Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Esko, Minnesota

Carlton County Road 3 to the Wisconsin border on the Soo Line South is a section of converted rail grade that is 7.3 miles long and takes about 30 minutes with an average speed of 15.2 MPH. This converted rail grade is raised enough that it sheds water very well. Even on a rainy day or after several...
Learn more about County Road 3 to Wisconsin Border

Nemadji to Carlton County Road 3 on the Soo Line South is a section of converted rail grade that is 9.4 miles long and takes about 30 minutes with an average speed of 16.4 MPH. This converted rail grade is raised enough that it sheds water very well. Even on a rainy day or after several days of rain...
Learn more about Nemadji to County Road 3

This is not a trail for someone looking to keep their vehicle clean. During the wetter times of the year, when rain has saturated the ground, this trail becomes a great Minnesota backcountry adventure filled with mud, ruts, and plenty of divots to make the drive interesting. The trail winds through...
Learn more about Arrowhead Road

The Berthiaume Trail is one of the longer trails in the area and is a great choice for anyone looking for a little bit of everything. What starts out as an easy ride gradually changes as you travel deeper into the forest, bringing mud, water, rocks, hills, and increasingly narrow trail sections alon...
Learn more about Berthiaume Trail

Interstate Trail North is a sand track that carves through the pines and birch trees and is an out-and-back for 4x4 traffic. OHVs can continue further north. The terrain is mostly sand with some parts that hold water frequently. There is one steeper hill along the way. All riders should be mindful o...
Learn more about Interstate Trail North

Straight Arrow Enduro Riders (SAER) maintains approximately 45 miles of single-track / ATV trail in the Nemadji State Forest. This 5-mile singletrack loop features mostly hard-packed, narrow trail with a few bridges and sections of buried old snowmobile trail designed to reduce erosion. Expect long ...
Learn more about Tamarack Straight Arrow East Trail

As the name implies, this trail takes you out to an old gravel pit, but getting there is part of the fun. The trail starts out as a relatively easy dirt road that winds back into the timber. Eventually, you come to a Y in the trail, with either direction providing access to the gravel pit, which is ...
Learn more about Gravel Pit Trail

Straight Arrow Enduro Riders (SAER) maintains approximately 45 miles of single-track / ATV trail in the Nemadji State Forest. This 3-mile singletrack trail isn’t as tight as other trails and flows much faster with deep sweeping turns and fewer switchbacks. It does have a few bridges—when wet, be car...
Learn more about Tamarack Straight Arrow Blue Trail

Harlis Bypass is a mix of gently loamy single track and some greasy, muddy sections with areas that stay wet year-round. You'll also find some medium-sized rocks and some step-up ledgy roots throughout. It's a shorter trail compared to the rest of the system, but it's a good way to get warmed up bef...
Learn more about Harlis Bypass

The southern part of this trail was logged heavily over the winter of 2025, so the route will require a bit of interpretation until that section gets rutted in more. Aside from that, the forest that remains is beautiful. Along the way, you'll find a twisty single track with some sections of tight tr...
Learn more about Gandy Dancer Bypass

This is a fairly easy trail that offers a nice little adventure through the woods and leads to a quiet lake at the end. Near the beginning of the trail, you will cross a railroad track before continuing toward the lake. As you get farther along the route, the trail gradually becomes narrower. There...
Learn more about Kettle Lake Road

Wilderness Trail is a twisty two-track that runs alongside Harlis Road for most of the way. It's a rocky, rutted trail with some up and down hills throughout. There are a couple of areas where ruts will fill up with water, and a few bridges. Wilderness Trail isn't especially technical, but it is nar...
Learn more about Wilderness Trail

Yellow Birch Trail is a winding sand track with water holes along the way. It connects the Matthew Loury State Trail to the Gandy Dancer Trail with the Harlis Road staging area in between. This trail is open to all OHVs and ORVs and is two-way, so be mindful of normal left/right traffic separation a...
Learn more about Yellow Birch Trail

Iron Pipe, of the Straight Arrows OHM Trail system, is a novice-level single-track motorcycle trail that alternates between flowy and somewhat tight woods sections. Whether you're new to woods single track riding or experienced in all terrain types, this can be a fun trail for riders of all skill le...
Learn more about Iron Pipe

