Honest to Minnesota

[TrailPatrol]

There are trails in our state, good trails, that I seem to be the only one riding on. Don't get me wrong; I like the CAMBA trails, and Lutsen is a lot of fun, but we have some real good opportunities right here in Minnesota's two National Forests. And I know it's December now, and sooner or later we may get cold weather again, and maybe even snow, but it's never too early to start planning you next Minnesota mountain biking vacation!

Let me give you some quick examples:

Superior National Forest, Tofte District:
Easy: Pancore Lake Loop, off Sawbill Trail, 12 miles north of Tofte.
Rolling forest roads near USFS Temperance River Campground. Pretty scenery, moose habitat and I saw a wolf on the trail once. 17 miles.

Moderate: Timber-Frear Loop, 17 miles NW of Tofte. Rugged old fire road loop around popular near-wilderness canoe route. Rocky, some moderate hills. Always see moose tracks here, but never the wiley ungulates, themselves. Bring water, food, 10 Essentials. Trout lakes off NW side of loop. (Like 10 feet off!) 23 miles.

Coming soon: Moose Fence area Singletrack. The Backcountry Trail Patrol is working with the US Forest Service, the Lutsen-Tofte Tourism Association and Sawtooth Outfitters in Tofte to develop a new sigletrack loop in the area between Britton Peak Trailhead and Moose Fence Trailhead on the Sawbill Trail, in the area of the Picnic Loop X-C ski trail. Kick-off planned for National Trails Day weekend, June 7, 2003. More details to follow.

Chippewa National Forest, Deer River District:
Easy to Moderate: Simpson Creek Trails, 13 miles of off-road X-C ski trails, open to bikes and hikers ONLY Camping allowed along the trail, with 7 USFS campgrounds in area, three adjacent to Simpson Creek area.

Moderate: Cutfoot Sioux Trail, a designated National Recreational Trail, built and maintained by (and shared with) Minnesota Horse Council volunteers. Beautiful ridgetop singletrack and designated backcountry campsites on NW side of loop. Also 3 USFS campgrounds on the trail. (It passes between two and through one.)

Check out "www.trailpatrol.org" for more info on National Forest Trails in Minnesota.

Also, in the state parks:
Easy to moderate: Split Rock Light House and Gooseberry State Parks on the North Shore. Hint: The good trails are on the north side of Hwy. 61. Maps available at the Ranger station.

For more good rides in our great state, check out "North Country Mountain Biking Guide" by Cindy Storm, Cindy Bijold, et al.

Ride safe,
Hans Erdman

[GearDaddy]

Yes there certainly are many good trails in Minnesota. I wholeheartedly agree that the "North Country Mountain Biking Guide" by the two Cindy's is a good resource too. I have followed many of the trails listed in this book.

As far as out-state Minnesota is concerned some other good out-state trails I've tried out are:

a) Paul Bunyan S.F. near Akeley (a.k.a. Martineau trails)
There's a lot of trails here, and mostly singletrack. Things aren't marked very well, but getting lost can be fun here!

b) Sugar Hills near Grand Rapids
The riding on the X-C ski trails are pretty good, with some good elevation changes going up and down Thunder mountain. Also, there is a considerable trail network off to the south of the X-C trails. It's a bit of an explore to find them all though. You can also ride on the North Country Trail going west through Cass county, but it's a bit grassy and wet in spots.

c) Grand Marais area.
The local bike shop was very helpful in directing me to various loop trails. It's similar to other North Shore trails, i.e. mixture of fire roads, logging roads, and some singletrack. The whole North Shore has tremendous potential, but it's not really the best because it's "too wild", i.e. there isn't that much established trail (yet).

d) Giants Ridge near Biwabik
I think they still allow riding on the X-C trails (off-season of course). There are a lot of adjoining trails in the area too. Not a whole lot of singletrack, but a lot of miles.

e) Wabasha/Winona area
Lots of good loops, albeit none of them are very long. Holzinger Lodge, Snake Creek and many others are worth a visit.

Not to knock Minnesota (hey I was "born and bred" here!), but IMHO some of the Wisconsin trails are superior. Especially CAMBA, Levis-Trow, and Razorback Ridges. Look them up on www.mtbr.com trail reviews for more info.

[SickBoy]

Having raced at Giants Ridge a couple of years ago, I can't really say it's one of MN's "Fat Tire Destinations"....

In fact, it was one long, boring, muddy race. That was about it. I did, however, manage to drop Kurt Lange in the last two miles of that race... lol. ;)

If you're looking for a good place in Minnesota to vacation and get a some sweet singletrack in, Maplelag has gotta be up there. Great hospitality, sweet singletrack... :)

[Paul Bunyan]

Minnesota does have several gems.

My home trails are in the Paul Bunyan State forest. I biked 1300 (MTB) miles last year and 1000 the year before but there are still trails that I have yet to explore. Don't expect tight switchbacks as these trails are designed and maintained by off road motorcyclists. Do expect some tough climbs. Do expect to get lost as the trails are unmarked.

Contact me by e-mail or through the local bike shop in Park Rapids (Northern Cycle) if you want to ride, need directions, information, or advice.