MIDWEST Michigan Wisconsin Minnesota North Dakota South Dakota Michigan Having a name itself that means large water or large lake and being located in the upper Midwest, you know you are going to get some great lakeeffect snow in Michigan. With more than 6,000 miles of snowmobile trails, it s a snowmobiler s haven. You can expect a nice long winter full of sweet exhaust sounds. With all that snow and all those trails, it s almost silly not to have a snowmobile to take full advantage of Michigan s snow season. Starting with Central Lower Michigan, three spots you won t want to miss include Grayling/Mancelona, Houghton Lake and Mio. Grayling and Mancelona are near Hartwick Pines State Park in Crawford County. The trails in Crawford County connect to the largest trail system in the state, so you won t run out of trail to trek. Houghton Lake is Michigan s largest inland lake and has 30 miles of shoreline trails to explore. About 88 miles of trail surround the area, and the 200 miles in Roscommon County connect with the state trail system. Mio lies in the Huron National Forest on the Au Sable River in the Lower-Peninsula. It meets up with the Manistee National Forest. The area provides you with 700 miles of good riding on well-groomed snowmobile trails. Gaylord welcomes snowmobilers too. Popular area rides include the Blue Bear Trail, scenic Jordan Valley Trail, North Branch Trail, Indian River Trail and Shingle Mills Pathway, where you may find the largest elk herd east of the Mississippi in Pigeon River State Forest. Slow down if you do! In Northwest Lower Michigan, you ll also find some great riding in Traverse City, Petoskey and Irons. These areas near the shores of Lake Michigan get the most snow in the state and have skiing and other snowrelated activities close-by; yes, apparently there ARE other winter sports besides snowmobiling, weird. Join the Yoopers in Michigan s Western Upper Penninsula for more than 2,500 miles of trail where you can see the Lake Superior Ice Caverns and much more. Gogebic/ Ontonagon counties are great places to zip around the trails, as we ve seen year after year. There are 155 miles of trail on 5 routes around Lake Gogebic, the largest inland lake in the U.P. Other popular spots include the Watersmeet/Land O Lakes Rail Trail, 450 miles of groomed fun in the Ottawa National Forest, Penokee Mountain Range, Porcupine Mountains, Cisco Chain of Lakes, Bruce Crossing and Ironwood, which is across the Montreal River from Hurley, Wis., marking the boundary between the two states. Don t miss Sledfest in Michigan s Western UP too, located in Ironwood, where you ll find fast races, exciting events, snowmobile shows and activities for everyone in January. Visit www.sledfest.com for updated info. Baraga County has 150 miles of trails that connect with the more than 2,500 miles of U.P. trails. Many trails follow logging routes through the forests and make for gorgeous rides. Popular routes include the 60-mile L Anse Big Bay Trail and the 58-mile Lac Vieux Trail. Just north of Baraga, the trails in the Keweenaw Peninsula also connect with those throughout the U.P. Many riders take the Bill Nicholls Trail to reach the area, which is an abandoned railroad grade that serves as a super highway to the region. The Freda Trail loop connects with the Bill Nicholls just north of Toivola, and WRITE NO. 10 ON THE READER SERVICE CARD GG AMERICAN SNOWMOBILER www.amsnow.com
it isn t too far from Lake Superior. Many other trails connect to take you through Copper Country. The snowmobiling centers of the region are Houghton and Hancock. Some great trails to check out include the Clark Mine Trail, Mandan Trail and Brockway Mountain Trail. Heavy snow is found near Lake Superior where the elevation rises to about 800 ft. above lake level, offering tremendous views of the coldest of the Great Lakes. And what snowmobiling trip to Michigan would be complete if you didn t visit Munising? (See AmSnow, Oct. 2006, p. 68) Snow accumulates early here and sticks around. Area residents are welcoming, and the views are great; don t miss the Pictured Rocks area near Lake Superior s shore. You can take a short romp or a long winder, as trail networks reach from Shingleton to Grand