Winter Family Things To Do in Grand Rapids, MN
You will find lots of Winter Things To Do in Grand Rapids, MN. You will experience a small town with lots of winter wonderland charm. There are over 2,000 miles of winter trails and over 1,400 lakes in the Grand Rapids, MN area. Families enjoy an abundance of winter outdoor recreation: snowmobile, cross country ski, downhill ski, snowboard, snow tube, snowshoe, fat tire biking and ice fishing. Grand Rapids, MN is the Outdoor Mecca of the North, but there is also many more winter things to do. Families also come to Grand Rapids for cozy lodging, boutique style shopping, fun places to eat & drink, kid friendly attractions and theater performances. If families don’t have winter gear of activities they would like to try, no problem, there are outdoor rental shops in Grand Rapids, MN.
Learn more about Family Things To Do in Grand Rapids, MN.
Winter Outdoor Recreation
Grand Rapids, MN is surrounded by over 1 million acres of public forest land for visitors to enjoy an abundance of outdoor recreation. Hence, the new marketing brand: the outdoor mecca of the north for all of the wonderful winter things to do.
Fat Tire Biking: There are two great single track trails to fat tire bike in Grand Rapids, MN. Tioga Recreation is a 25-mile single track trail that was purposeful built for entry level to double black diamond level riders. At Tioga you can also snowshoe and ice fish on the pit and Pokegama Lake. Then there is the Legion Trail that is located at the Reif Center. This is approximately 7 miles of single track trails. Both of these trails are maintained by Grand Rapids and Itasca Mountain Bike Association (GRIMBA).
Snowmobiling: There are over 1,000 miles of trails that connect to state trails across the region. The Taconite Trail is the most famous state of MN trail that connections Grand Rapids to the Iron Range. Accessing this trail from in town trails can be done at the Itasca Fairgrounds which offers lots of parking. There are 13 snowmobile clubs in the Grand Rapids, MN area. Snowmobile trails run north and south out of Grand Rapids, and also eat and west. If you are looking for the less traveled trails head north on the Taconite and ride the Herb Brandstrom, Circle L and Circle T trails. If you are looking to ride to grab lunch then the Itasca Driftskipper trails heading south to Hill City is perfect.
Cross Country Skiing: There are over 200 miles of cross country skiing in the Grand Rapids, MN area. The Northern Lights Nordic Ski Club has amazing volunteers and club members that maintain most of the trails with the help of the MN DNR. A couple of favorite trails are Suomi Hills that is located approx. 20 minutes north of Grand Rapids on the Edge of the Wilderness Scenic Byway. And then Sugar Lake Trail which is located 15 minutes south of Grand Rapids off of County Road 17. Both give you flat terrain and hills, mixed hardwood and pine forests, tamarack bog areas and good opportunities to see winter wildlife.
Snowshoeing – There are not designated snowshoe trails. You can essentially snowshoe on any public forest land. You just want to make sure that when you cross over on a trail that you do so at a 90 degree angle as to not disturb the trail grooming. Some of the favorite places to snowshoe are: Tioga Recreation, American Legion Forest, Sugar Hills and Simpson Creek. The Chippewa National Forest has many forest trails that they do not groom or plow, but are cleared of trees so you have a clear path to snowshoe.
Ice Fishing – There are over 1,400 lakes in the Grand Rapids, MN area. Early season crappies and spear fishing for northern pike is very popular for the locals. Later in the season walleyes, northern pike and panfish seem to be the main action bites. The lakes north of Grand Rapids tend to be good panfish lakes, and they freeze earlier. The larger lakes are known for walleye, northern pike, and panfish, and they give more variety of opportunities, but sometimes it takes a while to figure out the bite of the day. Because the lakes are very clear here early more and night bites seem to be the best.
Additional Winter Trail Resource from the MN Department of Natural Resources HERE
Grand Rapids, MN is the Outdoor Mecca of the North, but there is much more winter things to do…
Indoor Things To Do in the Winter
Grand Rapids, Minnesota also has boutique style shopping, family friendly area attractions, Broadway style theater and performances, live music at the craft breweries and other restaurants, and fun places to eat & drink.
Shopping – You will find concentrated boutique style shops downtown among the historic brick store fronts, and you will also find some boutiques in stand alone locations. Our locally owned shops offer one of a kind, high quality gifts, home decor, clothing, jewelry, footwear, sporting goods, northwoods, vintage, junk and antiques.
Historic Area Attractions – Grand Rapids, MN has family friendly area attractions like the Children’s Discovery Museum, the Itasca County Historical Society Escape Room, and the Judy Garland Museum. The Forest History Center is another historic location that is family friendly; in the winter they are only open for their scheduled winter programs like Christmas in the Logging Camp.
Broadway Style Entertainment – Be entertained at The Reif Center performance center. This state of the art performance center offers two theaters with a total of 1,000 seats. There is not a bad seat in the house. Get an up close and personal experience of Broadway style performances from touring companies across the globe. Enjoy a diverse range of performances where many are geared directly towards youth and families.
Live Music & Other Events – This small town boasts a large amount of events and live music. Each week the local craft breweries, bars and other restaurants host live musicians, canvas paint events, pop-up shops, and other creative family friendly events. The Visit Grand Rapids Events Calendar is full for the winter.
Fun Places to Eat & drink – There are fun family friendly places to eat & drink in Grand Rapids, MN. From the family friendly local craft breweries, downtown MN wine bar, and many other locally owned restaurants like Sammy’s Pizza, Zorbaz on Pokegama, Florio’s Tavern, Pickled Loon Saloon, Timberlake Restaurant, Forest Lake Restaurant, Dairy Queen, Culver’s and many others.
Cozy Lodging
Grand Rapids, Minnesota might be a small town, but you will find lots of Winter Things To Do. Now, we need to find you lodging! There is a wide variety of overnight lodging for you and your guests. In Grand Rapids you will find conveniently located Hotels & Motels, charming Bed & Breakfasts, Minnesota Resort Cabins located on beautiful lakes, Vacation Lake Rentals, and in town Air B&B’s.
Whether you are looking for the convenience of being in town, close to the trails, or something off the beaten path so you can relax, rest and reconnect with loved ones; you will find lots of options to fit your needs in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.