With another ATV trail-riding season coming to a close, it’s time to reflect on this past season. During 2012, all segments of the Northwoods Regional ATV Trail (NWT) were opened for recreational trail-riding; and after a slow start (primarily due to flood damage) by most accounts the trail system is an early success. Our goals for this project involved designing a great interconnected ATV trail that could provide economic benefits for local communities and help to reduce negative impacts to environmentally sensitive areas. The results of 2012 are encouraging.
We’ve received considerable feedback from local users and from visitors to our area that is overwhelmingly positive. We also received a number of specific suggestions for improvement that we will consider over this winter. There is evidence that the trail has had positive economic impacts and that destructive off-trail travel is decreasing – time will tell if these benefits are long-lasting.
The design of the trail system allows for new connections and there will likely be some in the future; but the construction surge (75+ miles of new designated ATV trails) of the past few years is over. After 6-years of planning, grant writing, environmental reviews, public meetings, and construction contracts, we are now in a primarily maintenance mode – working with MN DNR and local ATV clubs to keep this well-designed trail system in top working order.
October 31st is the last day of the recreational ATV trail-riding season on the NWT. However, much of the trail will continue to be open under the hunter/trapper exemption – during legal season, legal hours, for those with the appropriate licenses (refer to the appropriate MN DNR regulation handbook for the details).
After the firearms deer season the Soo Line trails will continue to be open for ATV trail riding until the snowmobile clubs start grooming snow for the snowmobile season. Aitkin County has a rich tradition of snowmobiling and has 600+ miles of some of the best maintained trails in the State, that bring in significant tourism dollars; thanks to our local snowmobile clubs. For the coming winter, let’s hope for adequate snowfall (not too much/not too little) for a good snowmobiling season and we’ll work on improving the ATV trail system for the 2013 season.