Marais, Seney, Deerton, Chatham, Manistique and Rapid River. Between Munising and the Keweenaw Penninsula lies Marquette County, which gets plenty of powder too, more than 200 inches of it, which has been known to cause the area s population to double in winter! Nature lovers will enjoy Trail 5, and Trail 8 in Champion will take you to Michigamme and Three Lakes. Go east to Ishpeming or Marquette, the U.P. s biggest city, where you ll find lodging, dining and fuel stops to make both you and your sled happy. Another great place to ride is beautiful Paradise (See AmSnow, Oct. 2005, p. 77) at the northeastern tip of the U.P. Ride to the state s largest falls, Tahquamenon Falls, or the towns of Newberry and Whitefish Point. The 35,000-acre Tahquamenon Falls State Park is just southwest of Paradise FYI, bring your camera. Make reservations early here. There are plenty of places to explore on and off trail, including the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum and the old Whitefish Point Lighthouse. You can t not have a good ol snowmobiling time in Michigan, every which way you turn, there s another trail! WRITE NO. 11 ON THE READER SERVICE CARD WRITE NO. 12 ON THE READER SERVICE CARD November 2008 GG
WRITE NO. 13 ON THE READER SERVICE CARD Mich. Snowmobile Association: www.msasnow.org Mich. Department of Natural Resources: www.michigan.gov/dnr Mich. Tourism: www.michigan.org/travel Lodging Bear s Nine Pines Resort N 9426 State Hwy M-64, Marenisco 906-842-3361 www.ninepinesresort.com Ojibwa Casinos M-38, Baraga 800-323-8045 www.ojibwacasino.com Ojibwa Casinos M-28, Marquette 800-530- 9905 www.ojibwacasino.com Country Village 850 US Hwy 41 W Ishpeming 866-875-4312 www.countryvillageresort.com Jasper Ridge Vacation Homes 850 US Hwy 41 W Ishpeming 866-875-4312 www.upvacationhomes.com Best Western Country Inn 850 US Hwy 41, W Ishpeming 906-486-8702 www.countryvillageresort.com/html/countryinn.html Jasper Ridge Inn 1000 River Parkway, Ishpeming 866-875-4312 www.bwjasperridgeinn.com Dining Country Kitchen 850 US Hwy 41, W Ishpeming 906-486-1074 www.countrykitchenishpeming.com Jasper Ridge Brewery 1075 Country Lane, Ishpeming 906-485-6017 www.jasperridgebrewery.com Dealers/Rentals Dan s Polaris 1006 Erickson Dr., Atlantic Mine 906-482-6227 www.danspolaris.com West End Rentals 1150 Country Lane, Ishpeming 906-485-1870 www.countryvillageresort.com/html/atv.html Wisconsin When you say WIS-CON-SIN, you ve said it all! That s what the native s sing here and when winter hits you ll be singing a happy tune too. Wildlife is plentiful along the 25,000 miles of state trails, so be sure to go up Nort der to the Northwoods area, hey. First, we don t think you d want to miss seeing the Snowmobile Capital of the World, Eagle River. Here, you ll find the Eagle River 500, 500 miles of trails that will have you darting about like a racer across frozen lakes and through thick forests after checking out the World Championship Snowmobile Derby and vintage sled WRITE NO. 14 ON THE READER SERVICE CARD WRITE NO. 15 ON THE READER SERVICE CARD GG AMERICAN SNOWMOBILER www.amsnow.com
races at the Eagle River Derby Track in January. Find out more at www. derbytrack.com. To warm up your rosy nose, take a break at the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame in St. Germain, right off the trail! Or, check out the new World Snowmobile Headquarters Museum right next to the Eagle River Derby Track. Both offer a load of snowmobiling history with well restored sleds and interesting displays. Other welcoming sledding areas in the Nort include Boulder Junction, Manitowish Waters, Minocqua, Rhinelander, Tomahawk and Land O Lakes. It s easy to travel back and forth from the Northwoods area to Michigan, so it s wise to have trail permits for both states. Don t forget the Northwest either! You can really get away from it all up here and hide out. Al Capone did. In the Cable area (See AmSnow, Jan. 2006, p. 67) you can hook up with the Tri-County Corridor Trail running from Minnesota to Michigan. Trail 63 takes travelers from Hayward north through Cable, Drummond and Grandview, continuing on toward Mason. You will get some awesome views here over some high bridges. There are too many great trails in this area to