About this place

George Washington Pines Winter Recreation Trail is a relatively short 3.3 km trail located fairly close to Grand Marais, only 6 miles up the Gunflint Trail. It passes through a beautiful grove of pines, the George Washington Memorial Pine Plantation. The plantation was established when 13 boys from the Grand Marais Boy Scout Troop #67 planted 32 acres of land with 14,570 Norway Pine and 7,500 White Pine in 1932 after a 1927 fire. In the summer of 2010, some of the understory was cleared to reduce hazardous fuels and create a better wildfire situation. In 2021 a timber harvest was completed around this trail to enhance long-term visual objectives and to address a forest health situation by removal of some of the trees around the trail. This trail also serves the public as a hiking trail in the snow-free season, but maintenance is limited and users should be prepared for a relatively flat, but lightly managed hiking experience. The trail is shared between cross country skiers, snowshoers, and people using dogs for skijoring. People also might be simply hiking or walking their dog on the trail. Please respect other users by not fouling groomed ski tracks and by alerting dog users of your presence so as not to spook dogs by rapidly passing them on skis. Encourage your dog to use off trail areas for potty stops, but if the trail is used, pick up any dog droppings, and try to repair tracks melted out by dog piles. This is an easy trail, suitable for beginning skiers or for people looking for an easy access quick ski close to town. From Grand Marais, take the Gunflint Trail (Co 12) about 6 miles to the trailhead which is located on the west side of the Gunflint Trail