Mining activity ended on Minnesota’s Cuyuna Iron Range more than 50 years ago. Now completely reclaimed, old mining dumps have become an international mountain biking hotspot. Talk of scram mining the dumps is raising concern for the new tourism economy. PHOTO: Aaron Hautala for VisitBrainerd.org
We’ve written before about the Cuyuna Iron Range’s tremendous success rebranding itself for fat tire mountain biking instead of just as a “former mining region.” Late last week, the Cuyuna Bike Crew — the organization created to organize and advocate for mountain bikers and trails — announced its comprehensive plan.
While the plan is replete with maps and specifics, the bottom line is that they seek to create a trail system that provides three full days of biking to experienced riders. With the Cuyuna trails already rising in the national rankings for mountain bike trail systems, accomplishing this would be a major coup for tourism and outdoor recreation for this central Minnesota region.
Here’s a Lakeland Public Television story about the announcement:
The Cuyuna Iron Range is one of three major Minnesota iron ranges that produced significant amounts of iron ore. For the past 50 years, the Mesabi Range has the only one still producing iron ore. The Vermilion — near Ely — and Cuyuna both stopped active iron ore production decades ago.
I spoke with Aaron Hautala, who speaks in the Lakeland TV story, in the Great Northern Radio Show I did in Crosby in 2013. He has a way of transferring the enthusiasm he has for his sport into enthusiasm for the region as a whole. All told, we could use more of that on the Mesabi Range as well.
And no, biking trails aren’t the sole solution the Cuyuna Range’s quest for economic diversification. The region owes much to being located near Brainerd’s larger economic center. But part of attracting the fickle, mobile workforce and investment of the future is knowing what are you region’s unique strengths. This is an example of that.
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