Wilderness Wheelers is an ATV club based in Bigfork, Minnesota. We manage two grant in aid ATV trails. The Bigfork & Balsam Connection trail is 33 miles in length and the soon to be completed Wilderness trail will have 61 miles of designated ATV trail connecting the communities that make up the Edge of the Wilderness Area. Joining our club will provide you with the most up to date information on trail openings, conditions, and volunteer opportunities to support ATV access in northern Itasca County. For Wilderness Wheeler's membership information click here.
Welcome back to the Edge of the Wilderness! Both the Bigfork to Balsam and Wilderness Trails will open on May 15th! The Bigfork to Balsam trail will be completely open. The Wilderness will have two areas with riding restrictions until at least July 1st. You will still be able to ride a version of the interior loop that is 42 miles long! Wilderness trail connections include: The Bigfork to Balsam trail, Alvwood/SL trails in Wirt as well as south to County Rd 48 using the Alder Rd! Food and fuel stops make this a great riding opportunity.
Trail Conditions and Alerts: B&B Trail will open on Thursday May 15th. Trail maintenance such as grading are underway, so keep an eye out for our crews and equipment. The trail has been completely cleared of down trees and other obstacles. We are currently improving the hilly sections of the trail.
Wilderness Trail will open on May 15th with two minor exceptions. Please check the Trail Map page for a downloadable map that shows the primary construction for this summer. Be aware that the bridge on that red/hashed section is being replaced and there is no way through at this point. One other area that we worked on last fall is too wet to cross now and we will have signs advising the tail as closed. This section is 1/2 mile south of Jack The Horse Road (Timberwolf Inn), east to the connection Jack The Horse Rd. The temporary bypass uses Jack the Horse Road East to reconnect with the main trail near Jack The Horse Resort Rd.
We made great progress on the construction of the Wilderness Trail last year. The large ditch crossing south of Marcell on the Alder Rd was completed so we no longer are using a brief section of TH38. We still provide access to Frontier Sports via Northwind Rd.
We start the '24 summer season with a loop option on the Wilderness Trail. As described above, we will temporarily use Jack The Horse Rd & USFS Rd 2182 to complete a loop on the Wilderness trail to USFS Rd 2180. Download the newest map from our Trail Maps page. We plan to open the final section from the original alignment plan later this summer with enhancements planned for the summer of '25.
Special notes: WILDERNESS TRAIL UPDATE. WE STILL NEED HELP FUNDING THIS TRAIL - Please consider making a donation to this project by sending a check to Wilderness Wheelers, PO Box 319, Bigfork, MN. 566289 or donating on the Membership page. Unfortunately donations are not currently tax deductible.
Wilderness Trail Parking: Little Turtle Lake Store -Talmoon Hayslips Corner - Talmoon Large parking area: maps.app.goo.gl/wegAwjYgx7xSpXYS6 Riley's Junction - Junction of County Rd 134 and State Hwy 6 -Bowstring area Marcell Snowdrifter's parking: maps.app.goo.gl/FHrJ1VR924ZuyMxv6 Reminder: While riding on township and county roads the law requires us to stay to the right hand side of the roadway while using these corridors and obey all other traffic regulations. On paved county roads please stay as far right as is safely possible. It is illegal to ride in any wetlands. Please stay out of wet areas adjacent to trails unless they are specially designated play areas. We also ask you to avoid ditch riding as we have to fix any damage caused by ATV use along our trails corridors. Stay The Trail!
Check back regularly for current riding conditions throughout the riding season. Updated: 5/12/2024