The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources invites public review and written comments on a proposal by St. Louis County and the Quad Cities ATV Club to obtain Grant-in-Aid (GIA) funding for an off-highway vehicle trail.

This trail is for all-terrain vehicles and off-highway motorcycles and connects the communities of Eveleth and Virginia to the U.S. Forest Service Big Aspen Trail system, Pfeiffer Lake area, and ultimately the Voyageur Country ATV system. GIA is a cost sharing program between the DNR, a local government sponsor and a local club. The program funds development and maintenance of OHV trails.

The proposed GIA project would add five segments of trail to the GIA program -- the Quad Cities Spur Trail South, two segments of the Quad Cities Spur Trail North, the Big Aspen Trail Complex, and the Pfeiffer Area trail connection. The proposed project would include 31.1 miles of existing trail corridor currently open to ATV use, and 2.2 miles of existing trail corridor with new ATV use. The club will also maintain approximately 20.9 miles of trail that is already open to ATV use and is not a part of this GIA proposal.

The DNR will accept written comments on the proposal until 4:30 p.m. Monday, July 15, 2024.

Comments may be submitted:

• Via email to [email protected]; please put “Quad Cities ATV” in the email subject line.
• Via mail to Joe Majerus, Area Supervisor, Parks and Trails Division, Minnesota DNR, 650 Hwy 169, Tower, MN 55790.

A map of the proposed GIA trail segments can be found at the DNR’s OHV plans and proposals webpage. For more information, call Joe Majerus, area supervisor, at 218-300-7842.