Redhead Trail Baby on Back
HIKING

Explore Iron Range hiking trails, and be prepared for beautiful views, wildlife sightings, and experiencing the woods like never before!

2 Boys ATV
OFF HIGHWAY

Kick up some dust and have the time of your life on Iron Range off-highway trails and opportunities!

Snowmobiling along trail
SNOWMOBILING

It doesn’t get any better than sledding on pristine, groomed northern Minnesota snowmobile trails!

Minnesota’s 2022 Firearms Deer Season is Nov 5-20. Some trails may be closed.

Get out and find yourself on an Iron Range Trail! Whether your passion is hiking, walking, trail biking, mountain or fat biking, off road riding, snowmobiling, or horseback riding, an Iron Range trail can take you deep into a memorable outdoor experience! A trail brings out the explorer in all of us, no matter how we propel ourselves along the trail. What’s around the next corner? Look at that view you’ve never seen before! What can you experience today, or any day or the year, on a new trail? Bring out your inner outdoor explorer and make unforgettable memories on Iron Range trails of all kinds!

Mountain Bike the Iron Range!

Trail biking is flourishing on the Range. The new RedHead system in Chisholm is unlike anything you’ve ever seen, offering 23+ miles of trails in mining country. You have to ride (or hike) it to believe it! Giants Ridge in Biwabik has six purpose-built lift-served gravity trails with more on the way, and more than 20 miles of cross country biking.

Hibbing’s Maple Hill Park is home to a growing four miles, and Lookout Mountain on the Laurentian Divide (6 miles, just north of Virginia) offers single-track, snowshoeing and cross country skiing.  All systems located within a 40-mile radius. 

Looking at winter riding? Find info on fat bike trails here.

Bikes, plus rental and repair, can be found at Bikes on Howard in Hibbing or Mesabi Recreation in Virginia. And check out Joe Sacco’s Blog for an up close look at biking on the Range.

Man and 2 boys on horseback

Iron Range Horseback Riding

Horseback riding on the Iron Range is arguably the best way to experience the natural scenic beauty that can be found along our many miles of horse trails. What could be better than breathing in the crisp fall air while riding a leafy path strewn with autumn colors through one of Minnesota’s well preserved state parks?

For a memorable horseback experience, check out these trails:

Taconite Trail: The Taconite Trail extends 145 miles from Ely to Grand Rapids. It passes through two state parks, McCarthy Beach and Bear Head Lake, as well as George Washington, Bear Island, and Sturgeon River state forests. The Taconite trail is easily the largest state trail on the Iron Range that is approved for horseback riding and with its numerous access points, many of which are large enough to park a horse trailer, you’ll have no problem getting out and enjoying the natural scenery of the Minnesota State Parks and Forests. See a trail map here. 

Arrowhead State Trail: The Arrowhead State Trail extends off the Taconite Trail at an intersection near Tower and extends to three miles south of International Falls. Approximately 69 miles of the 135-mile trail are ideal for horseback riding. Ride by lakes, streams and rolling hills that are heavily laden with a wide assortment of tree species.

Mesabi Trail: The Mesabi Trail, though best known and most widely used as an extensive and scenic bicycling trail, allows horseback riding and camping in parts of its 120 miles. Just as the Mesabi Trail offers an exciting experience for bicycling it can provide you with a memorable horseback riding experience. Check out the official Mesabi Trail site here for more information.

Want to camp on your horseback ride? George Washington State forest boasts two horse friendly campgrounds: Stoneybrook camp and the nearby Togo campground. Both campgrounds provide pull-through campsites, picket lines, manure bunkers, an accessible loading ramp and open spaces. Equestrian campsites have a fee of $16 per night. See the state Horse Camp Trails map for more information. 

A Horse Pass is required to ride on any of the Minnesota state trails that are approved for horseback riding. Any person age 16 and older will be required to hold a horse pass,  issued through the Minnesota State DNR. Annual passes are $21 and are valid for one year. Daily passes are also available for $5 and are only valid for the day shown. Visit the DNR website to purchase online.