Key features of the trailhead expansion include:

• Asphalt pump track.
• Skills course.
• Gathering spaces and viewing areas.
• Upgraded entrance, enhanced landscaping, fencing and tree planting.
• Informational kiosks, restroom facilities (portable toilets with surrounds) and water fountain.
• Bike wash station.
• Race gate.
• Reconfigured parking and lighting.

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation (IRRR) supported the trailhead and expansion project with a $1 million Regional Trails grant. That investment helped put the Iron Range on a path toward becoming a national and international mountain biking destination.

When speaking at the celebration, IRRR Commissioner Ida Rukavina recognized the hard work over the years among the city of Chisholm, Iron Range Off Road Cyclists, Minnesota Discovery Center, area mountain bike enthusiasts and volunteers and the region’s elected officials. She also thanked the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) for its investment in the project and its continued support of outdoor recreation opportunities across Minnesota. 

Redhead MTB Park has become one of Minnesota’s premier outdoor recreation destinations, transforming former mining lands into a nationally recognized trail system that attracts visitors from across the Midwest and beyond. Based on trail counter data, park officials estimate that the trail system drew approximately 27,000 visits last year.

The trail system opened in 2021 and traverses amidst 1,225 acres of mining impacted land with rich red earth surfaces, steep and rugged rock ledges, lush green forestry, and open mine pits full of clear blue water. The Redhead land once yielded iron ore that was transferred to America’s steel mills. Mining ceased on the parcels several decades ago, and the property now draws mountain bikers, hikers, e-bikers, kayakers, canoers and other outdoor recreation enthusiasts.

In 2017, IRRR invested $5 million in three major mountain bike trail systems: Redhead MTB Park, Tioga Recreation Area in Cohasset and Giants Ridge in Biwabik. 

Learn more about Redhead MTB Park.

Visit the Ride the Range website to explore Redhead and other world class trail systems in northeastern Minnesota.

Email Danae Beaudette or call her at 218-735-3022 for Regional Trails grant information.

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation (IRRR) Commissioner Ida Rukavina spoke at the event, which also featured remarks from Sen. Grant Hauschild and Rep. Roger Skraba. IRRR supported the project with a $400,000 Regional Trails grant to the city of Silver Bay. Total project investment is estimated at $5.5 million.

The year-round building features meeting space, a kitchen, lockers, individual accessible bathrooms and shower rooms. Onsite solar panels power the building, and there are three EV charging stations maintained by Minnesota Power.

Other project funding partners included the Minnesota Legislature through state bonding, the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund through the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, the Federal Transportation Alternatives Program through the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and the Minnesota Department of Commerce through the Solar on Public Buildings Grant.

Email Danae Beaudette or call her at 218-735-3022 for Regional Trails grant information.

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation (IRRR) Commissioner Ida Rukavina was honored to deliver the keynote address at the National Maritime Day Celebration on May 22 in Duluth. Her presentation, “From Iron Ore to Open Water,” highlighted the strong connection between the Iron Range mining industry, Great Lakes shipping and North American steelmaking.

She emphasized the shared history between mining and maritime, dating back to the first and second World Wars when shipping served as the lifeline of the Allied nations – moving troops, fuel, food and supplies across dangerous waters around the globe. At the very same time, Iron Range miners were producing the ore needed to forge the steel, build the ships  and manufacture the equipment essential to the war effort.

Today, ore mined in the Iron Range still accounts for 55% of the cargo that is exported from the Duluth-Superior Port.

As a board member of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, Rukavina understands the important role the port of Duluth-Superior plays in supporting regional industries, serving as a gateway for both exports and imports. Industrial components, project cargo and various other inputs for the mining, manufacturing and energy sectors arrive to the inland port, providing local businesses the products and supplies they need to function.

Without reliable rail connections, highways, and maritime shipping, many area businesses simply could not compete at the level they do today. The Port is critical to the Iron Range and Duluth economy.

Rukavina thanked the workers and people in the mining and maritime industries, explaining that the people ultimately drive the industries that bring positive economic impact to our region and communities. She also thanked the military service members who protect the waters, ports and skies.

