Ride Like a Local: Mountain Biking at Redhead

If you’re planning a mountain biking trip to Minnesota’s Iron Range, Redhead Mountain Bike Park should be high on your list.

Built into the landscape of a former mine, Redhead offers one of the most unique mountain biking experiences in the Midwest. With red dirt, blue water, mining history, scenic rim trails, technical singletrack, downhill-style features, an adaptive trail, and a new pump track, Redhead delivers a riding experience that feels unlike anywhere else in Minnesota.

Ride the Range Ambassador Matthias Norenberg describes it as:

“A mountain bike park where mining history, innovation, and thousands of past hands shaped every corner of the park.”

Matthias has been riding Redhead for three years and enjoys a mix of cross-country riding, downhill mountain biking, and winter fat biking. He is also part of Iron Range Off-Road Cyclists and helps maintain South Rim, one of the trails that has become especially meaningful to him.

Here’s his guide to making the most of a visit.

First Things First: Start with the Full Pit Loop

Ask Matthias where a first-time visitor should begin, and his answer is the full pit loop.

For riders looking to experience what makes Redhead special, he recommends building a route around Rim, Red Hop, and Glen Line. Together, these trails give visitors a strong introduction to the park’s signature landscape, including red dirt, forested singletrack, mine pit views, and sections that connect the ride back to the area’s mining history.

Matthias also recommends the Glen Location loop for visitors who want a more interpretive, museum-like riding experience. Along the way, riders can take in mining history and even stop near old mining equipment.

One thing that surprises many first-time visitors is that Redhead is not as intimidating as they may expect. While the park has advanced trails and dramatic views, many routes meander through the landscape rather than placing riders directly next to steep exposed edges.

Choose trails that match your ability, check trail conditions before you go, and give yourself time to explore.

Matthias’s Trail Recommendations

Best Trail for Beginners – Adaptive Trail and Pines

For newer riders, Matthias recommends starting with Redhead’s adaptive trail, which spans from the Minnesota Discovery Center parking area toward the east side of the park. From there, riders can connect toward The Pines and build a beginner-friendly loop that feels approachable while still giving visitors a taste of the Redhead experience.

This is also a strong option for riders who want to ease into the trail system before adding more distance, elevation, or technical terrain.

Best Family-Friendly Ride – Full Pit Loop

For families, Matthias recommends the full pit loop, including Glen Line, Bright Side, Red Hop, and Rim (North and South).

The route gives riders a well-rounded experience with scenery, variety, and a strong sense of place. It is a good option for groups that want to see what makes Redhead memorable without focusing only on the most technical or advanced parts of the park.

Best Climb – Fractured Falls

For riders looking to earn a climb, Matthias points to Fractured Falls.

It is his pick for the best climb in the system and a good reminder that Redhead offers more than views and flow. Riders can find plenty of cross-country-style effort and rewarding terrain throughout the park.

Best Descent – Roller Derby

When it comes to descending, Matthias recommends Roller Derby.

The trail brings together speed, flow, and features in a way that makes riders want to come back for another lap. It is also one of his favorite places for riders looking for jump features and progression.

Best Flow Trail – Downhill Hub Trails

Flow trail fans should spend time in the downhill hub area on the southeast corner of the park.

Matthias recommends this section for riders looking for rhythm, speed, and progression. It is a strong place to session features, build confidence, and experience a different side of Redhead beyond the rim trails and cross-country routes.

Best Jump Line – Roller Derby

For riders looking to get in the air, Matthias recommends Roller Derby.

The trail combines flow, speed, and progression in a way that makes it one of Redhead’s standout options for riders who want to work on jumps and features. It is approachable enough to build confidence, but still fun enough to keep more experienced riders coming back for another lap.

Matthias also likes the new flow loop near the meeting of Red Hop and South Rim, which adds another progression-focused experience to the south side of the park.

Best Technical Challenge – Dropper and Shocker

If technical riding is more your style, add Dropper and Shocker to your must-ride list.

These trails offer the kind of challenge that rewards line choice, focus, and confident bike handling. For intermediate and advanced riders, they show off the more technical side of Redhead.

Most Underrated Trails – Tough Mama and Zen

Every local has a trail or section they believe deserves more attention. For Matthias, those picks are Tough Mama and Zen.

Both are worth working into your ride plan, especially if you want to move beyond the most obvious routes and explore more of what Redhead has to offer.

Best Views – North Rim, South Rim, and Mine Blast

If you are coming to Redhead for scenery, Matthias recommends the Rim Trail.

