When the Cuyuna singletrack opens again on Monday, Nov. 23, how many riders will know the rules have changed?
The Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area trails have been closed since Friday, Nov. 6, for firearms deer season. The Cuyuna Lakes MTB crew's calendar lists the closure as running through Sunday, Nov. 22, with trails reopening Monday, Nov. 23. The trails come back under shoulder-season conditions, and a separate set of winter rules takes over once snow arrives. Saturday, Dec. 5 is the first organized ride of that season, and downtown Crosby has its own plans for the afternoon.
What the closure covers
The closure is broader than many riders assume. On its Cuyuna mountain bike page, the Minnesota DNR says trails in the recreation area "close to all uses other than hunting" during the November firearms deer hunt, and that the closure applies to foot traffic as well as bikes. That rules out a quiet hike on the singletrack while the bikes are parked.
Hunting is an allowed activity across the recreation area, not just during these few weeks. The DNR's Cuyuna Country park page recommends blaze orange for all visitors during open hunting seasons. That advice doesn't end on Nov. 23. Wear orange whenever a season is open, closure or not.
The crew points riders to Trailbot for live updates and conditions. Check it the morning of Nov. 23, before loading the car.
The four weeks, laid out
The switch from fall riding to winter riding fits into a short window. These are the dates on the record:
| Date | What happens | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 6 | Trails close for firearms deer season | Cuyuna Lakes MTB |
| Sun., Nov. 22 | Last day of the closure | Cuyuna Lakes MTB |
| Mon., Nov. 23 | Trails reopen under shoulder-season conditions | Cuyuna Lakes MTB |
| Dec. 1 | Annual ban on biking the snowmobile trail inside the recreation area begins, running through April 1 | Minnesota DNR |
| Sat., Dec. 5, morning | Intergalactic Fat Bike Day leaves from Red Raven Bikes | Cuyuna Lakes MTB |
| Sat., Dec. 5, 3 to 6 p.m. | Cuyuna Christmas / Snow Many Smiles | City of Crosby |
On Nov. 23, the trails come back under a different set of rules than the ones in place when they closed.
Reopening day follows shoulder-season rules
The crew's current trail notice reads "All Trails Open | Shoulder Season." It tells riders to stay off trails during rain or when surfaces are wet, soft or muddy, and to ride only when trails are "firm or frozen solid." The same notice says water services on the trail system have been shut off for winter. Bring all the water you'll need from home or town.
The DNR's closure rule spells out the same freeze-thaw logic. When it rains, or snows before the ground freezes, the singletrack "will be immediately closed to all users (foot or bike)" until it dries and firms up. Trails usually reopen a few hours after rain ends, but the DNR notes that "the cooler the temperature, the longer this may take." In late November the cold works both ways. A frozen morning can be ideal for riding. A sunny 38-degree afternoon can soften the same trail by lunch. The DNR counts tire ruts or footprints as damage to a trail that is too soft to use.
Once the snow stays, a second set of rules applies
Shoulder season lasts until there's enough snow to groom. Then the DNR's winter regulations take over, and several of them catch people riding the trails they rode all summer.
On groomed singletrack and Sagamore Unit trails, the DNR's winter rules include:
- Bicycle tires must be at least 3.7 inches wide.
- Foot travel is allowed on skis or snowshoes only.
- Pets are not allowed on groomed trails.
Separately, biking is prohibited on the snowmobile trail inside the recreation area from Dec. 1 through April 1, whatever the snow cover.
The 3.7-inch minimum is the one that sends people home. A plus-size trail bike that handled the summer fine may not qualify. Under the winter rules, a walk with the dog belongs on unrestricted routes, not groomed singletrack. The DNR says the paved Cuyuna Lakes State Trail has no winter restrictions on hiking and biking.
Grooming has its own timing. The DNR explains it this way:
"Volunteers generally groom trails in the afternoon or evening after snowfall ends, and mark recently groomed trails with an orange cone at the trail entrance."
A freshly groomed trail closes to bikes right away but stays open to snowshoes and skis. It reopens to biking the first morning after grooming, and the DNR says it "usually takes 12 to 24 hours before surface conditions are ideal for biking again." An orange cone at the entrance means no bikes on that trail until the next morning. The DNR also suggests carrying snowshoes or skis as a backup on days above freezing, because foot traffic helps pack soft trails and gets bikes back on them sooner.
For tire pressure, the DNR's starting points are 2 to 4 psi in soft snow and up to 8 psi in firm snow.
The winter system is smaller than the summer one. The DNR lists about 40 miles of packed winter trails, and it plows parking at Miner's Mountain Rally Center, the Croft and Sagamore trailheads, Yawkey Road and the yurt parking. If you use a pullout in summer that isn't on that list, plan on one of the plowed lots instead.
December 5 is the season's first group ride
The first organized ride of the new season starts in downtown Crosby. Intergalactic Fat Bike Day is Crosby's version of Global Fat Bike Day, presented by the Cuyuna Lakes MTB Crew, Otso, Wolf Tooth and Red Raven. It's free, and registration is required.
The group leaves together from Red Raven Bikes at 2 3rd Ave. SW and rides to the Yawkey Unit. The crew calls it a social ride, not a race, and the route stays close enough to town that riders can turn back early at several points. The crew plans both snow and no-snow routes, so the ride goes ahead even if early December stays brown.
The event page lists this schedule:
| Time | Plan |
|---|---|
| 9:30 a.m. | Rider meeting; fat bike rentals through Red Raven |
| 10:00 a.m. | Ride departs |
| 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Riders return to Red Raven |
| 2:00 p.m. | Event concludes |
Riders whose summer bike doesn't meet the 3.7-inch minimum can rent a fat bike, which is the easiest way to try winter riding without buying one. The crew says rentals will be available through Red Raven's winter rental page. After the ride, the group comes back to Red Raven for a Wolf Tooth Components giveaway, hot drinks and food. Red Raven describes its Bike Cafe as serving coffee, food and local beer.
The rest of town has its own plans for that afternoon. A special event application filed with the City of Crosby schedules Cuyuna Christmas / Snow Many Smiles for 3 to 6 p.m. that same Saturday. The application says Cuyuna Regional Medical Center, or CRMC, will provide food, water, portable toilets and garbage collection, and the city will provide the band shell, cook shack and power.
Put together, Dec. 5 runs from a 9:30 rider meeting to a 6 p.m. finish downtown. The fat bike ride wraps up an hour before Snow Many Smiles starts, so you can do the morning ride and still make it downtown for the afternoon event.
Planning the next three weeks
The closure leaves time to get ready for winter. Look up your tire width before the first grooming. Bookmark the Cuyuna Lakes MTB event calendar so you'll see when Fat Bike Day registration opens; the page currently says it is "coming soon." Keep blaze orange in the car for as long as hunting seasons are open. On Monday, Nov. 23, check Trailbot before you ride, and stay off any trail that's soft enough to leave a print.
For many lake homeowners around Crosby, the distance to Yawkey, Croft or Sagamore matters about as much as what's at the end of the dock, and in winter that distance runs to the plowed lots on the DNR's list. If you're weighing a Serpent Lake or pit-lake property with year-round trail access in mind, Sandy Smith Lakeshore Real Estate Group can help you compare how each one fits the Cuyuna calendar. Schedule a Free Consultation.
