Minnesota Trails

The Gandy Dancer State Trail is a gentle and scenic drive through the Nemadji and St. Croix State Forests. The trail follows an abandoned railroad track and provides the only vehicle access to the Black Lake Bog State Natural Area. A gandy dancer was a slang term for railroad workers who built the original track. The workers used tools manufactured by the Gandy Manufacturing Company. The railroad crews were known to sing in unison with their repetitive tasks, like hammering in railroad spikes, which led to them being described as dancers. The trail is famous for birders, wildlife sightings, and wildflowers.

Mesabi Mountain ORV Trail is a rare gem in the region, offering nearly nonstop technical rock crawling—an exhilarating challenge for offroad enthusiasts. Opened in 2011 thanks to the efforts of the Northern Minnesota Jeepers Club, this trail winds through the rugged terrain of the Laurentian Divide, where each rocky ridge and outcropping demands precise line selection, making for a thrilling ride. As an out-and-back trail, its layout allows for multiple loops and alternate routes to test your skill and nerve. Along the way, scenic viewpoints provide the perfect spots to take a break, grab lunch, and swap stories with your trail mates about past obstacles and what lies ahead. With lodging and restaurants in nearby Eveleth, Mesabi Mountain Trail is well worth the drive from any major metro area—making for an unforgettable offroad weekend.