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Horseback Riding

Governor Knowles State Forest

The Trade River Equestrian Trail System [PDF] consists of 40 miles of maintained and marked trails that wind through a variety of terrains and different forest types. They are located on the southern half of the Governor Knowles State Forest in northwest Polk and southwest Burnett counties.

There are two trailheads. One is at the Trade River Campground on Evergreen Avenue, 5 miles west of Highway 87. The other trailhead is on 340th Street at the northwest parking lot, 4 miles south of County Highway O. Detailed maps and trail logs are provided at both trailheads.

The main trail is the Barrens Loop (brown signs). For a shorter ride there is the Sunrise Shortcut (green signs), which divides the Barrens Loop in half. The Wolf Creek Trail (red signs) loops east from the main trails toward Wolf Creek. The Multiple Use Trail (north of the northwest parking lot) takes the rider toward Grantsburg for a distance of 18 miles.