February 8, 2010  Rode from Lutsen up to Rydens Border Store plowing through 6-12 " of fresh powder.  The Grand Portage snowmobile trails were a blast with some of the best views you can find in Minnesota.  Stopped at Lakewind General Store at Devil Track Lake for maps and info, the people there are great.  On the way back we rode up the Gunflint to Hungry Jack Lodge.  New place is sweet, but the spur trail leaves a little bit to be desired. The off trail riding is as good as you can ask for. Report by Mark B., Northfield, Minnesota. See trailhead options  K or M for planning this route. Send your report to us!

February 4th, 2010 We rode the north shore state trail on Wed Feb 4th from south of Two Harbors to Finland. Then rode to Isabella and then down to the Brimson trail and south back to our cabin. 190 miles and the trail were great!!! All of them were smooth and lots of snow. The DNR lists the trails as good but they are very good to excellent.  Report by Jon W., Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. See trailhead option I for planning this route.  Send your report to us!

January 27th, 2010 Stayed at Devil Track Resort 1-22-2010 through 1-25-2010
Trails were in fair condition on Friday and Saturday. Friday went to the Trestle Inn via the North Shore State Trail and Tomahawk Trail. North Shore Trail was rough but rideable with some dirt spots. The Tomahawk Trail was freshly groomed and great. Saturday took the Gunflint Snowmobile Trail System / Swamper Trail to Hungry Jack Lodge for lunch (great new lodge MUST SEE!!) then to the Gunflint Lodge and back down the trail to the Trail Center for supper and Expressway back to Devil Track. The trails were a little low on snow with some rocks but rideable. THEN THE SNOW CAME SATURDAY NIGHT!! Sunday rode the North Shore State Trail again to the Schroeder shelter and built a snowman. 10-11 inches of fresh snow on newly groomed trail with the woods flocked with snow. What a sight!! Took the North Shore State Trail back and headed up the Gunflint again with 12-14 inches of fresh snow. What a ride!! Very little traffic the entire weekend. Maybe 10-12 sleds on Saturday and 4 sleds on Sunday and Monday. Trails got the snow they needed!! Looking forward to our next trip back in two weeks.  Report by Mike S., Aitkin, Minnesota. See trailhead option C for planning this route.  Send your report to us!

January 25th, 2010 Headed out @noon to verify snow depths up along Grade/Forest Road 153. Headed out on Tofte trail from home and found very little snow along lakeshore up to Carlton Peak. Snow accumulations were getting better, around 6-8" by the North Shore State Trail. Then headed north on Wringer Lake road and found only one track and great riding, once to the "Grade" there was about 11-13" of heavy wet snow and great riding. Over to Trestle Inn and snow was plentiful! Played around on various logging roads in area then back on State Trail which had more traffic and back up to Grade and broke trail down Wringer Lake road, which was a hard ride due to all the brush heavy with snow and ice in trail, after spending a lot of time clearing trail to pass through, made it back to State Trail and headed for home. All in all a great day to be out in new snow and little traffic. Groomer will be out on Thursday if not earlier for trail packing for Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon which starts this Sunday, so keep your sled to the right and watch your speed if riding during the race!! Happy sleddin'. Report by Blake N., Tofte, Minnesota. See trailhead option O for planning this route.  Send your report to us!

January 25th, 2010 Devil Track Lake to Tofte via North Shore State Trail... day started out at 38 degrees, around 11am wind picked up and temp has dropped 10 degrees. Great trail conditions if you like powder and ungroomed trails. Trees flocked with snow and fresh deer and wolf tracks on trails. We ran into only one other sledder. On the way back to Devil Track Lake the howling wind starting to make some nice drifts. Trail should be groomed to Caribou Trail today and then from Caribou Trail to Grand Marais tomorrow. Some great sledding this week with all the fresh snow! We put 76 miles on with some sorties into the deep backwoods powder and lake shredding, was very difficult to take pics with blowing snow, poor light... image at top right of page and image below are from today. See trailhead options C, J, K, M, N, or O for planning this route. Report by Chad Jones / Editor snowmobiletrails.com - Grand Marais, Minnesota. Send your report to us!

