Lake Vermilion Area Trail Report – February 5, 2025

By Brad Dekkers, Assistant Area Supervisor, Parks and Trails, Department of Natural Resources

Taconite Trail:                                                        Arrowhead Trail:

Snow: 10-15”                                                           Snow: 10-15”

Base: 1-3”                                                                 Base: 1-3”

Groomed: Yes                                                         Groomed: Yes

Condition: Fair to Good                                        Condition: Fair to Good

We are seeing multiple places across the area’s trail system where ATVs have gone onto the snowmobile trails. ATVs (tracked or wheeled) or any other motorized vehicle besides snowmobiles ARE NOT allowed on Grant-in-Aid and State snowmobile trails.

Please ride with caution, keep your speed down, and stay to the right at all times while riding. This is a big issue, especially on curvy, hilly trails.

There is active logging happening in several spots throughout the Grant-in-Aid and State Trail system, especially in the Orr area and north. Please slow down and give trucks and logging equipment space.

The Blackwoods Blizzard tour will be riding on the Taconite from Tower to Side Lake Thursday and Friday and the Arrowhead to the Cook Trail on Friday, so those parts of trail will be seeing heavier traffic those days.  In general trails in the woods still have more snow than exposed trails through swamps, timber sales, and power lines.

Taconite State Trail riding conditions have improved to Fair to Good throughout the trail. The Ely-to-Purvis segment remains narrow.

Arrowhead State Trail riding conditions have improved to Fair to Good throughout the trail.

Voyageur Trail Society and International Voyageurs snowmobile clubs (from Crane Lake and International Falls) groom the Arrowhead State Trail from the Bill Morgan trail to its northern terminus at the Blue Ox. Visit their websites for additional trail condition information at http://www.ridetheborders.com/trail-report.html#/ and https://www.snowmobilevacation.org/

Putnam/Fishing Lakes Trail is groomed and in fair condition. Continue to watch for rocks throughout the trail. We still need a bit more snow to really smooth out the corners, swamps, and rocky areas.

Lake Vermilion Soudan Underground Mine SP Trails are in fair condition and will be groomed again before this weekend.

Continue to monitor trail conditions online, as they may change after this report: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snow_depth/index.html

Brad Dekkers, Assistant Area Supervisor