Whether you’re a die-hard ATV fan who ventures far and wide in search of trails or if you just like to rent ATVs once in a while for a day ride with the family, these five trails offer wild rides through the varied landscape of the northern wilds. Visit them often to experience how the shifting seasons manifest as changes in the trees, flowers, wildlife, and weather conditions.
Features
Start Your Engine—5 Wild ATV Rides
Red Dot Trail
Silver Bay Region
The Red Dot Trail stretches 28 miles near the small towns of Silver Bay and Beaver Bay. The Red Dot Trail was created in cooperation by the Minnesota DNR, the Silver Trail Riders, Bill Ylatupa, and Leroy Teschendorf, and funded through the ATV registration sticker program. The Red Dot connects with the Moose Walk Trail and Moose Run Trail, which total another 26 miles, allowing for an extended journey through Tettegouche State Park and the Finland State Forest.
Jason Lashinski, a sales representative at Steve’s Sports in Grand Marais, who has been riding ATVs for 20 years, says, “Silver Bay has a pretty nice system. It’s kind of a can’t-lose situation. The trails exist, have easy access, are well-marked, and the town is very ATV-friendly. It’s pretty much wooded trails. In some areas you’ve got nice bluffs and views of Lake Superior.”
Directions and more information:
www.dnr.state.mn.us/ohv/trail_detail.html?id=19
Beaver Bay Sport Shop (218) 226-4666, www.beaverbaysports.com
Steve’s Sports (218) 387-1835, www.steves-sports-and-auto.com
Stony Spur II ATV Trail / Tomahawk Trail
Babbit-Ely Region
The easy but scenic 26-mile Stony Spur II Trail—known to locals as the Tomahawk Trail—is the ATV portion of the dual-use Stony Spur Trail. (The ATV route cuts around some swampy areas that the snowmobiles can go over.) Dave Soular, trail administrator for the Ely/Babbitt ATV and Snowmobile Club, says that the trail was “exactly what Babbitt needed,” attracting users in all seasons. The east end of the trail passes over gently rolling hills with pine trees, while the Babbitt end traverses lowlands with a higher proportion of birch. Class 2 ATVs are not allowed.
Directions and more information:
www.dnr.state.mn.us/ohv/trail_detail.html?id=29
Alborn-Pengilly Railroad ATV Trail
Hibbing / Grand Rapids Region
The Alborn-Pengilly Railroad ATV Trail (now there’s a mouthful) connects pint-sized Pengilly and Alborn following an abandoned railroad bed that once linked the towns. An arrow-straight run for most of its 42 miles, the Alborn-Pengilly is classifed as “easy” and is open from April 1 to Nov. 1. It was developed and is still maintained by the Range Riders ATV Club. The Alborn-Pengilly is open to Class 2 ATVs.
Directions and more information:
www.dnr.state.mn.us/ohv/trail_detail.html?id=3
Fond du Lac State Forest
Cloquet Region
About 15 miles west of Cloquet sits the Fond du Lac State Forest, classified as “Limited” under the DNR’s somewhat confusing labeling scheme for OHV access. (OHV stands for “off-highway-vehicle” and encompasses ATVs, off-highway motorcycles, and full-size vehicles meant for offroading.) Trails of a variety of difficulty levels wind through Fond du Lac, traversing marsh, forest, and wooded swamp freckled with lakes. A total of 75 miles of trails are open to Class 2 ATVs and off-highway motorcycles. Fond du Lac trails are open year-round except for occasional condition-related closures. Also, some trails are designated for snowmobiles from Dec. 1 to March 31.
Directions and more information:
www.dnr.state.mn.us/ohv/trail_detail.html?id=47
Ontario Crown Land
Thunder Bay Region
Mike Sawatsky, sales representative at North Country Cycle and Sports in Thunder Bay, Ontario, who has been riding for 10 years, explains that in the southern Ontario region, “we really don’t have a lot of ATV-specific trails. What we do here is, there is a lot of Crown land that you can just go ride on. It’s a little different that way.”
For someone not from the area who wishes to come ride there, Sawatsky advises going with someone who knows the area well. And even if you do know the region, he says, “A GPS is a must—it would be easy to get lost.”
He recommends Crime Stopper Explorer Series maps, which include the majority of trails along with all-important land ownership information so you know where you are and are not allowed to ride. He also says that Backroad Mapbooks “will give you an idea of how to get into some of these places.”
More information:
Backroad Mapbooks: www.backroadmapbooks.com/main/index.html
Kestrel Forestry:
Crime Stoppers Explorer Series Maps www.kestrelforestry.com/map_index.htm