January 16-17th, 2010 I didn't use hand warmers the ENTIRE weekend.  My cousin and I rode over 150 miles on 1/16/10.  We started in Two Harbors, took the North Shore Trail and Yukon trail to Isabella.  The trails had plenty of snow, but the warm weather made for more drag and fuel consumption.  We fueled up (along with 20 other sleds) in Isabella at the Knotted Pine and headed to Finland for food. Trails surrounding Finland were rather bumpy, but we rode back to Two Harbors Saturday night.  Overall, it was a great day for snowmobiling.  Awesome weather again on Sunday.  We took the North Shore Trail to Dixie's to watch the Vikings beat the Cowboys with other snowmobilers.  After the game we made about a 100 mile loop.  We took the Yukon Trail to the Brimson Trail.  The Brimson trail had deep snow and was beautiful through the trees.  We took the Brimson west and than headed south back to Two Harbors.  Great weather, great riding, great football game, and a GREAT weekend. Report by Adam O., Belle Plain, Minnesota. See trailhead option I for planning this route.  Send your report to us!

January 17th, 2010 We rode the trails out from Tofte from Dec 26th thru Jan 8th.  There was only a couple inches on the shore, but 18" - 20" 5 miles over the hill.  The trails were beautifully groomed and the powder fresh.  The State Trail was groomed every day. Report by Jay S., Stillwater, Minnesota. See trailhead option O for planning this route.  Send your report to us!

January 7th, 2010 Devil Track Lake to downtown Grand Marais... bright sunshine and cold, we left Devil Track lake midday to checkout the spur trail from downtown Grand Marais that connects to the North Shore State Trail. Decent trail conditions with some snirt and a few bare spots, but pretty darn good base exists on the State Trail towards Lutsen. The spur from downtown was in fair shape with the poorest section being the first mile or so from downtown, once you're north of the Gunflint Trail / County Road 12 conditions really improve. On the other hand the trail into downtown to lodging and fuel is the best we've seen it in years. If your considering staying in downtown Grand Marais the trails out of town are rideable up to the State Trail. See trailhead options C or J for planning this route. Report by Chad Jones / Editor snowmobiletrails.com - Grand Marais, Minnesota. Send your report to us!

January 3rd, 2010 On Saturday, December 26th, I ventured out of Silver Bay, got on around 60 miles.  None of the trails had been groomed so I had to follow other tracks, and there weren't many.  Whenever I stepped off the track I was riding, I found the snow went up past my knees.  I got into the Moosewalk, then back on the North Shore State Trail, it was fun to get out.  Many of the snow filled trees were bent over into the trail, you had to dodge them, and many were hard to avoid.  The next day, Sunday, my friend and I went out of Two Harbors, the lot had not been plowed out so we parked on the road, we went up the Yukon Trail several miles until we met up with the guys who were running the groomer.  Lots of small branches were prevalent, and they were trying to clear off the excess overhangs as well as trying to smooth out the two feet plus of fresh snowfall.  Quite a job.  We backtracked a bit, tried heading towards Hugo's along the Brimson access, but ran out of tracks to follow, so we turned around, went into Dixies, then hit the North Shore State Trail for a bit.  Again, no groomers had been on the North Shore State Trail. We only saw a few sleds out.  Put on over 45 miles.

