The South Soo Line rail trail provides quick connections .
Scenic trails like these are best shared with a friend , or a date .
Trail 315 gently weaves through a swamp , following a route cut through the cattails and tall grass by the groomer . It generally follows the snaky path of the Mike Drew Brook for a while . Depending on how things froze that winter , this short stretch can sometimes be the roughest part of the day , no matter how much the clubs try to groom the frozen ice .
The trail then transitions to a combination of field running and short wooded sections before plunging into the 40,000- acre Rum River State Forest . There , the path gets delightfully tighter and more twisty when weaving between tall trees and past fence lines before giving riders their first natural stopping point , just 10 miles into the day .
Conveniently located at an intersection where trails from two different clubs mesh is the sizeable yet cozy Hoot Owl Ridge Shelter owned by the Princeton , Minnesota-based Mystic Riders snowmobile club . Inside you ’ ll find a guest book , tables and chairs , a few games and a comfortable relaxing area . Outside , there ’ s a huge fire pit , with a large stack of cut wood always at the ready . It ’ s a great place for a stop , whether just gathering your riding party for a few minutes or spending an hour cooking hot dogs around a fire .
From there , taking a right will lead to more interesting and twisty trails through the Rum River Forest that eventually connect to State Trail 31 – a major north-south corridor . However , we typically take a left and enjoy one of our favorite trail sections in the immediate area . The path zigs and zags through a dense collection of hardwood trees and occasionally opens up with long sweepers along another swamp .
Then the trail takes riders north on a narrow strip through the Mille Lacs Wildlife Management Area . This relatively new trail is the result of unique cooperation between local clubs and government officials . Trails through wildlife areas are typically hard to get approved , but this route gives riders a better northbound option than tracing the ditch on Highway 169 , about six miles to the west . The trail eventually tees into the famous South Soo Line State Trail .
Decision Time At The Soo
The South Soo Line is a mostly arrow-straight converted rail trail that ’ ll take riders across the state in a hurry , if so-inclined .
Clubs in this area do a fine job of maintaining the trail base ..
The Hoot Owl shelter is a great place to stop .
Where our route meets the Soo below Mille Lacs Lake is near its midpoint . Hang a left and the Soo can be followed southwest for 50 miles all the way into Morrison County . Go right and you can chase it 64 miles northeast through Moose Lake all the way to the Wisconsin border . ( For the adventurous rail trail runners , the South and North Soo Lines intersect in Moose Lake . The North Soo can be taken 148 miles back to the Northwest all the way to Cass Lake .)
We typically only follow the South Soo a couple miles at first , because our first official planned stop is always in the small lakefront community of Wahkon to the snowmobile-centric Mugg ’ s of Mille Lacs bar and grill .
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