Outdoor adventures while riding ATVs and Biking intrigue visitors who want to experience the vast wilderness trails of Lake of the Woods. One of the great assets of Lake of the Woods is not only the beautiful waters of the lake itself but also acres and acres of pristine forest areas. The beauty and the quiet of the forest is conducive to riding the mountain bike on the sandy roads or riding your ATV for mile and miles.

During the summer and fall months. Beltrami State Forest and the Bankton

roads south of Williams and Roosevelt offer hundreds of miles of trails, 238 to be exact; not to mention the great hunting that goes with it. Much of this trail system follows county roads, township roads, ditch banks and existing trails.

ATV and Biking enthusiasts will be happy to know there are over 1,400 miles of ATV trails and accessible roads within the greater Beltrami area and Carp Pit, a northern MN recreation area favored by ATV riders that features picnic tables and space for camping.

Off-highway vehicles can be driven on all state forest trails that are not designated as off limits for environmental or safety reasons.  Lake of the Woods area has literally has thousands of acres of prime ATV destinations, a variety of nice resorts and hotels and of course great places to eat and drink while on vacation.

• Beltrami Island State Forest is just west of Baudette and spans an area of 66,903 acres.
• Pine Island State Forest is just south and east of Baudette and encompasses 878,040 acres.
• Northwest Angle State Forest in the north end of Lake of the Woods county has 144,412 acres to explore.
• Zippel Bay State Park is located northwest of Baudette on County Rd 8. Buy your state park sticker and ride, ride, ride.
• Blueberry Hill is a beautiful setting along Highway 11, west of Baudette. It’ known for its blueberries growing wild in late July. Try riding your bikes through this pretty area.

Off highway vehicles can be driven on all state forest trails that are not designated as off limits for environmental or safety reasons. For more information and trail maps check out our ATV PAGE or the MN DNR website

Mountain Biking Trails

Biking has become a great new adventure for many people these days. While there are no mountains near Lake of the Woods “and even small hills are scarce” the area does offer several routes for mountain biking. People often tell me that they experience a greater sense of smell and sight while leaving the car behind and taking to the road and forest areas using these other methods of travel.

The forest areas at Lake of the Woods are the first place early settlers homesteaded. Beautiful white pines  have stood the test of time as they oversee that beautiful area. While there be sure to take a break and climb the Faunce tower itself and gaze at the beauty of the area from a bird’s eye view

 

The forest roads surrounding the Faunce State Forest Campground, about 13 miles south of Williams, offer several loop routes up to about 30 miles in length. Potential users of these roads should be aware that forestry is a major industry in this area, and logging trucks frequently use these roads during the week, so weekends may be a better choice than week days. Also, there are several hunter walking trails in the area that are open to non-motorized vehicle use. Fat tire bikes allow anglers or hunters to travel long distances where foot travel is difficult to reach.

Please check out trail openings/closures from the MN DNR website before traveling this spring.

For more information on staying at Lake of the Woods visit our website at www.lakeofthewoodsMN.com/lodging