It is his pick for the best view in the system and one of the clearest ways to understand why Redhead is such a distinctive Iron Range mountain biking destination. The views of the pit and surrounding landscape are a reminder that Redhead’s setting is not just a backdrop. The landscape is part of the ride.

South Rim is also Matthias’s favorite trail at Redhead. It has become especially meaningful to him because he adopted and helps maintain the full 2.5-mile trail. For Matthias, South Rim captures a lot of what makes Redhead memorable: scenic views, red dirt, varied terrain, and a strong connection to the landscape.

Mine Blast is another scenic pick, with a viewpoint from the top of a mine dump. It is a reminder that Redhead’s mining history is not just something visitors learn about nearby. It is built directly into the ride experience.

One Trail Everyone Should Ride – Mine Blast

If Matthias had to pick one trail everyone should ride, his answer is Mine Blast.

The trail gives riders another strong look at the mining landscape that defines Redhead. With a viewpoint from the top of a mine dump, Mine Blast helps connect the riding experience to the history, scale, and terrain that make the park feel so different from other mountain bike destinations in Minnesota.

Do Not Skip the Pump Track

Redhead’s new pump track adds another reason to build extra time into your visit.

It is a great place to warm up, work on skills, or keep riding after your trail loop. For families and groups with mixed ability levels, it also creates another way to enjoy the park without everyone needing to commit to the same trail plan.

If you are visiting with newer riders, kids, or anyone who wants to session skills, make the pump track part of your day.

A Perfect Day at Redhead

Matthias’s perfect summer day at Redhead combines riding, scenery, water, and time to slow down.

Start early and watch the sunrise over the landscape. Grab coffee, doughnuts, or breakfast from Black Bear Bakery before heading to the trailhead. Then build a ride that includes must-see overlooks, meandering singletrack, and enough time to explore the pit loop.

After the ride, cool off in the clear blue water with a swim, kayak, canoe, or paddleboard session. Later in the day, unwind by the campsite, rip the pump track, or head into one of the nearby Iron Range communities for dinner.

It is the kind of ride-and-stay experience that makes Redhead more than a trail system. It is a full-day outdoor destination.

Make It a Weekend

If you have two days to ride the Iron Range, Matthias recommends pairing Redhead with Tioga Recreation Area.

Tioga offers a different riding experience, with lots of flowy trails packed into a smaller footprint and a large downhill jump line for riders looking for more progression and airtime. For more trail-specific recommendations, read the Ride Like a Local guide to Tioga Recreation Area.

Together, the two destinations create a weekend that combines Redhead’s mining landscape, scenic rim trails, technical riding, water access, and pump track with Tioga’s flow trails, jump progression, and compact trail network.

For a Redhead-based weekend, Matthias recommends camping in Chisholm. The Redhead campground offers 16 campsites with electricity and water connections, along with showers and bathrooms.

From there, visitors can ride the trails, swim or paddle the pit, explore the Minnesota Discovery Center, and spend time in nearby communities like Chisholm, Hibbing, Virginia, Side Lake, and the surrounding Iron Range.

For nearby hidden gems, Matthias recommends the Hull Rust Mine View in Hibbing, the Minnesota Discovery Center, the Minnesota Museum of Mining in Chisholm, and the Soudan Underground Mine.

Before You Go

A few final tips from Matthias:

• Pack extra clothes. Redhead’s red dirt is part of the experience, and it can leave a mark.
• Bring enough water, especially if you plan to ride the south side of the park. There is drinking water and a bike wash station available at the trailhead.
• Download Trailforks or another trail map before you ride.
• Let someone know where you plan to ride.
• Check trail conditions before you go.
• Build in time for the water, pump track, and Minnesota Discovery Center.
• Stop by 30West Bike Shop if you need local bike support.
• For food, consider Black Bear Bakery before your ride, then nearby favorites like Thirsty Moose, Sammy’s Pizza, BoomTown, or Sportsman’s Restaurant after.

Whether you’re looking for scenic rim trails, technical challenges, family-friendly riding, adaptive trail access, a new pump track, or a full weekend mountain bike adventure, Redhead offers one of the most unique riding experiences in Minnesota.

When asked to describe Redhead in one word, Matthias landed on “captivating.” It fits. Redhead is the kind of place where mining history, outdoor recreation, and Iron Range scenery come together in every ride.

Plan your trip, build your route, and come see why riders from across Minnesota and around the country come to Redhead to “Shred the Red.”