Suggested Rides:

We had a reader ask us to suggest a couple 80-100 mile rides originating in Tower for a group with mixed riding skills on their first visit. We are doing this publicly since there may be other visitors with interest in this too. These two loops have varying land, lake, river/creek terrain that almost anybody can handle with a little caution.

Loop one assumes the Ely lakes are staked. (They are not as of 1.3.20)Loop two assumes the Vermilion River is ridable. (It is not as of 1.3.20)Make sure these are true before you start (ask almost anyone around here).Both of these loops can be done in reverse - reverse the route not reverse gear (now someone will prove me wrong)!!

Follow along on the Iron Trail trail map available at most area businesses and this will make more sense.

1. Tower/Ely Loop: Find your way to Lake Vermilion then find the brown stakes (they run east and west on the south side of Big Island) follow them east to Mud Creek Bay on the lake's northeastern corner. These will lead you to a combo land water trail to Burntside Lake, follow the Burntside stakes staying to the right at each intersection to a portage which will take you to Little Long Lake, follow the LL Lake stakes to the right to another portage which will take you to Shagawa Lake. Follow the stakes across Shagawa and you will be in Ely which has a variety of dining establishment, gas etc etc.

Take the trail thru Ely to the Taconite trail and head west - it's 28 miles to Tower (even tho the sign says 38). This should be about a 60 mile run depending on where you start. To add a few scenic/slow miles take the Taconite spur (11 miles west of Ely) to the Fishing Lakes trail back to the Taconite or continue on the Putman Lake trail which will take you to The Iron Ore trail then go right to Tower.

This is not as complicated as it reads if you follow along on a trail map.

2. Tower/Buyck Loop: Take the Taconite from Tower to the Arrowhead trail (by the Y store). Follow the Arrowhead about 40 miles to the Voyageur Trail (you are now off the Iron Trail map - get a new one at VRT), take that to the VRT (Vermilion River Tavern) which surprisingly is on the Vermilion River. Take the Vermilion river and its portages back (right) to Lake Vermilion (Wolf Bay), then follow the stakes thru Oak Narrows back to Tower.

To extend this loop about 20 miles, stay on the trail as it crosses the River (at VRT) to Echo Lake (good dining). From there you can take a spur west to the V River and back to Tower as described above.