This is the second year that Minnesota is providing ATV riders with free access to more than 3,000 miles of state forest and grant-in-aid (GIA) trails during “No Registration Weekend.”
“We see this weekend as a great opportunity to showcase the wide variety of state and grant-in-aid trails across Minnesota,” said Mary Straka, off-highway vehicle program coordinator. “There are a large number of privately registered ATVs across the state that, during this weekend, can give the public trails a try and ride for free.”
Some great places to start, according to Straka, include:
- The Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area, a 1,200-acre OHV park in Gilbert with 36 miles of scenic trails for riders of all abilities.
- The 100-mile trail system in Nemadji State Forest, which connects to the Matthew Lourey State Trail and the Gandy Dancer Trail for more riding opportunities.
- The 29-mile Spider Lake trail system in Foot Hills State Forest, where riders will curve around lakes and ponds, go up and down a variety of hills, and view overlooks from the ridges throughout the forest.
Contact the DNR Information Center at info.dnr@state.mn.us, 651-296-6157 or 888-646-6367 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday to request free copy of the atlas. Trail maps are also available online at www.mndnr.gov/ohv, as are updates on trail conditions.
For more information, contact Mary Straka at 218-833-8713 (Brainerd) or 651-259-5644 (St. Paul) or mary.straka@state.mn.us.
