Laurentian Divide. Not for the weak of heart, this slow crawl often requires a winch, big tires and friends to help you navigate. Between climbs, riders will find plenty of scenic overlooks where they can stop and take a break.
Agassiz Recreational Trail
OPEN: Year Round
LENGTH: 52 miles
Located near the North Dakota border, Agassiz Recreational Trail offers scenic views of the Sand Hill and Wild Rice rivers. The trail runs along an abandoned railroad grade and alternates through sparsely wooded stretches of iconic Minnesota farmland. This natural-surface trail is multi-use, so watch for hikers, bicyclists and horseback riders. You will also find abundant wildlife such as deer, coyotes and squirrels.
Minnesota provides many amazing trails to explore and adventure with your all-terrain vehicle. From untouched wilderness to muddy playgrounds, there are plenty of paths to get your tires dirty on. If you find yourself on any of these ATV trails this summer, be sure to tag us in your photos on Facebook!
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