NE North Dakota News

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2022 - 11:00PM 

Bismarck, ND – While a state-wide snowstorm in mid-December created treacherous travel and numerous closures, the resulting snowpack brings great snowmobiling conditions across North Dakota. 

The 13 state snowmobile trails covering over 2,800 miles are maintained by members of Snowmobile North Dakota and are open now through April, as long as trails have at least four inches of packed snow.

To improve the experience and offer greater safety, snowmobile enthusiasts can download an interactive trail map and mobile app, called Snowmobile North Dakota. The app tracks trips, tracks current location on a trail using GPS, provides updates on trail conditions, offers locations of nearby amenities, and allows users to save and load itineraries. Users should note that the trail map indicates whether a trail is groomed, not whether it is open.

The mobile app was developed in partnership with the North Dakota Parks & Recreation Department and Snowmobile North Dakota. The basic version is free to download on both Apple and Android products and does not require data usage. More features are available by upgrading to the pro version.  

The new interactive trail map is also available online via desktop computer for riders to learn more about what the state snowmobile trails have to offer. The online version includes the same trail status features and amenity icons as the mobile app, and also has a Plan Your Trip function providing turn-by-turn directions and total mileage from point A to point B as selected by the user. Online trail maps and current trail conditions can be found at www.snowmobilend.org/.  

North Dakota law requires youth ages 10 and older who do not have a valid driver's license or permit to take a safety certification class. The safety certification class can be taken online at any time. More information can be found at https://www.parkrec.nd.gov/business/recreation-programs/snowmobile/snowmobile-safety.   

The mission of the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department is to enrich generations through experiences that connect people and places. 

Original source can be found here.