BY JOHN T . PRUSAK
Central Minnesota Destination Is Easy To Reach And Full Of Options olks in the mountains , especially in late spring , talk about “ trailering to the snowline .” That reference means hauling sleds up twisting mountain roads high enough in altitude to the point where there ’ s more snow than dirt , then unloading the sleds and riding even higher . Where our offices are located in the flatlands of southern Minnesota , a similar term is used by some riders when referring to trailering sleds far enough north to the point where there ’ s enough snow for the local clubs to groom and maintain the trails .
Historically , for many Minneapolis / St . Paul-area residents that has meant bombing up Interstate 35 , taking the slow slog through Duluth , ditching the truck and trailer at Two Harbors along the Minnesota North Shore and then heading further north on sleds . And that ’ s still a very good option if you have the time for it .
But increasingly in the last decade , especially when just day-tripping , we ’ ve found it more efficient to instead point our tow vehicle toward the Mille Lacs Lake area of central Minnesota . It ’ s closer and thus easier to reach , meaning we spend less time behind a steering wheel and more time behind handlebars . And , despite that relatively close proximity , it ’ s amazing how many times they have snow when the Twin Cities doesn ’ t .
Trails in this area are an interesting mix of dense woods , big swamps , road ditches , converted rail lines and farm fields , all of which are tended to with pride by local clubs . There are many great places to stop for lunch or fuel , yet it isn ’ t as overrun as
some more touristy locations . And there are a lot of trails in every direction , meaning creating loops of virtually any length is easily done .
Folks can leave the Twin Cities metro area at 8:30 a . m ., be riding by 10 a . m ., get in a quality 100-plus miles with a lunch break , and still be pointed back toward home before sunset . Or multi-day rides can be planned on the vast trail system .
The Easy Way
When trailering north on Highway 169 out of the Twin Cities , we often first see groomed trails in the ditch when passing Elk River and its famed ERX Motor Park . It ’ s always tempting to unload there , but Elk River ’ s rapidly growing population has resulted in a limited and busy trail system .
There are enough trails to create decent loops starting another 15-20 miles north in the Zimmerman and Princeton areas , but at that point we ’ re just another 15 minutes from the convenient parking lot of the Rum River Sno Riders snowmobile club , so we typically soldier on .
That lot – on the east side of Highway 169 tucked behind the snowmobiler-friendly Rough Cut Grill & Bar – is spacious , regularly plowed and free , and the snowmobile trail runs on its edge . There ’ s also a gas station directly north of the Rough Cut for easy pre- or post-ride top-offs .
Leaving that lot on sleds to the east , the trail follows the ditch of 190th Street for less than a mile before giving riders their first optional left , which we always take to head north .
22 / JANUARY 2025 / SNOWGOER . COM