Kickin' Up Skills and Thrills

Air'em down, wheelers and dirt riders! New challenge trails at Gilbert boost fun and competence, and offer great views too.

By Gustave Axelson. Photography by Deborah Rose

"It's nice to finally have a fun, safe place to ride," says all-terrain-vehicle enthusiast Jeff Russell of Eveleth. "It's been a long time coming too."

Russell has been riding ATVs for 20 years, but like many Iron Range riders, he has had to restrict his travels to logging and mining roads?boring stuff on a machine designed to traverse rough-and-tumble off-road terrain.

So he couldn't wait to take his ATV to the new Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area in Gilbert. At this area operated by the Department of Natural Resources for ATVs, off-highway motorcycles, and 4x4 trucks and jeeps, he can push his off-road riding skills to the limit.

"It's a blast," Russell says. "It's got everything you could want. You can ride some really steep and rocky trails, go mudding down in the mud pit, then go up on top of Hercules and take in the view." The sights from the popular height of land include the Laurentian Divide, four towns, and a mining operation. "You can see for forever from up there."

Opened last October, the OHV site is a model DNR strategy for accommodating one of the newest and fastest-growing outdoor recreation groups. Most of the 1,200-acre site is an old mine dump, where until 1981 massive piles of earth were deposited after being dug out in the search for iron ore. Now it's OHV heaven?20 miles of trails that range from easy-going gravel paths to the most rugged trails a jeep's suspension can handle.

And, indeed, it has been a long time coming. The state legislation that opened the way to an OHV site was passed back in 1993.

"At that time, the DNR conducted a study to identify an OHV site near the Twin Cities, but nobody wanted it," says Ron Potter, DNR OHV coordinator. "The Iron Range did."

That was thanks in large part to the efforts of state representative Tom Rukavina, Virginia, who worked with the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board and the city of Gilbert to push for the site.

The planning process to make the park a reality was as rocky as the eventual trails. Numerous disputes threatened to put an end to the project. Noise concerns of park neighbors led to extensive sound testing and the inclusion of buffering berms. Then the discovery of a threatened plant species (the St. Lawrence grapefern) posed another obstacle to development, until an environmental impact statement showed the ferns could be protected if they were fenced off.

For all the disputes, complaints have been few since the park opened.

"I think everyone in town recognizes that the OHV park has had a very positive effect on area business," says Dave Riddle, executive director of the Iron Trail Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Now that the park's up and running, we're seeing license plates from all over the Midwest hauling ATVs into town. The city campground hosted more guests than it's ever had last fall, and the local gas stations are pumping more gas than ever."

The DNR predicts the Gilbert site could add $200,000 to $400,000 a year to the local economy in consumer spending on food, lodging, and entertainment.

"It's purely positive in terms of economic impact, because the locals don't have to pay anything for the park. It's 100 percent user-funded," says Bob Chance, OHV park supervisor.

Because the recreation area is funded through vehicle registration fees and a portion of gasoline taxes (which are set aside to be used for OHV recreation) user input weighs heavily in park design. Trail terrain reflects what ATV and 4x4 clubs have said they wanted. And now that off-road motorcycles are becoming increasingly popular, the park is adding the narrow trails through dense forest these riders seek.

The DNR is hoping the Gilbert site will become a hub for OHV gatherings. The agency estimates 10,000 to 20,000 people will visit the site annually. The site's meeting and training building, outdoor competition arena, and practice obstacle course for teaching riding skills make it well-suited for OHV events.

The DNR is also hoping to establish a second OHV site in nearby Virginia, with a trail connecting the two.

"We collect the registration fees, so it's our duty to give OHV users somewhere to ride," says Chance. "Snowmobiles faced a similar trail shortage 20 years ago, and today we've got the nation's best snowmobile trail system. If we're able to do the same thing for OHVs in Minnesota, it'll not only be a great asset for Minnesotans, but another great reason for tourists to visit our state."

To learn more, visit the Iron Range OHV Recreation Area web page at ww.dnr.state.mn.us/rmv/iron_range or contact the DNR Information Center.

Gustave Axelson, Minneapolis, is a freelance writer. Deborah Rose is DNR staff photographer.