Northern MN’s Best Snowmobile Trails

What does the word snowmobile mean to you? It can mean so many different things to each one of us. For some, it’s a way to get out to a favorite ice fishing spot on one of the many Minnesota lakes, or it may be a way to haul some needed supplies to various places around the farm. One person might cherish the moment they were being pulled by a snowmobile during a visit to a Christmas tree farm and headed out to the forest to find the perfect tree. For a friend of mine, a snowmobile is a way to make a living being a professional snowcross racer but never rides for fun. In my own childhood neighborhood, in the Twin Cities, the memory for one woman was a snowmobile was her only mean of transportation to the hospital during an epic snowstorm to deliver her baby! 

For myself, when I think of the word snowmobile, I hear and feel the word “family.”

I close my eyes and remember all of the amazing places and experiences my life has benefitted from that one Roseau, MN invention. Not growing up in Roseau, but growing up with a family of snowmobile enthusiasts, I was able to take part in some pretty amazing riding experiences. From the trails around the Minneapolis metro area, to the trails of Northern Wisconsin and all the way down to the river bluff areas of southern Minnesota, I have been riding everywhere. From Mountain tops to river valleys I’ve seen it all.  I have my favorite destinations to put the miles on but in 2010, I was fortunate enough to move to Roseau (home of Polaris) and learn a whole new system of trails to cruise and experience a one-of-a-kind adventure.  Whether you are a fast trail rider to make it from point A to B in a day or out for a Sunday relaxation cruise to enjoy a destination lunch to watch a game on tv at a local restaurant, Roseau has it all. I have done it all. I have loved it all. From experiencing such a variety of riding experiences, I am able to honestly say that each one is unique with Roseau County being at the top of the list. It’s pretty exciting we have this multipurpose, functional, and fun Roseau-made snowmobile to enhance the quality of our lives!

Let’s Go Riding! 

Let’s break down the riding options around Roseau County. Each choice gives you a variety of different scenery and ability. 

Leaving From Roseau

Depending on the amount of time/days you have riding in the area, you will have to decide what you want to want to see, experience, and accomplish.

• First, you want to make sure your fuel tank is full and grab a bottle of water or Gatorade from a local gas station.
• You can literally ride north, south, east, or west from the gas stations in town.
• Maps will be available even if your sled has a modern navigational system on it. I personally have a navigation system on my snowmobile but am still old school and prefer to look at a real paper map.
• Heading north out of Roseau you can make the choice, just before the Canadian border, either heading east or west. These trails are beautifully groomed by the Roseau County Trailblazers Snowmobile Club. If the trail runs along the road, which many do, they are groomed well. Any trails in the ditch are easy to ride, flat, and well-maintained.
• Most of the time, I would head north, then east along the border into Lake of the Woods territory. This alone is very unique and amazing experience. Depending on the time of year and ice conditions, a person can head out onto the well-marked Lake of the Woods to various locations and destinations or you can continue to ride trails along this amazing body of water into the town of Warroad.
• At times, my kids and I would ride from Roseau to the lake and meet up with my husband who had the fish house ready and lines in the water ready to catch our dinner. If the kids got bored fishing, we had the choice to ride into Warroad for dinner or find other friends out on the lake.
• As my kids got older, we would ride together to Warroad, from Roseau, fuel up and then continue along the various marked groomed trails either by lakes or trails to the next border town of Baudette, MN weather can determine many things as a snowmobile rider and my dad used to say, “If you wait for the perfect day, you might not get much riding in.” What I enjoy about riding in and around Roseau County is there are places to stop to warm up, fuel up, eat a snack or larger meal and carry on to the next point of interest! 

   

Another Amazing Snowmobile Trip is From Roseau to International Falls

This is an overnight trip but so worth it. There is a trail system you can take all the way to International Falls. If you have a couple of days to spend in the area, the doors open wide to one of the most beautiful riding spots in the world, Voyageur National Park. This National Park is a hidden gem and will take your breath away.

