photo credit: Joan Wagner

Snowmobiling in Calhoun County

Ready to hit the trails?

Snowy days chase some people inside, but not you. You crave the rush of cool winter air hitting your sled as you speed across miles of smooth trails. You love the freedom of getting away from it all. Then there’s the pit stop at a local eatery for a refreshing beverage and burger. Need we say more?

You’ll find it all in Calhoun County, thanks to Snow-Pak, Inc., a group of snowmobiling enthusiasts from Calhoun County and Pocahontas County.

“We groom more than 200 miles of trails between the two counties,” said Kolby Wagner, president of Snow-Pak, Inc., who grooms the trails about once a week. Snow-Pak, Inc.’s members also help mark the county’s groomed trails, sponsor fun runs and plan other events, as the weather cooperates.

You can ride from Lake City up Highway 4 near Twin Lakes onto Havelock, with detours to Manson, Fonda, Lytton and Knierim along the way. Most of the trails are in the ditches and offer a fun, safe place to snowmobile with your family and friends. “We’re getting a lot of kids involved, which is great,” added Wagner, who noted that kids can get a snowmobile license in Iowa at age 12.

Ready to hit the trails? Just bring your snowmobile and your user permit, which is required for riding on all groomed and non-groomed areas in Iowa. Resident and nonresident user permits are available at any county recorder’s office and any agent that sells hunting and fishing licenses, including Swanson Hardware in Rockwell City and Manson, Twin Lakes Marina and Sparky’s convenience stores in Lake City and Lytton and the Sparky’s at the junction of Highway 4 and 20.

When you’re ready to slow down and take a break from the trail, grab a bite to eat at restaurants in Pomeroy, Rockwell City, Lake City or Manson. “All those places have good food,” Wagner said.

Follow Sno-Pak on Facebook (Sno-Pak-Inc) for the latest updates, and find snowmobile trail maps of Calhoun County through the Iowa State Snowmobile Association website.

written by Darcy Maulsby

Snowmobiling in Calhoun County

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