Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Laporte, Minnesota

This trail has very different riding experiences. Part of the trail at times is cleared forest where trees have been harvested and part is so dense you can barely watch your tire. The trail is not incredibly difficult but visibility can cause issues seeing roots, tree stumps, rocks, etc. Clearly, th...
Learn more about Paul Bunyan NW Loop Part 1

East Gulch Forest Ln is a well-maintained gravel road that connects Highway 64 to Spur I Forest Road. It can be used as one of the primary entrance routes to the northwest portion of PBSF. The road travels uphill much of the way from Highway 64 until you reach Spur I.
Learn more about East Gulch Forest Ln

Similar to part 1 of this loop, the trail is very dense for the bulk of the route. You will not have great visibility of roots, rocks, and other small obstacles that fall onto the trail. There will also likely be low-hanging 0.5"-1" branches and tiny trees that bounce off your bike and helmet. This ...
Learn more about Paul Bunyan NW Loop Part 2

This trail can be accessed through a small cut-through off Round River Drive at an intersection in the Paul Bunyan West Loop Dirt Bike Trail. This trail was consistent with difficulty across the Paul Bunyan trail system for Dirt Bikes. There were sections of inclines and declines that washed out ove...
Learn more about Paul Bunyan NW Starter

This shorter trail in Paul Bunyan State Forest is a tame but extremely narrow cut-through running parallel to the highway. There are a few rocks but it's overall quite smooth and comfortable. Some larger lakes are along the path which are very pretty, especially with the fall colors. Your handlebars...
Learn more about Paul's Narrow Thicket Bike Path

This trail is a nice wooded trail with really pretty fall colors. There are some pretty wide spots where one would think this is an ATV/SxS trail but it is in fact a dirt bike trail. A couple spots where there are deep rut inclines and declines. Some areas of really dense narrow forest come up too...
Learn more about Paul Bunyan's Overgrown ATV Trail

This trail is a wide, well-maintained two-vehicle track. The surface is a mix of gravel and sand, and the route winds its way through forested terrain with steady ascents, descents, and several sharp curves that require careful driving. The setting is scenic, with wooded stretches broken occasionall...
Learn more about Saubtine Road Northwest

Spurr II is a gentle gravel forest road with easy curves and grades. It is the confluence of several other forest roads at the south end connecting it to Spur I in the north. There are at least six OHV trail crossings along this road so please proceed with caution.
Learn more about Spur II

This trail is a natural continuation of the Akeley Cutoff Road trail. Similarly challenging and part of a larger loop where you can pass by a lookout tower. I am unsure where it is allowed to go up in the tower but at least it's a destination. The trail is roughly a large SxS wide. There are section...
Learn more about West Round River - Part 1

If this trail wasn't overgrown, it could maybe pass as a forest road. It's listed as part of the Round River Road network. It's quite wide but technically only allows SxS and ATVs. There are narrow sections where passing could be challenging but there are no obstacles where you couldn't back up or w...
Learn more about Akeley Cutoff Road SW Connector

Sandwinder is named after the long sand chute hill climb in the northern portion of the trail. Run the trail north to south in order to hit it in the uphill direction. The rest of the trail is a series of rolling climbs and descents with rocks and some sandy ruts along the way.
Learn more about Sandwinder

This is a short, easy forest road with maintained gravel, pretty views, and nice fall colors. This road takes you back to some dispersed camping, other forest roads, and trails for ATVs and Dirt Bikes. Very manageable and appears to be kept up routinely. General Note on Trail Riding in MN: Many trai...
Learn more about Paul Bunyan Round River Dr. Forest Road

This is a nice smooth trail that gets a bit windy and steep in spots. The switchback portion which is farthest from the large parking area is not too technical but can be washed out and quite rocky depending on the weather. The bulk of the trail feels like an ATV/SxS forest road. General Note on Tr...
Learn more about Round River Dr Cut Through

This trail is about one SxS wide and that is overall quite easy. There are a few rocky sections but these are short-lived. When starting the trail, it will feel a lot like a forest road but it gets narrower as you continue on. General Note on Trail Riding in MN: Many trails heavily change in difficu...
Learn more about Paul Bunyan Round River Dr