mention them all, but we know that Trails 7, 8, 31 and 21 are super. Price and Iron counties (See AmSnow, Nov. 2006, p. 92) also are in Northwestern Wisconsin and offer great snowmobiling spots. Price County offers 98 lakes, 45 trout streams, 3 major rivers and 6 county parks. Places to visit here include the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest Flambeau Trail, the Tuscobia State Trail from Park Falls to Rice Lake, the Pine Line Trail from Prentice to Medford, the North Country Trail, Mercer, with its 450 miles of trails, and Timm s Hill, Wisconsin s highest point at 1,951 ft. Spooner area trails will connect you with major routes throughout the upper Midwest and take you on a variety of terrain. A great route is the Wild River Trail, a 96-mile long, multi-use recreational trail covering Washburn, Barron and Douglas counties. Another is the Gandy Dancer Bike Trail that stretches 66 miles from WRITE NO. 16 ON THE READER SERVICE CARD WRITE NO. 17 ON THE READER SERVICE CARD November 2008 GG
St. Croix Falls to Danbury and Burnett counties. The Tuscobia State Trail also is popular. Experience some great riding in Hurley too, which also is in Iron County near Michigan s U.P. It has 500 miles of groomed trails, and an average snowfall of about 200 inches. Often the snow on these trails will turn red from the underlying soil s rich iron content. In Waushara County, 70 miles north of Madison, you ll find 300 WRITE NO. 18 ON THE READER SERVICE CARD miles of trails, including the popular Bannerman Trail, a former railroad bed, and Corridor Trail 15, which will link you to Waupaca County. Read up on the 270 miles worth of trails in Buffalo County, Wis., in our Spring 2008 issue, p. 60. Found in the southwestern part of the state, this area is known as the Driftless Zone, where you ll see meandering valleys and rocky hills dotting the landscape. Another great trail in the southern part of the state that we ve visited is the Glacial Drumlin State Trail, which we also highly recommend. (See AmSnow, Nov. 2007, p.60) Association of Wis. Snowmobile Clubs: www.awsc.org Wis. Department of Natural Resources: www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/cs/registrations/snow.htm Northern Wis. Snowmobiling: www. northwoodswisconsin.com/snowmobiling.htm WRITE NO. 21 ON THE READER SERVICE CARD Lodging Chanticleer Inn 1458 East Dollar Lake Rd. Eagle River 715-479-4486 www.chanticleerinn.com Moose Lake View Vacation Home 11035 N County Rd S Hayward 715-462-3404 www.naturesuniques.com Rustic Manor Motor Lodge 6463 Hwy. 70 East St. Germain 800-272-9776 www.rusticmanor.com Wild Eagle Lodge 4443 Chain O Lakes Road Eagle River 877-645-3965 www.wildeaglelodge.com Black Bear Lodge 1279 Halberstadt Rd. St. Germain 715-479-5778 www.blackbearlodge.com Nitschke s Northern Resort 8293 Northern Road Minocqua 715-356-7795 www. nitschkesnorthernresort.com Other Cable Area Chamber of Commerce County Hwy M Cable 715-798-3833 www.cable4fun.com Eagle River Chamber of Commerce PO Box 1917 Eagle River 603-538-3680 www.snowmobileeagleriver.com Hayward Visitor and Convention Bureau PO Box 1055 Hayward 715-634-4801 www.haywardlakes.com Price County Tourism 126 Cherry St. Phillips 715-339-4505 www.pricecountywi.net Minnesota Minnesnowta? You ll find plenty of snow here, along with some good times out on the trails with your friends and family. WRITE NO. 19 ON THE READER SERVICE CARD WRITE NO. 20 ON THE READER SERVICE CARD GG10 AMERICAN SNOWMOBILER www.amsnow.com WRITE NO. 22 ON THE READER SERVICE CARD
Hinckley offers the longest paved snowmobile trail, the Willard Munger State Trail, and one of Minnesota s largest casinos, the Grand Casino Hinckley. Trails here include the 36-mile Fire Trail and the 15-mile Shortline section, a scenic route with views of the St. Louis River and the ports of Duluth and Superior. Trails in Banning State Park will take you past the Kettle River sandstone formations, the Wolf Creek Falls and ruins of the Banning Stone Quarry. Park Rapids is in the heart of Minnesota s north woods and is your gateway to Itasca State Park. A popular destination here is the historic Heartland State Trail, which runs 49 miles between Park Rapids and Cass Lake. It has connections with the