Snowmobiling Minnesota Snowmobile Trails Maps Lodging Trail and Snow Reports

Snowmobile Trailheads | Snowmobile Trail Systems | Trail Maps

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. 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. 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. 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, 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 from parking area. 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. 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. 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. We recommend the Outpost Motel 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; 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. 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 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, Grandma Rays (formerly the Legion. 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 the Mountain Inn on the Ski Hill road. 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. The best place to dine is Lutsen Resort on Lake Superior. The Cook County Snowmobile Club map has the Ski Hill Road / County Road 5 mismarked as County Road 36. 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. 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 in 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. 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. 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. 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

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 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