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Spider Lake ATV trails are without a doubt one of the best places to ride in Minnesota. Fast, slow, mud, rocks, hills, they have everything! If you have never been to Spider Lake Trails then you should be planning your next ride there!
The combined area of Foothills State Forest, Spider Lake Trails, and the surrounding rural area offers hundreds of miles of trails to ride.
You can easily spend days here and never cover all the terrain.
What is there to do at Spider Lake?
Ride, ride, and ride! Seriously though, there are a lot of trails. Trails range from beginner to more challenging. If it has rained recently there can be a lot of mud.
Not so much that you can’t make it, but you can find some deep mud holes if you want to.
The main trail, Snowway 1, that runs the entire length of the park is basically a forest road. It’s a fast ride. It has places to camp as well as smaller, more challenging trails intersecting it.
A lot of the side trials are smaller, tighter, and more challenging.
You can also head into Foothills State Forest.
Is there anywhere to eat?
Yes! You can of course always camp or bring your own food or drink. FYI – there are no camping hookups or utilities at Spider Lake.
There is a porta-potty at one of the parking areas but that is it for amenities in Spider Lake proper.
Or there are a few bars or restaurants in the area you can eat at.
The Bears Den
The Bears Den in Leader Minnesota is about a 10-15 mile ride South on Snowway 1 and a few miles on gravel roads.
If you are inside Spider Lake ATV trails this is probably the closest area for food and drink.
It has great food and they are very ATV-friendly (and kid-friendly). That said, the entire area is ATV and kid-friendly.
The Bears Den is also home to the world-famous L.A. Pig Races – it’s a ton of fun.
Make sure you call ahead to make sure they are open if you are going to be there during the week.
64 Stop Gas Station
Right next door to the Bears’ Den is the 64 Stop Gas Station. You can’t miss it as they usually have a giant blow-up pig outside in the parking lot.
You can get gas here, and as the locals know you can get ice cream here by the scoop.
The kids love it! Every time we go to Spider Lake we have to stop and get a double scoop ice-cream cone.
There are also more trails you can ride and places to eat if you continue to head West on 76th Street on the minimum maintenance road.
Woohoo Valley
Woohoo Valley bar & restaurant is about 16 miles away by vehicle or a 30-minute ride on the trails.
The food is amazing! Again, super kid friendly. You can even tube down the river if you want to. Make sure you call ahead to check if they are open.
Locals Tip!
If you are not camping in Spider Lake or just coming for the day, you may want to drop your truck and trailer here instead of parking in the Spider Lake area.
It can be more convenient to start here, ride the trails, come back and eat, and then load up.
Just depends on your plans…
Where to stay
Camping
You can camp anywhere in Spider Lake. They are first come first served primitive camping areas but nice.
No hookups or anything but people bring anything from pop-up campers to 5th wheels into Spider Lake on the Spider McKinley fire road.
You can access the fire road on the North side of Spider Lake ATV area off Highway 2. It then connects to Snowway one, which can also be accessed from the South from Highway 24 (64th Street SW).
Hotels
There are also hotels in the surrounding area. The closest hotels are in Pine River, MN which is 12 miles to the East on Highway 2.
If you wanted to stay in Pine River and ride your ATV to Spider Lake you can do that too.
No scenic trails from Pine River to Spider Lake but you may be able to ride your ATV from Pine River to Spider Lake on Highway 2 or in the ditch.
It all depends on what type of ATV you are riding and how old you are. Check the Minnesota DNR ATV regulations here to be sure.
Generally though, if you are over 18, riding a side-by-side ATV, have a driver’s license, and your ATV is registered in MN you can ride on the far right side of the road in this area.
Spider Lake ATV Trails Hours & Directions
Hours
Normal season:
Year-round-Except during March-May(when conditions are wet), Firearms Deer Season, or on groomed snowmobile trails. Snowway 1 is closed to OHVs from December 1st – March 31st.
OHVs can cross Snowway 1 at a 90-degree angle to cross to the other side.
Realistically in the winter months, unless there is very little snow or you have a track system, you are not going to be able to do much without a snowmobile.
Without access to Snowway 1 you will have a tough time going too far, and again, you need tracks if there is much snow.
Directions and Location
6167 24th St SW, Pine River, MN, United States, Minnesota is not the official address but it will get you close enough on google maps to see where it is located.
The actual location is: Parking and trail access are 12 miles west of Pine River, MN on 24th Street SW, then South on Spider McKinley Forest Rd for about 2 miles.
Minnesota DNR Parks & Trails, Bemidji, MN
Phone: 218-308-2372
Website: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ohv/trail_detail.html?id=27
Vehicles Allowed
ATV, Class I and II allowed (4 wheelers, UTVs and Side-by-Sides). The majority of the trails are ATV Class I & II and OHM.
OHM (Dirt Bikes) – Some of the trails are OHM only.
ORV (Jeeps, Trucks) – Are allowed, but they are not allowed on many of the trails as they are too narrow.
Before you go!
Always check the Minnesota DNR Website before you go and make sure you have a Minnesota Trail Pass if you are not a resident.
