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Other stories in "Snowshoeing"

• Ski or snowshoe by candlelight
  On a cold winter's night, follow the twinkling lights.
• North Shore by snowshoe
  In winter, hikers find serenity and stark beauty on trails above Lake Superior.
• Waterfalls by snowshoe
  On an Upper Michigan river, see a kaleidoscope of water and ice.
• Snowshoeing in Wisconsin
  National forests, state parks and wildlife preserves roll out the white carpet for winter hikers.
• Great places to snowshoe
  In winter, the outdoors is wide open to those who walk on snow.
• Choosing snowshoes
  You can make, buy or simply try the different models.

Snowshoeing in Minnesota

In the land of lakes, it's easy to get off the beaten path.

There are many good reasons to go off trail, and the chance to see moose definitely is one of them.

When we were at Bear Head Lake near Ely one January, we hiked first along a lakeside ski trail that was so packed we didn't need snowshoes.

But then the ranger mentioned she'd seen moose tracks in fresh snow near the park entrance, and we decided to go moose-tracking. Strapping on our snowshoes, we plunged from the road into deep woods.

It was a whole different world. The snow that barely covered our toes on the edge of the ski trail came up to our knees under the tree cover.

The moose had been everywhere, leaving dainty oval scat. Sometimes they'd made the tell-tale posthole tracks with their spindly legs, but more often they'd created cavernous holes as they wallowed through the snow.

We wallowed, too, but at least we were staying more or less on top of the snow as we followed the dips and rises of the glade. It was beautiful, with fresh snow outlining spruce tops and making waffle patterns on the boughs. We didn't see any moose, but we felt a little like voyeurs as we stomped through their tucked-away hangout.

It was one of the best times I'd had on snowshoes, because I'd used them to go somewhere that otherwise would be off-limits. And by the time the two of us had shuffled through twice, we'd left a pretty decent path.

On a trail, your path is decided for you. Off trail, who knows where you'll end up — or what you'll see?

Minnesota has plenty of everything, marked and groomed snowshoe trails as well as remote wilderness.

Twenty-five Minnesota state parks rent snowshoes for $6 a day. Many parks also offer guided snowshoe hikes, during which snowshoe use is free (register in advance).

The problem with popular state parks is that trails there often are quickly packed down. Minnesota's state natural areas — protected spots that are lovely, but without services — often are a better bet. They're small, but then, you can't travel all that far on snowshoes, anyway.

Here are some of the best places to snowshoe in Minnesota. For conditions, check the weekly DNR snow-depth report. For candlelight events, see Ski or snowshoe by candlelight. And for other good places next door, see Snowshoeing in Wisconsin.

North-central lakes

Itasca State Park north of Park Rapids: There's no bad place to snowshoe in this beautiful park, but the 3.2-kilometer Dr. Roberts Nature Trail, 3.1-kilometer Mary Lake Trail near Douglas Lodge and 1.8-kilometer Schoolcraft Trail near the headwaters are groomed for snowshoeing. 

Within the park, Itasca Wilderness Sanctuary state natural area includes the Bohall Wilderness Trail.

In 2010, the park is offering lantern-lit skiing and snowshoeing Jan. 23 and Feb. 20. For more, see Itasca in winter.

Deep Portage Learning Center near Hackensack. At this large reserve an hour north of Brainerd, the public is welcome to snowshoe on nearly 10 square miles of forest set on rolling glacial moraine, with seven lakes. There are snowshoe as well as ski trails; pick up a map in the lodge.

For naturalist-led snowshoe hikes, the snowshoes are supplied. In 2010, they're on Jan. 9 and Feb. 27, and cost is $5, $3 for kids.

The center also hosts two family weekends, Jan. 15-17 and Feb. 26-28 in 2010. Cost is $100 for five meals, lodgings, programs and gear. For more, see Playground in the woods.

Uppgaard Wildlife Management Area near Crosslake. Just off the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway, this 110-acre non-game wildlife is very quiet in winter and a good place to look for wildlife. It’s nine miles east of Minnesota 371 and Jenkins on County Road 16.

There are other good spots along the 54-mile byway, which winds around the Whitefish Chain. The Veterans Walking Trail also is along County Road 16, 2½ miles east of Jenkins.

Northland Arboretum in Brainerd. This 540-acre preserve, also a trailhead on the Paul Bunyan State Trail, has many 100-foot red pines and is frequented by  fox, beaver, deer, two timber wolves and three bears.

