The growth of ATV recreation, in both numbers and vehicle types, continues to shape how clubs manage their trails.
By Perry May Grant Manager, Over The Hills Gang ATV Club
The desire of many ATV riders today is to “destination ride.” They want to ride to places that offer gas, lodging, camping or food, and maybe not all on one trail, often exceeding 100 miles in a day.
Clubs that manage smaller trails are making trail connections with one another, forming trail systems, much like the first interstate highway system, planned in the 1950s to have all highways designed and constructed within a detailed design criterion, to accelerate commerce across states, and to relieve congestion. ATV trail design today follows the Minnesota DNR Grant-in-Aid (GIA) criteria for safe, sustainable, and maintainable riding. The goal is to bring more riders to more trail towns, increase economic vitality, and get riders to explore the 80+ GIA trails in Minnesota.
Favorite Trails
The Prospector Trail Alliance is working to connect ATV trails to towns across northeastern Minnesota, from the North Shore to International FallsOne of the most-asked questions on social media is “What is your favorite Trail?” My hope is that the answer to this question is never the same, and the connectivity of trails allows riders to experience various communities, various trail types, and geographic diversity. Not all riders want the same ride experience, so it’s important for Minnesota to offer a diversity of trail riding destinations.
Alliance Through Trail Connections ATV clubs within a geographic region that do have trails that connect, are partnering with each other to form trail alliances. Some of the larger trail alliances in Minnesota are the Prospector Trail Alliance, the Northwoods Regional ATV Trail Alliance, the NorthStar Trail Alliance, the Itasca County ATV Trail Alliance, and the Northeast Region ATV Joint Powers Board. Many of these alliances begin with informal meetings to discuss common interests. In time they become more formal through the creation of a non-profit organization with board members, bylaws, meeting schedules, mission, and vision statements.
The Roseau/Lake of the Woods Sportsmans Club and the Fourtown/Grygla Sportsmans Club joined forces to form the Northstar Trail Alliance, which over the years has been able to greatly expand ATV trail riding opportunities in northwestern Minnesota.Nick Wognum, president of the Prospector Trail Alliance, described their first steps. “We had some meetings just to talk, then some where we pulled out maps and discussed different trail options. What we found were several areas where more than one person had knowledge of the lay of the land. Collaborative plans were put in place and routes went from a line on a map, to ribbons in the woods, to a GPS track.”
Today, this alliance is working to connect over 250 miles of trail into communities such as Ely, Tower, Babbitt, Embarrass, Finland, and the North Shore.
The Northwoods Regional ATV Trail Alliance began as a group of Aitkin County ATV clubs working together to plan and expand the 70-mile trail project first legislated in 2007 to connect Aitkin to Itasca Counties. In 2024, this trail system has grown to over 500 miles, using the Soo Line North and South corridor trails to connect ATV trails in Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Mille Lacs, Pine, and Carlton Counties. The alliance of clubs that manage these trails has grown to nine, with the possibility of more clubs joining in the future.
The Northeast Regional ATV Joint Powers Board, chaired by St. Louis County Commissioner Paul McDonald, formed in 2021 to create a northeast regional trail masterplan. When trails cross many county boundaries it’s necessary to coordinate trail planning, funding, permitting, and construction activities throughout the region. This alliance represents 18 clubs, with a vision to grow the region, rather than separate, disconnected trails.
The Northwoods Regional ATV Trail Alliance has grown to include 9 clubs that manage hundreds of miles of trails across multiple counties.Itasca County seeks to bring their eight ATV clubs together with a common vision of management and connectivity. In northwestern Minnesota, the NorthStar Trail Alliance is a partnership between two clubs, working with the Minnesota DNR Forestry Division to help manage the 238 miles of ATV trails within the 703,000 acre Beltrami Island State Forest.
The Benefits
Trail Alliances hold many benefits, such as working together on trail/grant funding, safety brochures, GIA training, common signage, selfie stations, trail system maps, regional trail master plans, rail grade maintenance groups, marketing, newsletters, and more. Larger trail systems also cross over many legislative boundaries, meaning more Minnesota House and Senate Representatives that can help support funding and other alliance needs at the State Capitol.
The most difficult challenge is getting clubs and counties to work as a team toward a common vision rather than in silos. Each club and county brings different ideas and best practices, which help the alliance grow. Sometimes a facilitator is needed to bring out the best in the alliance members and to ensure all members are being heard.
As ATV trail connectivity grows in Minnesota, coupled with the current trend of fewer trail volunteers, I foresee more club and county alliances forming to manage the ATV trails as a system. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is quoted as saying “There is power in numbers and there is power in unity.” Join a club today!