Saturday, January 2nd, we'd heard the groomers had been out all week, and we were anxious to try some early season trails.  We started at the highway #2 lot out of Two Harbors, the lot was plowed, but empty, except for three other trucks.  Temps were hovering around zero.  The trails were great, some places had a little build up in the middle where the groomer left a ridge, but they were fairly hard, flat and fast.  We followed the North Shore State Trail until we got to Silver Bay, and it seemed at every new turn, there was a perfect picture postcard scene awaiting.  It was so beautiful, the sun was out, the air was cold, and the sleds were running great.  As soon as we reached the Moosewalk turn-off, we went in, but the conditions there were not as good as I'd hoped, they were a little beat up, still extremely picturesque, but a little rougher than usual.  Quite a few branches overhanging still, but LOTS of snow.  We got back on the North Shore State Trail , which was in great shape, got some gas in Finland, followed the Baptism trail to the North Shore State Trail , and flat out boogied until we got up to the intersection onto the Tomahawk, and followed it up to the Trestle Inn.  That part of the Tomahawk was as good as I have ever seen it, other than the one big bump right by the swamp entrance, and a few whippy brush branches dangling on one small stretch, the trail was superb.  We had a great lunch at the Trestle.  I counted 22 sleds in the parking lot when we left.  We went back down south along the North Shore State Trail , and the cameras were also in high gear, as the sights were utterly dazzling. We got around 135 miles on.  If anyone likes to see some fantastic outdoor stuff, this is a great time to get out to view and enjoy some of the most spectacular trail riding in the state!! Report by Dick T., Duluth, Minnesota. For trailhead in Two Harbors see trailhead option I. For trailhead in Silver Bay see trailhead option H, for planning these routes.  Send your report to us!

January 2nd, 2010 Our trip started on Dec 29 at Devil Track Lodge.  We stayed there and rode in and out.  Fabulous accommodations and great staff.  We rode the freshly groomed Gunflint Snowmobile Trail System for a short loop as one of the four in our party was new to riding.  Trails were typical for early riding, with some twigs and brush sticking up, but were in pretty good shape considering.  Watch for big bumps where the groomer picks up and sets down.  The state trail wasn't groomed till 12/31, and it had some of the same issues with twigs etc, but was like butter smooth.. All in all a great ride and a good first trip for our rookie (way to go Lauren).  All I can say is the hot tub at the Devil Track was a welcome sight each night.  We also made a trip up to the Hungry Jack Lodge for lunch.  What a beautiful brand new place they have there.  Absolutely worth the ride!!  When we headed home on New Years Day, we felt lucky to miss the newly arrived cold.  Whew!  Great way to start the season off.  Thanks for the tips on the lodge and great trails.  We'll be back soon!!  Report by Neal L., Shoreview, Minnesota. See trailhead option C for planning this route.  Send your report to us!

To see more trail reports; go to our archived trail reports.

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 and Lake Superior. This is an inland trailhead. 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. Please only park on one side of the Gunflint Trail / County Road 12 if parking lot is full. 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. From the parking area to Grand Portage Lodge / Casino about 47 miles one way. Fuel, food and lodging available in Grand Portage. Minnesota State Snowmobile Trail Permit is needed for these trails except the Grand Portage Native Lands.

OPTION B -  South Brule River Trailhead south towards Devil Track Lake 15 miles up the Gunflint Trail / County Road 12 from downtown Grand Marais and Lake Superior. This is an inland trailhead. 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. Please only park on one side of the Gunflint Trail / County Road 12 if parking lot is full. You can also try the Musquash 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. From the parking area to Devil Track Lake about 11 miles one way. Food and lodging available on Devil Track Lake. Minnesota State Snowmobile Trail Permit is needed for these trails.