It has nearly 20 kilometers of trails. "I get back there and I don't want to go back to the office; it's like Walden Pond,'' says director Dale Braddy.

Trails are open from sunrise to sunset, $3, and the visitors center is open Monday through Friday. From Thanksgiving evening until the Saturday after New Year's, the arboretum also features the Sertoma Club's WInter Wonderland, a lighted holiday display, and admission is $10 per car.

The arboretum is in the northeast corner of the junction of 371 and 210 in Baxter. 

State parks: In north-central lakes country, these state parks rent snowshoes: Itasca, Lake Bemidji, Mille Lacs Kathio, Lake Carlos near Alexandria, Lindbergh in Little Falls and Crow Wing near Brainerd.

Ely

North Arm trails of Burntside Lake. These hilly trails are popular for skiing and hiking, too. From the trailhead, several loops wind through magnificent old-growth forest and up rocky ridges for spectacular views of surrounding lakes and forests.

They're reached by turning onto North Arm Road or County Road 644 from the Echo Trail north of town.

North Hegman Lake pictographs. It's three kilometers across South Hegman Lake to these ancient red figures. Drawn on rock 500 or 1,000 years ago, they depict a moose, an otterlike animal, a figure that may be human or superhuman and perhaps some constellations — no one knows for sure. Park off the Echo Trail or County Road 116, 15 miles north of town.

Every year, Outward Bound staffers lead a free snowshoe hike to the Hegman Lake pictographs, snowshoes included. In 2010, it's Feb. 12 at 11 a.m.; call 218-365-5761 to register.

Bear Head Lake State Park. This quiet park between Ely and Tower, seven miles south of Minnesota 169, is a good place to get off trail and perhaps spot a moose.

North Shore

Hartley Nature Center in Duluth. There are more than 10 miles of hiking trails in this rolling, wooded preserve, bisected by the Superior Hiking Trail.

It has 70 pairs of rental snowshoes, traditional wooden ones for adults and youths and metal shoes with teeth for preschoolers through first-graders. Cost is $10 for non-members.

The center is just north of the University of Minnesota-Duluth campus, off Woodland Avenue/Skyline Parkway.

Superior Hiking Trail in Duluth. Now, 48 miles of the Superior Hiking Trail stretch from Jay Cooke State Park to the northeast end of Duluth, roughly following the same ridges and glacial beach terraces used by Skyline Parkway.

Many of the sections may be packed down, but the scenery can't be beat. For more, see Hiking in Duluth.

There are dozens of good places to snowshoe on the North Shore, including the five-mile Split Rock River loop of the Superior Hiking Trail. The trail starts four miles north of Gooseberry Falls State Park, at the mouth of the Split Rock River; there’s a parking area. Not far from the trailhead on the west side of the river, there's a 20-foot blue-ice waterfall on a creek, around the corner from the first bridge. 

Five miles west of Schroeder, there's a one-mile interpretive trail through the lovely Sugarloaf Cove preserve. Two  miles farther west, there's a 1½-mile hike along the Caribou River past Caribou Falls to a bridge and back.

For more good places, see North Shore by snowshoe.

2010 guided snowshoe hikes: Jan. 23, Learning to Snowshoe walk at Gooseberry Falls State Park, snowshoes included. Register at 218-834-3855.

Jan. 24-29, five guided hikes during Volks Ski Fest, including Jan. 24 and 28 along the Kadunce River east of Grand Marais, with some snowshoes available at the Lake Superior Trading Post in Grand Marais; register in advance.

Feb. 20, Candlelight snowshoe, ski and walk at Gooseberry Falls State Park.

Feb. 20, a 4.4-mile hike guided by the Superior Hiking Trail Association from the Caribou Wayside to Sugarloaf Cove near Schroeder. Meet at Sugarloaf at 10 a.m. to arrange a self-shuttle.

March 6, a 3.4-mile hike guided by the Superior Hiking Trail Association on the newest section just east of Two Harbors, along Silver Creek from Gun Club Road to County Road 301. Meet at the County Road 301 trailhead at 10 a.m. to arrange a self-shuttle.

State parks: On the North Shore, Jay Cooke near Duluth and Split Rock Lighthouse and Tettegouche on the North Shore rent snowshoes.

Gunflint Trail

You can snowshoe nearly anywhere, but nine resorts on the Gunflint offer snowshoeing on 25 miles of marked and groomed trails. There are many snowshoe events during the Winter Tracks festival on the Gunflint, Feb. 25-28 in 2010.