It is so fun to leave Roseau and depending on the weather, warm up with a hot chocolate in Warroad, fuel up in the next town west in Baudette and off you go to International Falls. Connecting trails really make the adventure fun and you get the fix of modern riding along with the freedom of feeling like you are exploring back in the French Voyageur days. You experience a little of all types of riding and have the option of several places to ride trails west or on a cruise along the shoreline of Lake of the Woods. When you get to International Falls, it’s magical when you get onto the wide-open Rainy Lake. The lights of the homes along the shore as you cruise on to your evening destination is breathtaking. It can be a little intimidating but oh so worth it.

Roseau to International falls is a trip for the bucket list. 

Heading south of Roseau you are welcomed by a north and south-groomed trail along Hwy 89. This brings back the most memories for me because my kids and I, at a very young age, were using this trail to take rides after school or on the weekends to the small town of Wannaska. Here we would fuel up and head inside the family-run gas station to visit the deer heads on the walls and local happenings while enjoying hot chocolate and a snack. This was a highlight of my kid’s childhood and we felt so lucky to be able to ride from our backyard and go on a small excursion to get some fresh air. The trail diverts in many directions and from my house I can watch the groomer go by as I wash the dishes from my kitchen sink. I can hop on my sled, cross the Roseau River and ride anywhere on designated trails. Between Roseau and Wannaska, which is only about 13 miles, there are two trails heading west that will take you in the direction of Greenbush, Strathcona, and eventually Thief River Falls (home of Arctic Cat). These trails will get you from point A to point B with great scenery of the fantastic farmland and views of the Red River Valley.  

From Wannaska, you can ride south and east.

This is where Roseau County has a small gift to the eyes. The trail heading to the east takes you past several farms and within a few miles you are in Beltrami Island State Forest. The Roseau River runs through it and it’s like a scene out of a Hallmark movie.

You pass the Espe Christmas Tree Farm on the edge of this beautiful 703,382 acre state forest and it just appears! Here in Roseau County, we have the state’s second-largest of 60 state forests. In this forest, there are five rivers that have their headwaters here! This trail through Beltrami will take your breath away. The trail winds around the damned up Roseau River (called Hayes Lake) and you will ride through massive pines and hardwoods. Gone are the fields that make Roseau County so bountiful and for a good part of your ride you feel like you are in the hilly, curvy trails that central Minnesota is known for.

While in Beltrami, you can stop and make a fire at the shelter, bring your fishing poles and catch supper or just cruise through the miles and miles of forest roads that are so abundant with blueberries in the summer. Not many people know about this special gift we have in Roseau and it’s worth the look. Heading south even further a person can head down to Four Town, fuel up, and make a decision to head back to Rosea or loop around and catch up with the many loops and route this trail system offers. My family has left Wannaska and Four Town and headed all the way towards Red Lake and south into Kehiler, Northhome, and down into Grand Rapids. No matter where we ride, our starting point has been Roseau and its options are infinite. 

Being that Roseau is a hub for history, engineering geniuses, passion, and just plain grassroots inventions of such amazing machines, it is a feeling of honor to make this town a destination to start one of your riding quests. Not only will you have the opportunity to visit the Polaris Experience Center, which is a 5,600 sq foot walk through history of Polaris but you can also have the opportunity to take a tour of the actual Polaris Factory. This town is amazingly welcoming and proud of what they have produced from passion to production over the past 65 years. Many from families who are now third-generation employees and engineers making a difference in the race to stay on top of the competition. The sacrifice people have put into this small town snow machine factory, on the Canadian border, far from any Target store or tourist attraction (other than Lake of the Woods), is a warm place to visit on a cold winter weekend.

You will never be the same and you will have gained an insight into how a small rural town full of farmers, fishermen, and hockey players created a jewel and called it Polaris.    

    

Author: Carrie Hedlund