Hammer Handle is a trail with sweeping climbs and descents that has some loose rocks mixed in. The northern part of the trail has active logging, which can make the route a little confusing at first, but the orange arrows put out by Paul Bunyan Forest Riders will show you the way. If the site is act...
Learn more about Hammer Handle

This is a really short jaunt that dirt bikers are required to take because some of the trails in this area are pretty well specified for certain types. Some water and close trees on this root but overall easy. There are a fair number of roots so when wet these could be slippery and tippy. A couple o...
Learn more about Round River Dr. Dirt Bike Short Cut

This trail is on the narrower side with really nice mature trees, some small rocks, and small water puddles. This trail could be quite wet in the spring after snowmelt or after a large storm. The puddles are not very deep, probably 6 inches. Narrow areas of the path have roots that could pose diffic...
Learn more about Round River Drive Western Loop Cut Through

This trail begins as a wide, two-vehicle gravel road that is well-maintained at the start but quickly narrows into a single-vehicle two-track. The surface shifts between sand and gravel, with muddy patches and potholes appearing as the trail winds deeper into the forest. Elevation changes bring stea...
Learn more about Hungry Gulch Road

This trail is a really nice edge of the park trail. This area feels removed from the rest of the trails. It is not overly narrow but there are plenty of spaces to pass other vehicles on the trail. A few technical spots like a small "rock garden" type obstacle hill. Overall really pretty with some ...
Learn more about Paul Bunyan West River Rd Loop

This trail is accessed directly from the highway and runs mostly straight for its length, making it an easy route to follow. It is well-maintained and two vehicles wide, allowing for steady travel without much difficulty. Along the way, the trail passes through a variety of landscapes, including res...
Learn more about 144 Street Northwest

East Gulch Forest Ln is a well-maintained gravel road that connects Highway 64 to Spur I Forest Road. It can be used as one of the primary entrance routes to the northwest portion of PBSF. The road travels uphill much of the way from Highway 64 until you reach Spur I.
Learn more about East Gulch Forest Ln

Spurr II is a gentle gravel forest road with easy curves and grades. It is the confluence of several other forest roads at the south end connecting it to Spur I in the north. There are at least six OHV trail crossings along this road so please proceed with caution.
Learn more about Spur II

This trail is a natural continuation of the Akeley Cutoff Road trail. Similarly challenging and part of a larger loop where you can pass by a lookout tower. I am unsure where it is allowed to go up in the tower but at least it's a destination. The trail is roughly a large SxS wide. There are section...
Learn more about West Round River - Part 1

If this trail wasn't overgrown, it could maybe pass as a forest road. It's listed as part of the Round River Road network. It's quite wide but technically only allows SxS and ATVs. There are narrow sections where passing could be challenging but there are no obstacles where you couldn't back up or w...
Learn more about Akeley Cutoff Road SW Connector

East Gulch Forest Ln is a well-maintained gravel road that connects Highway 64 to Spur I Forest Road. It can be used as one of the primary entrance routes to the northwest portion of PBSF. The road travels uphill much of the way from Highway 64 until you reach Spur I.
Learn more about East Gulch Forest Ln

Spurr II is a gentle gravel forest road with easy curves and grades. It is the confluence of several other forest roads at the south end connecting it to Spur I in the north. There are at least six OHV trail crossings along this road so please proceed with caution.
Learn more about Spur II

This trail is a natural continuation of the Akeley Cutoff Road trail. Similarly challenging and part of a larger loop where you can pass by a lookout tower. I am unsure where it is allowed to go up in the tower but at least it's a destination. The trail is roughly a large SxS wide. There are section...
Learn more about West Round River - Part 1

If this trail wasn't overgrown, it could maybe pass as a forest road. It's listed as part of the Round River Road network. It's quite wide but technically only allows SxS and ATVs. There are narrow sections where passing could be challenging but there are no obstacles where you couldn't back up or w...
Learn more about Akeley Cutoff Road SW Connector