Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area
Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area is a state recreation area in St. Louis County. 8 graded lakes are within 15 miles of the park, including West Vermilion Lake, Fourteen Lake, Big Rice Lake.
Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area is a Minnesota State Recreation Area — a public-land designation focused on recreation rather than ecological preservation. 296,526 acres are protected. 8 graded lakes are within easy reach of the park, with an average grade of C. Fourteen Lake (B) is the cleanest of the set.
Reading the per-lake LakeGrade alongside the park designation gives a fuller picture than either alone: the park tells you what land is protected, the grade tells you what condition the water in that protected area is in.
Official Resources
Nearby Graded Lakes (within 15 mi)
Lakes closest to Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area, weighted by size. Click a lake for its full water quality grade, fish species, and depth.
| Lake | County | Grade | Surface Area | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Vermilion Lake | St. Louis | C | 39,272 acres | 10.9 mi |
| Fourteen Lake | St. Louis | B | 386 acres | 8.7 mi |
| Big Rice Lake | St. Louis | B | 1,917 acres | 13.7 mi |
| Sand Lake | St. Louis | C | 779 acres | 12 mi |
| Thirteen Lake | St. Louis | B | 80 acres | 8.6 mi |
| Elbow Lake | St. Louis | C | 1,695 acres | 14.9 mi |
| Dark Lake | St. Louis | D | 231 acres | 12 mi |
| Susan Lake | St. Louis | C | 276 acres | 13 mi |
Other Parks in the Area
- McCarthy Beach State Park— State Park, 16.3 mi
- Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park— State Park, 23.5 mi
- Bear Head Lake State Park— State Park, 31.2 mi
- Scenic State Park— State Park, 38.9 mi
Where to stay near Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area
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Top-rated places to stay near Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.