The Resort Road & Off Road Trails
Many guests will just ride their bikes down the resort road. At the end of our driveway turn right on the gravel road (county road 310), you can bike for a couple miles along this road before it ends at private homes. County Road 310 has minimal traffic and is all woods for scenery. Adventurous guests can tackle riding bikes on the snowmobile trails which are accessible from the resort.
Joyce Estates Trail
**Our Favorite hiking & biking trail** A must see!!
In the 1880s, William T. Joyce came to the area and started buying land and timber. The area was logged in the early 1900s and the logs were floated out through the chain of lakes to the prairie river and then to the Mississippi River. About 1918, the heir to the family fortune originating in lumber taken from northern Minnesota, David Joyce of Chicago, surveyed the area around Trout Lake with the intention of building a hunting camp. Over the next 17 years, he built a 4,500-acre private resort with 40 buildings, a golf course, a private telephone line, and an airplane hangar. The Joyce Family called this place “Nopeming” (meaning place of rest in Ojibwe). The estate operated as a plush private resort for the Joyce Family until 1972 when it was sold to the Nature Conservancy. The Forest Service subsequently acquired it in 1973.
Visitors can tour the grounds of the Joyce Estate and view the rustic log architecture and stickwork characteristic of the Adirondack tradition.
Over 95% of the shoreline of Trout Lake is undeveloped. Be sure to walk out to the end of the point at the Joyce Estate and stand on the sandbar. It’s like standing in the middle of the lake. There’s a toilet just beyond the old main lodge.
We recommend taking a lunch along and eating in the Joyce Estate area. There are several nice spots to sit along the lake, or you can take the steps up the hill just beyond the main lodge to a grassy area overlooking the lake. There are also some walk-in campsites along the lake next to the road leading to the Joyce Estate. Allow 1 hour to walk in, 1 hour to walk out, and 30-60 minutes to enjoy the area and eat lunch. It will take about 30 minutes to drive from the resort to the north parking area.
Total Biking Distance: 5 miles round trip
Joyce Estates information and estate map – we will give you direction on how to get there (only 25 minutes from the resort, between the resort and Grand Rapids – well worth it!!)
Trout Lake information and map – with other hiking trails
Tioga Recreation Area
Tioga Recreation Area is northern Minnesota’s next premier outdoor adventure destination. Five hundred wooded acres located on two of the region’s most unique lakes features 30 miles of world-class, single-track mountain biking, snowshoe trails, beaches, and access to hundreds of miles of waterways. Every season is adventure season at Tioga.
Located in northeastern Minnesota between the cities of Grand Rapids and Biwabik, the Mesabi TrailTM is a premier bicycle trail winding through some of the state’s prettiest regions. When completed, the trail will travel to Ely, traversing 145 miles connecting 28 communities. A superior paved bike trail that is well-mapped and well-maintained, the Mesabi Trail also makes an interesting walking path.
A wheel pass is required for persons ages 18 and over using a wheeled device such as a bicycle, inline skates, motorized carts, or wheelchairs. Hikers, joggers, and walkers are not required to purchase a pass. The cost of a Mesabi Trail Wheel Pass is $15 for an annual and $5 for a 3 day (any 3 days you choose – they do not have to be consecutive). Revenue from the sale of wheel passes supports the Mesabi Trail… thank you for YOUR support!
Click HERE to buy your wheel pass online
Suomi Hills
The remote setting of the Suomi Hills semiprimitive nonmotorized area is made up of rolling hills, clear lakes, and some of the most spectacular fall colors in the area. There are 21 miles of trail, numerous small lakes, and several primitive campsites for day or overnight hiking, biking, skiing, and canoe trips. The rolling topography offers cross-country and mountain bike trails for intermediate and advanced skiers and bikers. The trails are groomed and track-set in the winter and mowed in the summer.
North Suomi Hills is the site of the Day Lake Civilian Conservation Camp (CCC), which became a prisoner of war camp during World War II.
Suomi Hills is located 14 miles north of Grand Rapids on the Edge of the Wilderness Scenic Byway (State Highway 38).