Net Lake Forest Road is the main east/west road through Nemadji. There are tons of dispersed campsites along it and many trail crossings. Be mindful of OHV traffic as it's used as one of the busiest connecting routes in the forest. There are some slightly off-camber sections around blind corners whe...
Learn more about Net Lake Forest Road

As the name implies, Corduroy Trail is full of choppy roots throughout. Riders should also expect tight trees along the way (some narrower than bar length), several areas that hold water for most of the year, short but frequent climbs and descents, and a few old bridges crossing swampy sections. It'...
Learn more about Corduroy Trail

The Kytola Lake Trail is a short but enjoyable trail that branches off Ditch Bank Forest Road and leads to access at Thirty-Six Lake. The trail starts out as a dirt road, with a wet, watery ditch area running alongside the beginning of the route. As you continue toward the lake, the trail gradually...
Learn more about Kytola Lake Trail

South Extension is the main north/south forest road through Nemadji. It's a simple gravel road with gentle grades throughout, with several dispersed campsites all along the road. South Extension itself ends with a dirt turnaround, but just before that, there is a connection to Nemadji Hilton Trail, ...
Learn more about South Extension

This trail features forest-lined paths typical of Nemadji’s landscape, with a mix of packed dirt and occasional muddy patches depending on recent weather. Nemadji is known for its network of ATV and OHV trails, so Straight Arrows Trail could be a great starting point or a scenic detour.
Learn more about Straight Arrows Trail

Grouse Forest Road is a minimum maintenance road lined by thick brushy forest habitat favored by grouse. You will likely see some standing in the middle of the trail at dawn and dusk. Be careful not to hit them because they seem to wait until the last second to flush. The road itself is mostly sand ...
Learn more about Grouse Forest Road

Carlton County Road 3 to the Wisconsin border on the Soo Line South is a section of converted rail grade that is 7.3 miles long and takes about 30 minutes with an average speed of 15.2 MPH. This converted rail grade is raised enough that it sheds water very well. Even on a rainy day or after several...
Learn more about County Road 3 to Wisconsin Border

Nemadji to Carlton County Road 3 on the Soo Line South is a section of converted rail grade that is 9.4 miles long and takes about 30 minutes with an average speed of 16.4 MPH. This converted rail grade is raised enough that it sheds water very well. Even on a rainy day or after several days of rain...
Learn more about Nemadji to County Road 3

This is not a trail for someone looking to keep their vehicle clean. During the wetter times of the year, when rain has saturated the ground, this trail becomes a great Minnesota backcountry adventure filled with mud, ruts, and plenty of divots to make the drive interesting. The trail winds through...
Learn more about Arrowhead Road

The Berthiaume Trail is one of the longer trails in the area and is a great choice for anyone looking for a little bit of everything. What starts out as an easy ride gradually changes as you travel deeper into the forest, bringing mud, water, rocks, hills, and increasingly narrow trail sections alon...
Learn more about Berthiaume Trail

Carlton County Road 3 to the Wisconsin border on the Soo Line South is a section of converted rail grade that is 7.3 miles long and takes about 30 minutes with an average speed of 15.2 MPH. This converted rail grade is raised enough that it sheds water very well. Even on a rainy day or after several...
Learn more about County Road 3 to Wisconsin Border

Nemadji to Carlton County Road 3 on the Soo Line South is a section of converted rail grade that is 9.4 miles long and takes about 30 minutes with an average speed of 16.4 MPH. This converted rail grade is raised enough that it sheds water very well. Even on a rainy day or after several days of rain...
Learn more about Nemadji to County Road 3

This is not a trail for someone looking to keep their vehicle clean. During the wetter times of the year, when rain has saturated the ground, this trail becomes a great Minnesota backcountry adventure filled with mud, ruts, and plenty of divots to make the drive interesting. The trail winds through...
Learn more about Arrowhead Road

The Berthiaume Trail is one of the longer trails in the area and is a great choice for anyone looking for a little bit of everything. What starts out as an easy ride gradually changes as you travel deeper into the forest, bringing mud, water, rocks, hills, and increasingly narrow trail sections alon...
Learn more about Berthiaume Trail