We are a hard working & hard playing dirt bike community. Located in Lake County, Minnesota, near Two Harbors, our singletrack trails comprise the two riding areas of East Alger Grade and London Crossing. These two singletrack networks are separated by approximately 6 miles of OHM (dirt bike) accessible Wild Country ATV trails..
Working with the county foresters and Wild Country ATV Club we started construction of the Alger Grade Single Track in 2020 completing approximately 14 miles over 12 trails. With the commitment and dedication our OG group showed in completing this hard work we were afforded the opportunity to explore development of an additional network near a historic railroad junction dubbed London Crossing. London Singletrack added another approximately 23 miles over 9 trails. While separated by only 6 miles there is distinct difference of terrain and trail feel between the two riding areas.
Alger Grade Singletrack
Alger Grade is primarily boreal forest mainly comprised of small evergreens in thick groves with trails nestled in a geographically compact area and a central access logging road connecting most of the 12 trails over 14 miles here. The trails are tight and technical with lots of exposed bedrock and off camber sections combined with short punchy climbs and ledges. Add a bit of rain and the rocks and roots add an extra challenge factor. There are several Easter Eggs thrown in for those looking for more advanced technical terrain especially with Trail 2’s black diamond section and Route 666 for an entry level taste to the hard enduro type riding. Trail 1, 4, 9, 10, 11 and 12 tend more toward the less technical but still quite tight working through the thick tree groves.
With the central access logging road this can give the feel of a ski hill allowing you to picking your favorite route and hit some laps. The forest here has been hit hard by spruce bud worm and is subject to frequent blowdown and would recommend bringing a packable hand saw ala Silky incase you run into one to clear the trail for you and the next rider.
8.5 miles north of Two Harbors East of Cty Hwy 2, parking and trail access off of East Alger Grade Road at the CJ Ramstad parking lot which allows overnight camping. There are no services here other than a pit toilet but there is plenty enough room here to park multiple toyhauler trailers and RVs.
London Singletrack
London offers a larger footprint through several maple ridges providing remote riding with a varied terrain and more sustained elevation opportunities. There are many remote corners spread over the London area that provide a feeling of backcountry riding. The London area is generally more mature hardwood forest with some scenic outlooks available at rocky outcrops that do require some effort to get to. The trails had to be strategically placed along high points avoiding lower potentially wet areas to ease trail construction and maintenance needs. So while the terrain is more open, keeping to the trail is important for trail sustainability.
Playing off the name of London the trails are mainly referencing landmarks or features of the city in England. The M25 is an ~11 mile main loop allowing access to the other trail sections and is made up of 4 sections: Parliament, Lizzy, Big Ben and Moose Knuckle Ridge. This main loop was intended to be an intermediate difficulty trail, it is generally more open than Alger Grade but is still quite tight and rocky at points.
Off of the M25 you can find 3 directly connected trails (Wimbledon, Trafalgar Square, and Elephant & Castle) plus a 4th (Piccadilly Circus) that requires taking a detour along a well-established logging road. These trails each offer their own distinctive character and range from intermediate, hard enduro, choose your own adventure, and moto-trials sections. London currently offers around 23 miles of trails.
Cell phone coverage here is spotty at best and one can easily get turned around without proper maps or guide. Suggest bringing a friend or an inReach/Spot type device incase one breaks down or gets injured on a solo ride - expect a several hour walk through the woods that have abrupt drop-offs and small cliffs from the North end to the parking area in moto boots (ask me how I know).
One could ride the 6 miles to London from the CJ Ramstad lot up the Wild Country ATV Trail to London’s main parking area. Or one can drive to the London parking area, accessed off of E. Alger Grade by way of a single lane road that is, as of this writing, both narrow and rough. One can drive most 2 wheel drive vehicles to the parking area, but may struggle with length and width of trailers or RVs. Camping is OK here, though there are no services and limited cell coverage.
