Trail conditionsNOTE! Our Facebook page is updated as-it-happens.
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At least 4 inches of fresh snow has fallen since last Wednesday, and it shows on the trails. We are hearing more sleds out every day with riders saying good things. More snow is forecast for this weekend! Logging continues in several areas so please stay alert and respectful around the logging trucks & equipment. From Crane Lake to Ash River, Kabetogama and Ray, the trails that VTSI maintains have all been groomed once this week with plans to groom again Friday and probably Saturday night if needed and snow allows. Trails are in generally good shape. The trail reroute on the Voyageur trail south of Ash River is still in effect and marked. The DNR is alerting all riders to USE CAUTION CROSSING BRIDGES. There is not enough snow for groomer operators to smoothly transition from the trail surface to the bridge deck. On the Dill/Arrowhead State Trail conditions are considered generally fair with a few poor spots in exposed areas. Watch for ice flows on the trail going south from the junction with the Crane Lake South Grant in Aid trail. In Voyageurs National Park, as of 1/30/25 report all lake trails are OPEN including the Purple trail (International Falls to Kettle Falls)! Portages have also been groomed and in good shape. There continue to be issues with pressure ridges so be alert to route changes. Warming huts are open at Grassy Bay on the Green Trail and at Kettle Falls. The skies are blue, the snow is sparkling. It's a great time to enjoy our Voyageur Country trails, and warm up at our area sponsors. Please always remember to stay to your right and try not to cut corners. Be safe and see you on the trails! For the latest info, visit:
⚠️⚠️ SAFETY UPDATE 1/23/25 11:54am ⚠️⚠️ There are some hazards on the Voyageur trail between Ash River and the Link with water over the trail. Please use extreme caution! ******* ![]() Updated 1/23/25 with changes from VNP. Some snow (and inch or two more last night), some cold and our trails are shaping up! We have about 8-12 inches of snow in undisturbed areas. Riders last weekend said trails were better than they expected. A huge thank you to all our groomers! We were able to fully groom the Voyageur Link to Melgeorge's without any issues earlier this week. We will groom all trails Thursday and Friday night, and Saturday if needed. If we get enough snow, we plan to groom every trail at least twice each week and 3 times when we can. The Dill/Arrowhead Trail had a full initial groom before last weekend’s traffic. The DNR is currently grooming trail segments where they are able - avoiding spots with ledge rock, exposed ground, etc. We need more snow before they can get on a regular grooming schedule. Watch for active logging at several locations throughout the Grant-in-Aid and State Trail system. Please stay alert, slow down and give trucks and logging equipment space! Voyageurs National Park has updated their site Jan 23. All trails are open except the Purple trail. They have indicated that pressure ridges have been expanding over the past few weeks. Keep an eye out especially in low visibility situations. Land portages are being groomed. There are TWO pressure ridges on Lake Kabetogama that caused staff to stop grooming and shift to creating safe reroutes of the Green trail. One reroute shifts the Green trail closer to shore just west of the Kabetogama boat launch. The other is an S-curve reroute near Park Point Resort. Both reroutes are marked with green stakes; watched for caution signs and crossed orange stakes at the points where the trails cross the pressure ridges. Both park ice roads (Kabetogama and Rainy Lake to Cranberry Bay) are now open. Snowfall and strong winds have likely created some drift areas - so be careful. Always stay alert for pressure ridges in other areas, avoid them when possible, and watch for hazards near sand bar, shoreline and shallow areas. Please always remember that ice is never 100% safe and to stick to the clearly marked routes for travel. Come up and enjoy Voyageur Country! Our trails keep getting smoother, and our local businesses are ready to give you a warm welcome! Keep thinking snow! For the latest info, visit:
![]() Several inches of snow have fallen and the news is great! We have all of our trails from Orr to Kabetogama and Ray open and initially groomed, with groomers going out tomorrow and Friday to be ready for the weekend. The new Heibel's Access Trail (purple on the map) that connects from Boondocks in Ray to the Dill/Arrowhead south of Ericsburg is open and groomed - shout out to IVSC! ![]() In Voyageurs National Park as of today there is enough snow on the lake trails that overheating shouldn't be a problem, but it's still icy in areas so may not have traction. Be cautious! The Green trail from Rainy Lake to Black Bay, Kabetogama to the Ash River is open, and several portages should be groomed by this weekend - check their posts and website. From Ash River to Crane Lake the Green trail is open, but the portages are not yet groomed. The Chain Of Lakes (dashed black) trails is open, will be staked by this weekend but not groomed. Other trails in the park are not yet open. Land portages are still rough as we wait for more snow. The Kabetogama ice road is open, and Rainy Lake should be open by this weekend. On the lakes be extremely cautious near pressure ridges - avoid them if at all possible - and be alert to other hazardous areas where the ice is still thin: sand bars, shorelines, and shallow areas. Ice is never 100% safe! The DNR reports that most trails have had an initial groom. Some areas through swamps and exposed areas may have exposed grass or ground, and you may encounter shelf ice in swamps and beaver ponds; open water has also still being seen. The Dill/Arrowhead and Taconite State Trails will be groomed as much as possible before this coming weekend. Big Aspen to Pfeiffer Lake and from the Blackbear trail to the junction with the Arrowhead. They are rough and have areas of shelf ice. Keep an eye on the DNR updates as they are changing daily. Be cautious and watch for hummocks and stumps in swamps and ponds. Stay alert to logging trucks and equipment as there is active logging in a number of locations throughout the Grant-in-Aid and State Trail system. Please slow down and give them space to safely maneuver. Come up and enjoy Voyageur Country this weekend. The trails are good, the weather is nice, and the scenery is gorgeous! Thank you for also stopping by our local sponsoring businesses. See you soon! For the latest info, visit:
A half-inch dusting of snow fell today - it's a start! Low temperatures have finally given us better ice on the lakes and ponds and swamps. Trails are packed but there isn't much snow on them - no grooming yet. Think SNOW! The Green Trail (Rainy Lake/Black Bay to Kabetogama Lake to Ash River) in Voyageurs National Park is open not groomed. Lakes are ice with no snow cover (see the photo at https://www.nps.gov/voya/planyourvisit/conditions.htm). You'll need good scratchers! Park staff are not traveling far because of overheating and excessive wear and tear. Land portages are rough with a little hard packed icy snow. There are still hazardous areas where the ice is somewhat thin: pressure ridges, sand bars, shorelines, and shallow areas. We join them in reminding everyone - Ice is never 100% safe! The Kabetogama Ice Road is open and staked to the Sphunge sledding hill (lots of expose rock on the hill, though). Stakes will be removed once there is snow to make berms. Most ski and snowshoe trails are open in the park. The DNR reports that ice in the swamps is better (from 6" - 12" thick). They are seeing a lot of shelf ice in beaver ponds where water is still draining, as well as more hummocks and stumps to watch out for. A beaver dam encountered on a trail is likely a steep berm. Stay alert for these conditions especially in the following areas: from Big Aspen to Pfeiffer Lake and from Black Bear trail to the Y Store Trail on the Taconite State Trail; and on the Arrowhead just south of the Hwy 1 crossing, at the Frazier Bay shelter, and in the Elephant Creek/Blackduck grade segment north of Elephant Lake. Stay safe on the ice and courteous on the trails if you venture out to enjoy the scenery. The forecast is for a little more snow Saturday/Sunday. Every inch helps, but it will be a bit before the groomers work the trails. If you're in the area, please visit our sponsoring businesses! For the latest info, visit:
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