OPTION C - Devil Track Lake / Old Cook County Airport Trailhead From downtown Grand Marais find Gunflint Trail / County Road 12 located off of HWY 61 near east end of town next to Chevy dealer. This is an inland trailhead. Go 4 miles up the Gunflint Trail / County Road 12 from downtown Grand Marais, turn left / west at County Road 8 / Devil Track Road and go 3.5 miles to Devil Track General Store, then it is only 1/4 mile to Sky Port Lane / Devil Track Lodge sign, turn left here and go 1/4 mile to old airport runway parking area on right. There are two choices for trail access here. One is lake surface to trail junctions or sled back to Devil Track General Store along roadway to spur trail leading to G Trail. ( You just passed it right before you turned onto Sky Port Lane.)  Access lake surface right next to "The Landing Restaurant" part of Devil Track Resort, there is a beaten trail right down to lake, [ use caution as you go thru backyard of resort and around docks near lakeshore ]. This trail takes you to a marked lake surface trail junction, you now have two options; west or southeast. Going west across lake 6 miles to Expressway Trail junction, and onto the trails west towards Lutsen via North Shore State Trail or north on Expressway Trail to the Gunflint Snowmobile Trail System. If you go left / southeast at lake surface junction, lake surface trail takes you to the Gunflint Snowmobile Trail System. From there you go north to Mid-Gunflint Trail, Musquash Trail, Swamper Trail, Grand Portage Trails or the upper Gunflint System. Read story and see images about this trailhead and trails. 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.  Minnesota State Snowmobile Trail Permit is needed for these trails.

If you go southeast you'll need the; Gunflint Trail Map and Upper Gunflint Trail System Map. From the parking area to Mid-Gunflint Trail / Poplar Lake / Hungry Jack Lake about 25 miles one way. Food, fuel and lodging available on Poplar Lake, lodging and fuel available on Hungry Jack Lake. From Mid-Gunflint Trail area to Gunflint Lake add 16 miles one way. Food, Fuel and lodging is available on Gunflint Lake. Add another 14 miles one way to the end of the Gunflint Snowmobile Trail near Sag Lake. Minnesota State Snowmobile Trail Permit is needed for these trails.

If you go west you'll need the; Central North Shore Area Map. From the parking area to North Shore State Trail about 8 miles one way. About another 12 miles to downtown Lutsen via Lutsen Access Trail for Food, fuel and lodging. Take Mountain Access off of Lutsen Access Trail to food and lodging on the Lutsen Ski Hill area. Minnesota State Snowmobile Snowmobile Trail Permit is needed for these trails.

OPTION D - Mineral Center / Grand Portage Trailhead Take Hwy 61 through Grand Marais 30 miles to left turn onto County Road 17 then about 5 miles to trailhead on left side of road. This is an inland trailhead. 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 area 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. Food, fuel and lodging available in Grand Portage off HWY 61 and near Lake Superior. 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. From Mineral Center parking to Grand Portage is about 5 miles one way. Another twist to this area is Option L below, starting at the Grand Portage Lodge and Casino trailhead and parking. Fuel and food is available in Grand Portage by driving about a mile further on HWY 61 from the Mineral Center Road. Read story and see images about this trailhead and trails. Minnesota State Snowmobile Trail Permit is NOT needed for trails on Grand Portage Native Lands.

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. This is an inland trailhead. Large parking area and trail signs, with trails going west towards Gunflint Snowmobile Trail System via Esther Lake Forest Road and east towards Grand Portage Snowmobile Trail System. Please only park on one side of the Arrowhead Trail / County Road 16 if parking lot is full. For dining; the Grand Portage Lodge has good food. For lodging the Grand Portage 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. About 20 miles to Grand Portage one way and about 20 miles one way east to the Gunflint Snowmobile Trail System. Closest food and fuel is in Grand Portage. Minnesota State Snowmobile Trail Permit is NOT needed for trails on Grand Portage Native Lands.

OPTION F -  South Brule River Trailhead north towards upper Gunflint Snowmobile Trail System 15 miles up the Gunflint Trail / County Road 12 from downtown Grand Marais and Lake Superior. This is an inland trailhead. 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. Please only park on one side of the Gunflint Trail / County Road 12 if parking lot is full. 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 a lounge and Bistro with large menu @Gunflint Lodge or Gunflint Pines Resort, both on the south side of Gunflint Lake, has a nice burger and pizza type menu. Or check out dining Gunflint Trail. Get map needed for this route; Gunflint Trail Map. Food, fuel and lodging available on Poplar Lake, lodging and fuel available on Hungry Jack Lake. From Mid-Gunflint Trail area to Gunflint Lake add 16 miles one way. Food, Fuel and lodging is available on Gunflint Lake. Add another 14 miles one way to the end of the Gunflint Snowmobile Trail near Sag Lake. Minnesota State Snowmobile Trail Permit is needed for these trails.

