The Blue Ox Trail spans 74 miles, tracing the path of an unused railway line and offering a smooth, straightforward ride. The landscapes of black spruce, swamps, and aspen uplands offer a beautiful experience in every season, and the trail is a haven for wildlife watchers, with chances to spot beavers, eagles, moose, wolves, and bobcats along the way. The trail is a gift from Koochiching County and is cared for by the Northome Ridge Riders.
From International Falls, the trail follows the old rail grade south along the Highway 71 corridor, passing through Littlefork, Big Falls, and Funkley before reaching Northome. Long-haul riders can keep going: south of Northome the corridor continues toward Bemidji as the Voyageur Trail — roughly 96 miles end to end — where it meets the Paul Bunyan Trail near Lake Bemidji State Park.
The Blue Ox Trail is maintained by the Northome Ridge Riders (218-897-5764) through the Minnesota DNR’s Grant-in-Aid program, in partnership with Koochiching County.
Rules for this place
Riding here means the DNR’s OHV registration and trail pass rules, with age, supervision and helmet requirements of their own for younger riders. A snowmobile here needs current registration, and a sled registered outside Minnesota needs a state trail pass to use a state or grant-in-aid trail; the DNR’s snowmobile regulations carry the rest.
Verified 2026-09-07. Rules change; check the official page before you go.
