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Voyageurs National Park
Winter Trails
Cross-country skiing

A visitor cross-country skis down the Tilson Connector Trail.

Cross-Country Ski Trails

Enjoy the tranquility of cross-country skiing in Voyageurs National Park. For trail maps (pdf), click on the trail name.  Area ski trails (groomed and tracked unless noted) include:

Black Bay Trail 
Located one mile north of the Rainy Lake Visitor Center on the Rainy Lake Ice Road and offers 6 miles of trail.

Voyageurs’ Tilson Connector Trail
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources manages this ten mile network of interconnected ski trails. Several routes are possible, ranging from short loops to longer excursions. You can access this system from the Rainy Lake Visitor Center area on the park’s Tilson Connector Trail. For detailed information on the portion of the trail managed by the state of Minnesota, see the Koochiching State Forest Trail map (pdf).

Echo Bay Trail
This 3.5 mile loop trail is located a few miles from the Kabetogama Lake Visitor Center (closed winter). Follow County Road 122 north toward the Woodenfrog State Forest campground to access the trailhead. For detailed information, see the Echo Bay Trail map (pdf).

Kab-Ash Trail
This challenging backcountry trail system is 27.87 miles of ungroomed trail and is for the experienced skier. Bring a map and be prepared for winter travel in a remote area if exploring the Kab-Ash trail in winter.

 
Snowshoeing on the Oberholtzer Trail

Visitors snowshoe on the Oberholtzer trail near the Rainy Lake Visitor Center.

Snowshoe Trails

Explore the winter landscape on one of the park’s three tracked snowshoe trails. For a trail map (pdf) of each trail, click on the trail name. 

Blind Ash Bay Trail
(2.5 miles round trip)
The trailhead is at the Kabetogama Lake Overlook parking lot along the road to the Ash River Visitor Center.

Sullivan Bay Trail
(1.5 miles round trip)
Follow signs to the Ash River Visitor Center. The trailhead is just past the Beaver Pond Overlook on the north side of Sullivan Bay.

Oberholtzer Trail
(2 miles round trip)
The trailhead is just outside the Rainy Lake Visitor Center.

wind-blown snow creates patterns on the newly frozen surface of Black Bay on Rainy Lake  

Did You Know?
Voyageurs National Park is an amazing place to visit in winter, when the surface of the park's lakes will freeze up to two feet thick!

Last Updated: May 20, 2009 at 09:41 EST