Off-Road Trails
Near Cromwell, Minnesota

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

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

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

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

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

Kettle River to Lawler Loop Trails on the Soo Line North is a section of converted rail grade that is 9.6 miles long and takes about 25 minutes with an average speed of 23.3 MPH. This converted rail grade is raised enough that it sheds water very well. Even after rain for several days, the water on ...
Learn more about Kettle River to Lawler Loop Trails

Lawler Loop Trails to Lawler goes from the far east intersection of Soo Line Trail North and Lawler Loops North and South 4-way intersection. This section of converted rail grade is 5.6 miles long and takes about 20 minutes with an average speed of 15.3 MPH. This converted rail grade is raised enoug...
Learn more about Lawler Loop Trails to Lawler

Moose Lake to Nemadji (Carlton County Road 11 at Ballou Road) on the Soo Line South is a section of converted rail grade that is 9.2 miles long and takes about 30 minutes with an average speed of 19.6 MPH. This converted rail grade is raised enough that it sheds water very well. Even on a rainy day ...
Learn more about Moose Lake to Nemadji

Denham to Moose Lake on the Soo Line South is a section of converted rail grade that is 12.6 miles long and takes about 45 minutes with an average speed of 16.8 MPH. This section has a few muddy areas due to spring thaw and could be wet during rainy times later in the season. There are great views o...
Learn more about Denham to Moose Lake

Moose Lake to Kettle River on the Soo Line North is a section of converted rail grade that is 7 miles long and takes about 20 minutes with an average speed of 21.3 MPH. This converted rail grade is raised enough that it sheds water very well. Even after rain for several days, the water on the trail ...
Learn more about Moose Lake to Kettle River

Lawler to McGregor on the Soo Line North is a section of converted rail grade that is 8.9 miles long and takes about 45 minutes with an average speed of 11.1 MPH. Take note at the McGregor end that you leave the old rail grade corridor to safely cross an active BNSF Railroad. There are signs on the ...
Learn more about Lawler to McGregor

McGregor to Palisade on the Soo Line North is a section of converted rail grade that is 11.1 miles long and takes about 30 minutes with an average speed of 20.7 MPH. This converted rail grade is raised enough that it sheds water very well. Even after several days of rain, the water on the trail is m...
Learn more about McGregor to Palisade

McGrath to Denham on the Soo Line South is a section of converted rail grade. It's 19 miles long and takes about 40 minutes with an average speed of 28.5 MPH. This section has a few muddy areas due to spring thaw and could be wet during rainy times later in the season.
Learn more about McGrath to Denham

This forest road connects the north and south ends of the forest and is an easy, sandy road about two vehicles wide in most places. There are a few spots where puddles form after rain, but 4x4 vehicles should have no issues crossing. This is a good road for accessing other trails and a nice drive, e...
Learn more about Dago Day Use - 0340D

Take this route to return to the Dago Lake boat ramp/parking area or use it to connect up with other trails and forest roads in the system. This trail is a mix of sections that are multiple vehicles wide down to single vehicle width. There is one section that has had a tree across it for some time. ...
Learn more about Dago Lake Fork

This is a longer perimeter forest road that intersects with many other trails and forest roads along the way. This road is mostly a long sand track, but there are a few spots that can hold decent water after heavy rain or snowmelt. There are some hills that are blind, so be sure to stay on your side...
Learn more about Willow River North

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 a fast, straight section with a lot of small sand whoops and braking bumps. Some of the whoops are big enough to double on a dirt bike if you carry speed. The trail runs parallel to the freeway for much of its length, with a fence on that side. The sand can get a little loose in dry conditio...
Learn more about Freeway View Trail

This is a basic sandy forest road that connects Dago Lake Road to Willow River N Forest Road. Beware of the intersection with East/West forest road, where it can be hard to see other vehicle traffic, especially in the summer when the trees are filled out. Use this road to access other trails in the ...
Learn more about Freeway East FR

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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