Trail Conditions: Good
Snow Cover: 28 inches
Date of Report: February 4, 2026
Area Report:
Grooming operations continue across the area. The Pisten Bully assigned to the Raco and Bay Mills areas is off today for scheduled maintenance. One additional grooming machine remains down; however, schedules have been adjusted to ensure full trail coverage.
News and Reports:
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Trail 8 (Soo to Raco): Excellent
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City Trails (49, 449, 497, I-500): Good – Increased traffic due to race week.
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Trail 49 (Soo to Kinross): Good – No water holes; possible drifting in open areas.
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Trail 49 south of M-80 & 494 Loop: Excellent
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Trail 472 → 480 → Raco Gate: Good – Use caution near the new bridge on 480 due to exposed stone.
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Trail 480 (Spile Dam turnaround to Raco Powerline/Trail 8): Good
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Raco Powerline: Good
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Trail 889 (Mission Hill Loop): Excellent
Snowmobiling Information
Join us for the 54th Annual International I-500 Snowmobile Race and experience all the thrills of NASCAR on a one-mile oval ice track.
The I-500 is the BIGGEST event in the Upper Peninsula and in the entire snowmobile-racing world. No Hans devices. No padding. Just 100% raw courage!
When drivers accelerate to speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour on the straightaways, your heart will race…
If you enjoy NASCAR, you will love the I-500 Snowmobile Race. It’s, “NASCAR on Ice!”
Every snowmobile adventure requires one very important element: snow! Averaging more than 120 inches annually, Sault Ste. Marie is a snowmobiler’s dream and the perfect hub from which to explore hundreds of miles of groomed trails across the Eastern Upper Peninsula and beyond.
Connecting a variety of small communities and running through national forests, state forest lands and snow-covered hills and plains across the region, touring the EUP by snowmobile is both exhilarating and awe-inspiring. Watch for the abundant wildlife and be sure to leave time for hearty lunches and dinners at area restaurants and taverns.
Most, but not all, city streets are open to safe snowmobiling and allow riders access to businesses and lodging. A break from the trail is equally exhilarating at Kewadin Casino or in downtown Sault Ste. Marie, where a local brew pub, wineries and restaurants await you. Be sure to put the first Saturday in February on your calendar, when the International 500 snowmobile race brings NASCAR-style excitement to the snowy city.