Hubbard County Grant-in-Aid trail system too. The area abounds with wildlife, from muskrats and porcupines, to bald eagles. DNR recreational areas include Paul Bunyan State Trail, Itasca State Park, Smokey Hills State Forest, Two Inlets State Forest, Foot Hills State Forest, Hunterville State Forest, Paul Bunyan State Forest and Welsh Lake State Forest. The MITS-71 and MITS-2 trails cross in Bemidji, centrally located among Minnesota s more than 14,000 miles of trails. The MITS will link you up with hundreds of spur trails. You can get on the Paul Bunyan Trail and Blue Ox Trail in Bemidji; these make up the MITS-71 route. If you re looking for some photos to take home, loop off the Blue Ox onto the Buena Vista Trail in Buena Vista State Forest. There is plenty to explore here. For some of the best groomed trails in the Midwest, scoot over to the Iron Trail/Cook area. There are more than 13 groomers operating on any given day on the trails in this northeastern region of the state. Besides trails, there are 500 lakes and rivers to play on. Places to visit include the Superior National Forest, Taconite, Tomahawk and Arrowhead State Trails. Make a stop at Thief River Falls and Roseau, the backyard testing grounds for Arctic Cat and Polaris, respectively. You ll find welcoming arms up by the Canadian border, as folks here love snowmobile enthusiasts, and maybe you can learn a thing or two about the machine you re riding by taking a manufacturer s plant tour. Be careful if you head over the border though. You ll need a provincial permit! Minn. United Snowmobilers Association: www.mnsnowmobiler.org Minn. DNR Snowmobiling: www.dnr.state.mn.us/snowmobiling Minn. Tourism: www.exploreminnesota.com Other Lake Vermilion Resort Association PO Box 159, Cook, 218-666-5850 www.lakevermilionresorts.com WRITE NO. 23 ON THE READER SERVICE CARD November 2008 GG11
North Dakota A lot of isolated beauty can be found in the varied landscape of North Dakota and some pretty cold temps as well, with a record low of - 60 F. Hey, challenge yourself! You ll find 16 snowmobile trails that consist of more than 3,500 miles, open Dec. 1st to April 1st (provided there are 4 inches of snow on the ground) in beautiful North Dakota. About 1,800 of these miles are groomed, but if you re looking for some rough riding, there are plenty of less developed trails to explore for the adventurous type. The more traveled routes include the forests of Turtle Mountain and Pembina Gorge, the scenic valleys of the Sheyenne, Missouri and Red Rivers, the majestic Badlands and the shorelines of Devils Lake and Lake Sakakawea, the third largest man-made lake in the U.S. Snowmobile N.D.: www.snowmobilend.org n.d. PARKS & RECREATION: www.parkrec.nd. gov/recreation/snowmobile N.D. Tourism: www.ndtourism.com South Dakota Blizzards and ice storms are not uncommon for South Dakotans. You re sure to find winter lingering here and some excellent scenic riding as well. The Black Hills National Forest of South Dakota covers 1.2 million acres and contains 325 miles of snowmobile trails that average 200+ inches of snow annually, making it one of the nation s top snowmobiling spots. You ll find the most snowmobiling in the state s western third, where the 6,000-ft. elevations can get 5 feet of snow-pack. Take photos of deep canyons, pine forests, views from summits and the figure-8 you just made in the meadow. Everywhere you turn you ll find another great view. Snowmobile services, rentals and guides are available so you can plan a great outing with your family. On the trails you ll find pit stops, gas, warming shelters, trailheads and parking. Nearby towns include Deadwood and Lead. Other sites to see include the frozen draperies in the ice cave west of Deerfield, frozen Roughlock Falls, the trails around Spearfish Canyon (which is recognized as one of the premiere natural landscapes in America), plus the Mickelson and Needle trails in the Beartooth area. South Dakota Snowmobile Association: www.itctel.com/sdsa Snowmobiling in S.D.: www.sdgfp.info/parks/recreation/snowmobiling S.D. Department of Motor Vehicles: www.state.sd.us/drr2/motorvehicle/title/register. htm#snowmobiles S.D. Tourism: www.travelsd.com GG12 AMERICAN SNOWMOBILER www.amsnow.com