Pine Lake Loop Trail
- 5.6 mi
- round trip
- 703 ft
- climb
- 1,531 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Pine Lake Loop Trail is a 5.6-mile moderate hike on Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge in northern Minnesota, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The trail is an out-and-back route that covers about 11 miles round trip, with a total elevation gain of 106 feet. The climb is gentle, with the steepest stretch at about 0.17 miles from the start, where the grade reaches 8 percent. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 79°F with lows near 59°F, while January highs average just 18°F. The Tamarac Lake Loop Trail starts just 0.1 mile away, and the Old Indian Trail is about 1.2 miles off. Farther out, the North Country National Scenic Trail passes within about 2.7 miles, and the Discovery Center Trail is about 2.6 miles away.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Pine Lake Loop Trail
Best months: May–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
18° / -4°
Feb
23° / -1°
Mar
37° / 16°
Apr
52° / 30°
May
66° / 44°
Jun
75° / 55°
Jul
79° / 59°
Aug
78° / 57°
Sep
70° / 48°
Oct
54° / 35°
Nov
39° / 21°
Dec
24° / 6°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Tamarac Wildlife Re, MN, 2.6 mi away at 1,508 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Heart Of The Lakes Trail
~50 min drive
8.46-mile out-and-back lake country trail in Minnesota.
Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Woodland Trail
~52 min drive
Easy 0.65-mile out-and-back woodland walk in Minnesota.
HIKE
North Country National Scenic Trail
~5 min drive
11.73-mile out-and-back trail in Minnesota with 1,057 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Paul Bunyan State Forest
~1h 9m drive
24.50-mile out-and-back trail in Paul Bunyan State Forest, Minnesota
HIKE
Becker Co Line To Nct
~10 min drive
9.8-mile out-and-back trail near Becker County line in Minnesota.
Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Cataract Lake Trail
~52 min drive
0.33-mile out-and-back trail to Cataract Lake in Minnesota.
HIKE
Agassiz Recreational Trail
~52 min drive
11.87-mile out-and-back trail in Minnesota with 63 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
County Forest
~37 min drive
7.23-mile out-and-back trail in Minnesota with 669 ft gain.
Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Hallaway Hill Trail
~52 min drive
0.67-mile out-and-back hike with 167 ft elevation gain in Minnesota.
HIKE
Agassiz Recreational Trail
~1h 13m drive
10.88-mile out-and-back trail in Minnesota with 107 ft elevation gain.