Spring thaw and saturated soils from last fall’s flooding are impacting road and trail conditions. Several roads and trails in state forests, state parks, recreation areas, and wildlife management areas will close temporarily because they are not firm enough to support vehicle traffic without causing damage. Depending on weather conditions, the temporary closures could remain in effect until sometime in May.
“Each spring, forest roads and trails become wet and fragile and we use closures to protect them from damage,” said Dave Schuller, state land programs supervisor for the DNR’s Forestry Division. “We ask that people use good judgment, obey the closures, and check the DNR website for updates.”
Users should pay particular attention to state forest closures. Forest roads and trails are listed individually, rather than listing a general closure for the whole forest. Roads that can handle vehicle traffic, will remain open but may be restricted by vehicle weight. Signs will be posted at entry points and parking lots. For information on road closures, log on to mndnr.gov/closures .
Information is updated on Thursdays by 2 p.m. However, closure signs may be in place before the website is updated.
Road and trail closure information is also available by contacting the DNR Information Center at info.dnr@state.mn.us, 888-646-6367 or 651-296-6157, (8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday).
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For information on roads and trails on county land, contact the county directly.
