Dozens of wet, soft trails closed in N Minn.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has temporarily closed dozens of roads and state trails because of wet, snowy conditions.
Many of the closed roads and trails are located in state forests in the northern half of the state.
Conditions have deteriorated rapidly this spring and many roads and trails aren't firm enough to support off-road vehicle traffic, said Mary Straka, the DNR's off-road vehicle program consultant.
"People don't realize how quickly the conditions can change if you disobey one of the closures," she said. "Because where you're entering that road it looks fine, but then as you travel on that road it might get worse and worse the farther you travel down it."
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Some trails that cross both private and public land are also closed. The DNR recommends checking its website when planning any trips, and also checking before traveling on county or national forest land.
Straka said what can be most damaging is a condition called "frost boil," where frozen water starts to percolate through the soil as the ground thaws.
"You get this very soft area in the roads or in the trails, where if you step into that spot, you sink into that wet, mucky road or in the trail," she said.
Vehicles that travel on closed roads can cause a lot of damage in a short amount of time. They could remain closed into May.
"These are normal spring closures that happen when roads and trails become wet and fragile," said Richard Peterson, recreation program coordinator for the DNR's Forestry Division.