You can also snowshoe into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness; be sure to fill in a free day-use permit. You can plunge in anywhere, but if you're looking for a trail, you can reach the Boundary Waters via the Banadad Trail; Ted and Barbara Young of Poplar Creek Guesthouse will supply directions.

George Washington Memorial Pines. This preserve, just six miles up the Gunflint Trail from Grand Marais, is a good place to track small animals. There's a three-mile trail through swamp and pines.

Northern Light Lake Trail. Thirteen miles from Grand Marais, this one-mile trail climbs up Blueberry Hill to its bald basalt pate and a panorama of the lake and Brule River stretching into the distance. Sometimes the parking lot isn't plowed, however.

Honeymoon Bluff Trail. Sixteen miles farther, turn off on County Road 66 and drive two miles, just past the Flour Lake Campground. From here, this trail climbs wooden steps to an iron-streaked cliff high above the labyrinthine waters of Hungry Jack Lake and, beyond, West Bearskin Lake. It's especially lovely at sunset.

Twin Cities area

The problem with snowshoeing in the Twin Cities is that so much of it already is packed by the time you get there. So try to head out while the snow is fresh.

In Minneapolis, the Parks and Recreation Board offers naturalist-led snowshoe hikes on the Chain of Lakes, in Wirth Park and along the Mississippi River, with snowshoes provided, $5-$15. Register by noon two days before the event, 612-313-7725. Moonlight hikes are held when there's a full moon.

Mississippi River Gorge in Minneapolis. Trails follow both sides of the river on the only place where the river cut a gorge, between the Franklin and Ford Parkway bridges. Duck down onto the Winchell Trail, on the west bank between Franklin Avenue and 44th Street. Naturalist hikes are Jan. 2 and Jan. 30 in 2010.

Theodore Wirth Park. Snowshoers can use the 4.36-mile mountain-biking trail near Wirth Beach in this large, leafy park in the northwest corner of the city. Naturalist hikes are Jan. 16 and Feb. 20 in 2010.

Three Rivers Park District. This large district in west suburban Minneapolis, named for the Minnesota, Mississippi and Crow rivers, maintains 38 miles of snowshoe trails at 11 parks and reserves.

It rents snowshoes for $5 an hour at Hyland Hills in Bloomington, Elm Creek in Maple Grove, Baker in Maple Plain and Carver in Victoria. Snowshoes are provided for participants in guided hikes.

Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge: This eight-parcel preserve in the southern and southwest suburbs of Minneapolis holds frequent snowshoe hikes, with snowshoes provided at no charge.

Many of the hikes are from the Bloomington Visitor Center, near the Mall of America, and the Rapids Lake Education and Visitor Center, near Carver.

Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center near Hastings. This 425-acre preserve has hiking trails through pines, oak savanna, restored prairie and in wooded ravines along the St. Croix River. Guided moonlight hikes are Jan. 29 and Feb. 26, $7, with snowshoes provided.

Lake Maria State Park near Monticello. This park, an hour west of the Twin Cities, maintains three miles of trails for snowshoeing, and snowshoers can go off on their own in this stand of Big Woods.

There's a snowshoe hike during Winter Fun Day, Jan. 16; a beginner's snowshoe hike Jan. 30; and candlelight snowshoeing Feb. 13.

State parks: Within an hour of the Twin Cities, these parks rent snowshoes: Lake Maria, Afton, Wild River near Taylors Falls, and St. Croix near Pine City.

Southeast Minnesota

In the last few years, southeast Minnesota has been hit by more blizzards than the north woods, giving it reliable snow.

Frontenac State Park between Red Wing and Lake City. This bluffside park on the Mississippi River rents snowshoes and offers snowshoeing on a variety of terrain, in ravines and on the bluff top.

Whitewater State Park between Rochester and Winona. This large, picturesque park, surrounded by limestone bluffs, rents snowshoes and has many areas where snowshoers can walk, along streams and up to overlooks.

Naturalist Dave Palmquist is famous for his moonlight snowshoe walks, which he punctuates with owl calls and readings from Emerson and Thoreau. They're Jan. 29 and Feb. 26 in 2010, and long-tailed Alaskan snowshoes are provided.

State parks: Great River Bluffs near Winona and Nerstrand Big Woods near Northfield also rent snowshoes.

Last updated on January 7, 2010