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NPS Photo/Lueders Winter Trails Report: January 8th, 2025 Despite a week with no snow accumulation, Voyageurs National Park has been able to open some sections of the park’s ice roads and its snowmobile trails. Throughout the week, the ice has improved with the cold. Now part of the Kabetogama Lake Ice Road, from the visitor center to the Sphunge Island sledding hill; and the Green Snowmobile Trail from Franks Bay and Black Bay on Rainy Lake across Kabetogama and into Ash River are open. The ice road is marked with stakes, which will be removed once there is enough snow to plow into a berm. We need more snow! Currently, areas of the frozen lake have so little snow cover, park staff are prevented from traveling far on their snowmobiles. So far this year the park’s snowmobiles have experienced more wear n’ tear and overheating due to the lack of snow. The photo here shows how little snow there is on portions of the typical Green Trail. Be careful on land portages, as they are rough and covered with minimal hard packed snow. The Kabetogama sledding hill is open, but with nominal snow there are some exposed rocks. Exercise caution and avoid hazardous areas where the ice is still somewhat thin: pressure ridges, sand bars, shorelines, and shallow areas. Ice is never 100% safe!
SNOWMOBILE TRAILS Purple Trail (International Falls to Kettle Falls): CLOSED Green Trail (Rainy Lake/Black Bay to Kabetogama Lake to Ash River): Open but not groomed Green Trail (Ash River to Crane Lake): CLOSED Dashed Black Trail Chain of Lakes: CLOSED Yellow Trail (Ash River to Kettle Falls): CLOSED Blue Trail (East Namakan Lake to Sand Point Lake): CLOSED ICE ROADS Rainy Lake Ice Road: CLOSED Rainy Lake Dryweed Loop: CLOSED Kabetogama Lake Ice Road: Open from the Kabetogama Visitor Center to the Sphunge Island sledding hill Kabetogama Lake Ice Road West and East Spur Roads: CLOSED SKI TRAILS Echo Bay Ski Trail: Open; 1st loop packed and tracked; 2nd and 3rd cleared Rainy Lake Rec Trail: Open; packed and tracked Black Bay Ski Trail: CLOSED Tilson Connector Trail: Open; packed but not tracked SNOWSHOE TRAILS Rainy Lake Recreation Trail: Open Oberholtzer Trail: Open Black Bay Beaver Pond Trail: CLOSED Kab-Ash Trail: Open Blind Ash Bay Trail: Open Sullivan Bay Trail: Open KABETOGAMA LAKE RECREATION AREA Sledding Hill: Open, but no snow Ice Rink: CLOSED For information on the land trails in communities nearby check out these links: Voyageur Trail Society - Trail Updates International Voyageurs Snowmobile Club Trail Report Snow Depth and Groomed Trail Conditions | Minnesota DNR Ash River Kabetogama Snowdrifters Trail Reports Ash River Kabetogama Snowdrifters Facebook Page Polar Polers Ski Club Facebook Page Loading weather forecast... |
Last updated: January 9, 2025