July 31, 2020

Iron Range Off Highway Vehicle Recreation Area

40 West RV Park Gilbert, Minnesota

We have passed area businesses with names like Gale Force Coffee and White Winter Inn.  With such perfect weather, it is hard to imagine what it might be like here in the wintertime.  40 – 95% of Lake Superior ices over and Lake Superior is the largest lake in the world.  The average high temperature in January is 21 degrees and the average annual snowfall is 8 feet…JUST NO!!!  I cannot fathom having to be cold from November until May!

But these summer days…bliss!  We stopped at a pretty wayside park for our breakfast.

We crossed Saint Louis Bay from Superior, Wisconsin into Duluth, Minnesota.

We arrived at 40 West RV Park before noon.  The owner, Leo, had worked to adjust campsites so that we could stay here tonight and tomorrow…such a kind man!  We rested for awhile and then packed a picnic dinner.  We drove the Jeep to the Iron Range OHV Recreation Area.  We got a map and headed out to explore.  This area is actually a huge playground for ATV, OHM, and ORV use.  There are all kinds of trails with varying degrees of difficulty.  From past experience we know that trails are not always accurately rated.  We started on a difficult trail and the obstacles were too rocky for our Jeep.  We decided to turn back.  For the rest of the day, we enjoyed the moderate trails, traversing through mud, over smaller rock obstacles and on some steeper banks and hills.  It was fun.  The area was an ore mine at one point and there were tailings and lakes and beautiful overlooks.

We found a small community park for our picnic dinner and then took a walk on the trail around the lake.