Trout Lake Trail
- 9.9 mi
- round trip
- 910 ft
- climb
- 1,425 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May, Jul–Sep
- best months
Caution at last check
Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 23 h ago
Is Trout Lake Trail open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Chippewa National Forest. It doesn't name Trout Lake Trail, so check the source for the area it covers.
Emergency Road Closure Notice - FR 2382 (West Pigeon Lake Rd)
Agency closure covering Chippewa National Forest · USFS · Chippewa National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Chippewa National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Trout Lake Trail is a 9.9-mile out-and-back hike in the Deer River Ranger District of Chippewa National Forest in northern Minnesota, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is rated hard, with a total elevation gain of 223 feet, and the steepest stretch comes at about 1.8 miles in, where the grade reaches 8%. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Pokegama Dam weather station show July highs around 78°F with lows near 57°F, while winter highs stay in the teens and 20s. The trail is on natural surface and bikes are allowed. Trout Spur B and the Suomi Hills Trail S lie about 2 miles away, and the Suomi South Side Dispersed Sites are roughly 3.4 miles off. Paddlers can reach the Prairie River about 8.8 miles away.
Best time to go · May, Jul–Sep
Best time to visit Trout Lake Trail
Best months: May and July–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° / -3°
8 wet
Feb
23° / 1°
7 wet
Mar
37° / 14°
7 wet
Apr
50° / 29°
8 wet
May
65° / 41°
12 wet
Jun
73° / 52°
13 wet
Jul
78° / 57°
12 wet
Aug
76° / 55°
10 wet
Sep
68° / 46°
11 wet
Oct
52° / 34°
10 wet
Nov
36° / 20°
9 wet
Dec
23° / 5°
8 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Pokegama Dam, MN, 12.6 mi away at 1,280 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Lorie Shaull, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Suomi Trail
~6 min drive
0.50-mile out-and-back trail in Minnesota with 43 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Mesabi Trail
~20 min drive
112.95-mile point-to-point trail in Minnesota with 1,481 ft gain.
HIKE
Suomi Hills Trail S
~3 min drive
6.58-mile out-and-back hike in Minnesota with 581 ft gain
HIKE
Suomi Hills Trail Sd
~5 min drive
4.24-mile out-and-back trail in Minnesota with 477 ft gain
HIKE
Trout Spur A
Next door
0.68-mile out-and-back trail in Minnesota managed by the Forest Service.
HIKE
Suomi Hills N Trail
~9 min drive
10.18-mile loop trail in Minnesota with 1,071 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Suomi Hills Trail Na
~9 min drive
5.34-mile loop trail in Minnesota with 668 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Trout Spur B
~3 min drive
2.1-mile out-and-back trail in Minnesota with 83 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
SPUR LAKE
~36 min drive
5.8-mile out-and-back trail to Spur Lake in Minnesota with 842 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
SUOMI HILLS TRAIL SA
~3 min drive
1.78-mile out-and-back trail in Minnesota with 321 ft elevation gain