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 and Lake Superior. This is an inland trailhead. 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. This route is part of the Circle Tour of the Boundary Waters and Quetico. Read story and see images of this incredible snowmobile journey.  You must also possess a RABC Permit to enter Canada remotely, there are no stations on this route to stop and physically check-in at.

OPTION H -  Silver Bay up the shore 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. This is a trailhead close to Lake Superior and can be affected by rain and/or sun melting snow. May have to use trailhead inland, call lodging to confirm spur trail is useable. 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. This route is about 93 miles one way. Food, fuel and lodging available in the Silver Bay area, Tofte, Lutsen area or in downtown Grand Marais. If you're looking for a long day ride this is a great route, this is our favorite one. We start in Grand Marais and ride to the AmericInn Silver Bay... they have a pool and waterslide, very nice after a day on the trail. Don't forget the swimsuit! Minnesota State Snowmobile Trail Permit is needed for these trails.

OPTION I -  Starting in / near Two Harbors 23 miles up the North Shore Drive / HWY 61 from Duluth is Two Harbors. This is a trailhead close to Lake Superior and can be affected by rain and/or sun melting snow. May have to use trailhead inland, call lodging to confirm spur trail is useable. Go through downtown and take left / north turn onto County Road 2, drive north on CR 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 North Shore 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. Food and fuel available in many places in Two Harbors. Minnesota State Snowmobile Trail Permit is needed for these trails.

OPTION J -  Starting in downtown Grand Marais, Minnesota From Duluth travel HWY 61 east 110 miles or from Thunder Bay, Ontario travel HWY 61 70 miles to downtown Grand Marais. This is a trailhead close to Lake Superior and can be affected by rain and/or sun melting snow. May have to use trailhead inland, call lodging to confirm spur trail is useable. The 5.5 mile spur to the North Shore State Trail starts from downtown, head east on your sled to the Gunflint Trail / County Road 12 / HWY 61 intersection, 1/3 mile from stop lights. Spur trail is on the east / right hand side of Gunflint Trail / County Road 12 and goes 5.5 miles north . You can also pick-up good printed maps at many places in Grand Marais; Holiday, SuperAmerica, Grand Marais Visitor Center, 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 Terrace Lounge has a late night pizza and full beverage menu, and they support snowmobiling... 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. Minnesota State Snowmobile Trail Permit is needed for these trails.

OPTION K -  Snowmobile / Ski / Snowboard - Starting from Lutsen Mountains Ski Hill Area This is an inland trailhead. 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 or Moguls Grille and Tap Room in Caribou Highlands Resort are our favorite places to dine and watch live entertainment. Moguls is 1 1/2 miles up the Ski Hill Road on the left / slope side. The Cook County Snowmobile Club map has the Ski Hill Road / County Road 5 mismarked as County Road 36. Read story and see images about this trailhead and trails. Minnesota State Snowmobile Trail Permit is needed for these trails.

