33 WINTER 2021 ISSUE 02 / VOL . 02 SNOWGOER . COM 34
ZUMBRO-WHAT ?!
Like the roads and highways in Minnesota ’ s bluff country , snowmobile trails near Millville , Theilman , Minneiska and other towns switch forth and back , and pass down and up throughout the valleys .
Known as the Zumbrowatha Snowmobile Trails , the trail founders ’ goals were to keep the routes out of ditches and instead put snowmobilers among the trees and on top of the scenic bluffs . The unusual name combines two local towns ( Zumbrota and Zumbro Falls ), a lively waterway ( Zumbro River ) and a nearby snowmobile club ( Hiawatha Sno-Seekers ).
Most snowmobile trails where I rode during a weekend in February were within the Richard J . Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest . The forest spans more than 1 million acres across seven counties in southeastern Minnesota , but only 45,000 acres are owned by the state – private individuals and groups own the rest of the land .