Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RALPH ANSAMI
Ironwood — Michigan Natural Resources Chair John Matonich said he’d like to see an off-road vehicle trail extended to the Lake Gogebic State Park.
Speaking at last week’s NRC meeting at Gogebic Community College, Matonich said there’s already a trail there, but it’s not a DNR-sanctioned route.
“I’d like to see it done,” he said.
The NRC heard a report that the Baraga State Park filled up with campers on Labor Day weekend and camping has been up as much as 10 percent in state parks.
Matonich said the increase in campers at the Baraga park might be attributed to the fact it is now “ATV-friendly.”
He said the park at Lake Gogebic could fill up, too.
Ron Yesney, a Department of Natural Resources trail specialist, said Jeff Kakuk is now handling trails for the western Upper Peninsula.
Yesney said the acquisition of six miles of trails on Korpela Road near Wakefield will now allow access into the city. He said seven easements were acquired by the DNR to open up the Rail-Trail.
The next step will be to work on the stretch from Wakefield to Ironwood and eventually ATVs will have trail access from Wakefield to Ironwood.
There are 1,300 miles of ORV trails in the western U.P. and $16 million of work has been done on bridges and culverts, Yesney said. The work is funded by licenses and trail fees.
Keith Creagh, NRC director, said the state’s park improvement fund is down because of the lower gas prices and that’s an issue “that has to be worked on.”
Gov. Rick Snyder recently proclaimed Sept. 17-24 as the state’s third official Michigan Trails Week.
Sept. 24 is National Public Lands Day.
Statewide, Michigan has:
—4,010 miles of hiking trails.
—1,398 miles of equestrian trails.
—3,660 miles of ORV trails.
—1,483 miles of bike trails.
—6,204 miles of snowmobile trails.
Those totals do not include local, county and federal trails throughout the state.
The Iron Belle Trail, the longest designated state trail in the nation, from downtown Detroit to Ironwood, is 64 percent complete. The 791-mile bicycle route uses existing multi-use trails and new stretches.
Work on the Ironwood to Bessemer section of the trail is expected to be completed by the end of this fall’s construction season.