OPTION L - Grand Portage Lodge and Casino Trailhead Take Hwy 61 through Grand Marais 31 miles to right turn to Grand Portage Lodge / Casino / Trading Post. This is a trailhead close to Lake Superior and can be affected by rain and/or sun melting snow. May have to use Mineral Center Trailhead inland, call lodge to confirm spur trail is useable. Notice: fuel is quite a bit cheaper here. Parking and launch is down in the larger back lot of the Lodge / Casino. Trail proceeds north out of the northwest corner of the parking area. Area is under video surveillance. Lodging, food and fuel is available here. The restaurant in the lodge has good food, especially after a day of sledding! See Grand Marais lodging options. Get Grand Portage Snowmobile Trail Map. As of Jan 16th, 2010; there is no longer a ramp to unload your sled from your pick-up. The trail is in bad shape from the parking area to the main trail system. Too many trails that are also roads are plowed, including the Cowboy Loop and the Rengo Road. We recommend using the Mineral Center Trailhead, Option D above, starting at Mineral Center trailhead and parking, which is about 5 miles one way from the Grand Portage Lodge and Casino. Read story and see images about this trailhead and trails. Minnesota State Snowmobile Trail Permit is NOT needed for trails on the Grand Portage Native Lands.

OPTION M - Cascade River State Park / Cascade Lodge and Deer Trail Trailhead One mile west of Cascade Lodge and in the Cascade River State Park the trailhead accesses the deer trail right out of the parking area. This is a trailhead close to Lake Superior and can be affected by rain and/or sun melting snow. Since it is in the Cascade River State Park, Park employees close trail and gate entrance without notice. Call Park to confirm spur trail is useable 218.387.3053. Entrance is between mile marker 98 and 99. Where 61 starts in Duluth is zero. You will see a brown trail access sign from both directions of HWY 61 indicating the Snowmobile Trailhead. As you travel along 61 you'll also see blue address numbers. Address for trailhead is 3871 W HWY 61 Lutsen. There is a spur trail to / from Cascade Lodge to the trailhead and deer trail access and onto North Shore State Trail. Lodging at Cascade Lodge is very convenient to this trailhead and snowmobile trail system, even if Park employees close the gate. There is also a restaurant adjacent to Cascade Lodge. If you pass by the trailhead coming from the Duluth direction there is room to turn around at Cascade Lodge and Restaurant. Cascade River State Park is a 1/4 mile further up the shore from Cascade Lodge. Consider stopping at the Park, the Cascade River runs into Lake Superior here and there are hiking and snowshoe trails along the river. See all Lutsen lodging options or Grand Marais lodging options. Get Lutsen Area Snowmobile Trail Map. Read story and see images about this trailhead and trails. Minnesota State Snowmobile Trail Permit is needed for these trails.

OPTION N - Great Icefishing Trailhead - Two Island Lake Trailhead / Expressway Direct Entrance From downtown Grand Marais trailhead is about 13 miles north. This is an inland trailhead. Get on Gunflint Trail / County Road 12 on the east side of Grand Marais next to Chevy Dealer. Go 4 miles and turn left at County Road 8 / Devil Track Road and go 6 miles to Ball Club Road / County Road 27. Turn right / north and travel about 3.5 miles to 852 Ball Club Road, turn right / east into trailhead on next road after this blue address sign. First one is the trail itself; you'll bury your rig and look like a fool. See all Grand Marais lodging options. Get map needed for this route; if you're going north you'll need 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. Read story and see images about this trailhead and trails. Minnesota State Snowmobile Trail Permit is needed for these trails.

OPTION O -  Starting from Tofte, Minnesota This is also great place to stay and ride your snowmobile right out of your lodging. This is a trailhead close to Lake Superior and can be affected by rain and/or sun melting snow. May have to use trailhead inland, call lodging to confirm spur trail is useable. With the close proximity to great restaurants, fuel, and direct trail access via the Tofte Trail, Leveaux Trail, Lynx Trail or Eagle Trail. We recommend Bluefin Bay Resort in downtown Tofte. Both have spur trails with direct North Shore State Trail access. See all Tofte lodging and dining options. Get map needed for this route; if you're going east / up the shore you'll need Cook County Map and Upper Gunflint Trail System Map. Or if you're going west / down the shore you'll need: the Upper North Shore Map with coverage from Tofte to Beaver Bay. There is also a Beaver Bay to Duluth Map. Good printed map are available at the Tofte Holiday Station Store. Minnesota State Snowmobile Trail Permit is needed for these trails.

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