Your favorite trails in the state?

[toughguy]

I don't have much trail experiance but hope to add to it this year. I have been up the gunflint trail, around the Zipple Bay area of LOW and gone all around Dakota and Waseca counties. The Gunflint is awesome and so far my favorite. What are your favorite areas of the state to ride?

[NAGORSKI]

Been riding for 20 years in washington co. and Brainerd area and the gunflint. It kind of depends on how you like to ride and what you like to do. The gunflint is beautifull. The trails around Brainerd have been nicely groomed. Oh yea the trails in western Wi are pretty good around Siren. BUT I pretty much quit riding in Mn. because I discovered the U.P. nothing is better. Hands down they love snowmobilers they cator to you because we bring them a lot of money. check out john dee on the web.

[MN Mike]

I'd have to give International Falls - V.N.P - Crane Lake area the nod to my favorite place to ride in MN. I try to make it up there atleast once a year, wide trails, groomed to a tee and some of the best scenery that MN has to offer, IMHO. If the snow gods' shine on this place, it offers some great deep powder riding, those bays and islands can really trap some nice snow.

I've also enjoyed the Brainerd area too.

I hope we get a bunch of snow this year, we are do for a good one.

Mike

[SledNeck]

Arrowhead trail is hands down the fastest, best groomed, all around best trail in Minnesota.

While the UP does have some nice trails on weekday mornings after the groomer comes through......Riding in Minnesota is more fun and easier on my back. Id put Northern MN above the UP in quality of trails and fewer crowds. Not to mention FAR less law enforcement on the MN trails...which is always a big plus unless you like riding the speedlimit everywhere.

[Macgyver55]

Quote:

---

While the UP does have some nice trails on weekday mornings after the groomer comes through......Riding in Minnesota is more fun and easier on my back. Id put Northern MN above the UP in quality of trails and fewer crowds.

---

I'd have to agree! Too much snow + too many riders = B-u_ M-p_Y T-r_A-i_L-s. I've ridden thousands of miles in the mountains near West Yellowstone to the UP and much of Wisconsin. The Laurentian, Arrowhead, Taconite and others rank among the nations best trails. Scenery wise the mountains probably get the edge, and the snowfall is greater in Upper Michigan. But never in any other place have I been able to ride over 375 Miles in a day, sleep in my own bed that same night and not wake up beat. Us flatlanders can have fun too!

[SledNeck]

I would like to add that the trails are twice as wide in Northern Minnesota.BETTER MARKED here also. Some of the trails in Northern Wisconsin and the UP are very very narrow, and with the amount of traffic they get...its very scary. I was also very displeased with simple things such as bathrooms and stuff being so few and far between in the UP. I know the place has fallen on hard economic times, but the gaps between places to stop are seriously unreal. For instance there really isnt a restraunt all the way from Calumet north to Copper Harbor.

The service from dealerships in the UP is top notch. Keweenaw Motorsports in Calumet REALLY hooked me up when I snapped the track tension bolt off of my skid (on a backpack sled-trip). They took a part off a new showroom sled and had it ready for when my buddy got there to pick it up. Also, yes its true that the UP is VERY sled friendly. Although in Northern Wisc. I noticed there was a bit of anti-Illinois sentiment.

[ChuckN]

Voyageurs National Park gets my vote too. I've had limited sledding up there, but it was by far the best trails I have ever ridden.

[SledNeck]

Quote:

---

Voyageurs National Park gets my vote too. I've had limited sledding up there, but it was by far the best trails I have ever ridden.

---

Yeah, but you forget about the ancient 45 mph speed limit on the lakes....and the over-enforcement. Its always nice to be zooming across Namakan and having a radar airplane zip over you 3 times before you get to the other side of the lake.

[ChuckN]

True, the speed limit gig is not that appealing, but I don't mind having a completely relaxing trail ride to absorb the scenery. I can ride hard elsewhere...

[SledNeck]

I dunno about you, but my clutch barely engages going 25mph on the land trails and 45 on the lakes.

[Black_Bay]

Late last winter we were followed from Crane Lake back to Ash River by both air and snowmobile. Apparently we looked like hooligans by not staying on the lake trail. They even landed the plane when we stopped to gather our group together. They must have been bored because we never exceeded the speed limit, which also bored us, nor did we set a ski on shore at anytime other than on the portages.

The whole area from I Falls to Crane Lake has great snowmobiling but the National Park has put a huge damper on riding on the lake.

[SledNeck]

Yeah, nice pristine national park with FRIGGEN DNR AIR PLANES FLYING AROUND! My belief is that due to abnormally high fine for "speeding" in VNP, its worth it for them to go out and shakedown snowmobilers to cash in.

"You guys cant speed in VNP cause that is ruining the Park Experience, so we'll fly around with planes, and hide our sleds under white sheets behind fish houses, making sure you dont ruin the Experience for others"

Boat going 50 mph in VNP legal. Sled going 50 mph in VNP $250 fine. Genius!

[toughguy]

Wow thanks for all the ideas and info. I think I'll stick to the gunflint this year (depending on the snow of course). I generally follow the law but I don't like being harassed either. Never had a problem up in the arrowhead.

[pike god]

I would say that the Brainerd Lakes are my second favorite for being a well groomed very extensive trial system. There's many trails that cross eachother so you can go prety much anywhere. But the Gunflint/Arrowhead area is still the Holy Grail for me. I'll have to check out Voyegers, that sounds cool too.

Besides those, there's something to be said about riding the trails close to your own home. It gives you a different perspective of the area you live in which is also fun.

[MikeYager - Suzuki]

The last several years,,,,the areas with snow cover. Ridden them all though. What everyone says about VNP is true. Outstanding area but law enforcement puts a damper on it. Brainerd can be similar but quit riding there because main trail does not allow studs. Its usually a pain going around those trails. North shore is neat. SE MN can be outstanding in both trails and scenery. I pretty much stick to Wisconsin now. No speed laws, no stud laws and trails marked well. Michigan to chase snow the last couple of years. I lost faith in MN when they came up with trail sticker for residents.

[MN Mike]

Oh, I wouldn't let the law chase you away from going to V.N.P, it's a awesome place and worth seeing atleast once, like I said before, I try to go atleast once a year, maybe twice if time permits. I don't like their tactics either like Sledneck said, that's b.s. that they can throw sheets over their hoods and camo themselves, if they are in the shadows of an island, you can look at them and not even know its a sled, I've seen both that and the fish house trick. Haven't seen the plane yet though.

By my expierence, the futher east you go in the park the more likely you will run into the speed traps and such, if your riding in the woods, look out on those long straight aways, those guys like to pop out from behind trees.

If you guys do go, DO NOT miss Kettle Falls. If you kidneys are up to it, Chain of Lakes trail is another great spot, some of it is ungroomed and gets bumpy but you don't travel fast thru there anyway.

SE MN is on my to do list one day, it's a drive for me but sure looks like nice country, hope we get enough snow again so I can do that.

Mike