Four-Wheeled

IN MINNESOTA’S NATURE Summer

The Grand Rapids, Minnesota, area offers over 300 miles of designated forest roads and ATV trails. Along the trails and forest roads, you will find fun places to eat and drink, places to get gas and snacks and cozy lodging and rest areas. Riding ATVs through the mixed hardwood and pine forests awakens the soul. This type of outdoor activity allows you to connect with Minnesota’s nature in a much deeper way. You can access remote locations while staying on a designated trail system so you don’t get lost. The point is to get an up-close and personal experience of the forests. ATVing in Grand Rapids is available spring, summer and fall; the trails are open mid-May to the end of October each year.

Riding ATVs in the area is a wonderful way to access small area lakes for kayak fishing or fishing from shore or a fishing pier. This time of year, the green of the forest is deep in color, and the native grasses and cattails will be full height. This means that some of the trail markers might be hard to see, and trails can get overgrown. The Itasca County ATV Clubs do their best to get out to mow and groom the trails, but with over 300 miles, it is difficult to get to everything, especially when dealing with Mother Nature’s changing conditions. Any wildlife you see will typically be at dusk: fox, deer, raccoon and the occasional skunk or porcupine (more often found in the trees above). Eagles and hawks can be seen flying above the treetops. Loons, ducks and geese can be spotted with their brood swimming and searching for food on small area lakes. Remember to bring bug spray and sunscreen this time of year. In July and August, the black flies are out during the day, and mosquitos are out at night.

Fall

Fall ATV riding is something very special. mixed hardwood and pine forests present the perfect opportunity to view fall leaves in their golden colors. You’ll see hues of yellow, orange, red, brown and deep green. The tamarack bogs will shine bright orange in mid- to late fall. The temperature is cooler, which makes for perfect sweatshirt weather. You will hear geese and ducks overhead on their migration south. This is a short season, so make sure you book lodging early because there are only so many peak weekends in the fall in northern Minnesota to take advantage of the fall leaves in the forests.

Where to Ride

UPM/Blandin Trail, Rabey Line & Hill City Trail — approximately 60-mile ride from 9 miles south of Grand Rapids (Smith Creek Trail) to Hill City, MN)

A favorite local Grand Rapids ATV trail that is located only 9 miles south of Grand Rapids is the UPM/Blandin ATV Trail. This trail winds through mixed forest land (owned by UPM/Blandin Paper Company) that includes tall pines and mixed hardwoods. There are several sections that have wooden single-track bridges that cross over bog and stream areas. The best part of this trail is the portion where you ride under the pine treetops.

The Rapids Riders ATV Club maintains this connection of trails. Along this ride you will find a thick canopy of coniferous trees that makes you feel like you are riding in a tunnel, over wooden bridges and sharp corners. You can access this trail system from the Smith Drive parking lot area approximately 9 miles south of Grand Rapids on Hwy. 169. From here you can ride south to Hill City. This route is approximately 30 miles (Smith Creek to Hill City). In Hill City you will find a couple of gas stations, a couple of bars/grills and one café. A nice day ride. This trail can open as early as May 17; however, UPM/Blandin has the final decision on the opening date.

B&B ATV Trail approximately 70-mile ride (Bigfork to Balsam Trail)

Another popular ATV trail, located 45 minutes north of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, is the Bigfork to Balsam ATV Trail. This is a full-day ride through mixed hardwood and pine forest and around tamarack bogs. A couple of areas give you vista overlooks as well. This ATV trail takes riders on forest roads and around several Northern Minnesota lakes.

The B&B ATV Trail traverses through portions of the Chippewa National Forest, George Washington State Forest and Itasca County land. It consists of eight boardwalks/ bridges that total over a quarter-mile. The trail travels through low meadows, marshes, aspen and pine forests, and gravel outcroppings. You will see streams, ponds and views of lakes in the distance. Wildlife sightings are common. Food and fuel are available near the trailhead, at the midway point near mile marker 15 and a few short miles from the end of the trail. This trail is maintained by the Wilderness Wheelers ATV Club.

Several other ATV trails to consider riding are in the greater Grand Rapids, Minnesota, area:

• Alvwood-S Lake ATV Trail offers over 200 miles of combination Chippewa National Forest roads and designated ATV trails.

• Alborn-Pengilly ATV Trail is a 39-mile trail section that is an old, abandoned railroad grade running between the cities of Pengilly and Alborn.

• The Blue Ox State Trail is located in the northeast corner of Itasca County and runs north of Island Lake.