About the Project
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is in the process of developing a 2704 acre expansion area to complement the Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area, located at Gilbert, Minnesota. The expansion, which was legislatively authorized in 1999, is located about one mile north of the existing facility between the cities of Gilbert and Virginia. It will be linked by OHV trail to and managed from the Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area.
The expansion will complement the existing Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area in that it will be developed exclusively for trail riding for all classes of Off-Highway Vehicles (OHVs). The Department of Natural Resources has a plan of opening up portions of trails strategically, year to year, to continue to add more trails as seen fit.
Together the expansion and the existing recreation area will total approximately 3900 acres.
Project updates
The Department of Natural Resources, Parks and Trails Division is currently working on the main entrance trail and connecting trail that will be one of the main backbones to connect additional loops of trails and also the connection to the new Hwy 53 Bridge and eventually into Virginia. We have had to deal with a couple of wetland and river crossings that have taken time, but we hope to have this main connection trail completed by the end of the summer, early fall.
Last updated April 30, 2018.