The U.S. Congress first declared National Maritime Day in 1933. It has been celebrated ever since in Duluth-Superior and throughout the nation by merchant mariners and maritime industry stakeholders. The Duluth-Superior Maritime Club hosts the celebration each year to honor the U.S. Merchant Marine and the maritime industry and its benefits to Americans in terms of transportation, trade, national security, employment, recreation and quality of life.

IRRR Director of Community Development Whitney Ridlon attended the groundbreaking ceremony, along with Sen. Grant Hauschild and Rep. Roger Skraba.

District Superintendent Chris Lindholm explained that while small-scale updates occurred in 2016, the new expansion is the first major update since 1998.

Email Whitney Ridlon or call her at 218-735-3004 for Iron Range School & Community Development Account information.

Photos courtesy of Cook County ISD No. 166.

Hull Rust Mahoning Mine View offers the public 360-degree views of Hibbing Taconite’s mine operations and the historic city of Hibbing. The location, “Windows to the World,” features walking trails, interpretive signage, multiple viewing points and a park featuring historic mining machinery that visitors can explore. 

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation (IRRR) has supported the development of Hull Rust Mahoning Mine View through Mineland Reclamation and Community Development grants to the city of Hibbing. The Mineland Reclamation grants helped construct two buildings that serve as visitor centers. One building contains displays of historical artifacts, maps and artwork. The other building hosts an exhibit hall, reception area, gift shop and outdoor balcony overlooking the mine.

On May 28, the city celebrated the opening of a new permanent mining exhibit, which is on display in both buildings, providing educational and interactive features. Elements of the exhibit honor the Indigenous history and perspectives connected to mining and the Iron Range.

IRRR staff attended the event, including Tribal Liaison Billie Isham-Gillen and Climate & Energy Policy Advisor Jason Janisch. Also in attendance were Hibbing Mayor Pete Hyduke, St. Louis County Commissioner Mike Jugovich, St. Louis County Tribal Relations Cathy Chavers and Vermilion Representative for Bois Forte Robert Moyer Jr. Representatives from the Hibbing Historical Society and the Science Museum of Minnesota were also present, along with numerous community members.

IRRR supported the new exhibit project through a portion of $550,000 in legislative revenue bond financing awarded to the city of Hibbing, through the 2024 Minerals Article Legislation/Tax Omnibus Bill.

Learn more about the Hull Rust Mahoning Mine View. The site is open daily 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Memorial Day through Labor Day, and admission is free.

Email Danae Beaudette or call her at 218-735-3022 for grant information.

The Minnesota Discovery Center celebrated the grand opening of its newly renovated Hall of Geology on May 22, welcoming community members for the museum’s first exhibit opening in seven years.

Guests gathered for an evening of socializing, remarks from museum leadership, the official unveiling and an opportunity to explore the transformed exhibit. Originally built in 1979, the Hall of Geology had not undergone a major update until this renovation, which reflects decades of scientific advancements and a renewed focus on Iron Range geology and paleontology.

The renovation was the culmination of three years of planning, research, design and fabrication. Led by Museum & Research Center Director Allyse Freeman, the project reimagines how visitors experience the region’s geological history through interactive displays, tactile learning opportunities, fossil specimens and a large-scale mural depicting Minnesota’s landscape through time.

A highlight of the exhibit is a new central hub that explores four key events and eras that shaped the Iron Range: the Great Oxygenation Event, mountain building, the age of dinosaurs and the glacial era.

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation (IRRR) and the Minnesota Historical Society each contributed $100,000 to fund the $200,000 Hall of Geology renovation. IRRR Facilities and Operations Manager Sean Peyla attended the opening on behalf of the agency. The project refreshed the exhibit with new displays, interactive elements and information reflecting nearly five decades of scientific discoveries. 

The renovated Hall of Geology is now open to the public and offers visitors a deeper look at the geological forces, ancient life forms and natural processes that shaped the Iron Range.

Learn more about the Minnesota Discovery Center.

Three pickleball courts were created in French Township. An existing tennis and multi-purpose court was resurfaced to accommodate pickleball with mobile nets, and two new stand-alone courts were constructed. Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation supported the project with a $30,000 Culture & Tourism grant. Total project investment was $120,000. 

Adjacent to the courts are horse shoe pits, bocce courts, a playground and picnic pavilion.

French Township is located in St. Louis County, about 20 miles north of Hibbing and includes the unincorporated community of Side Lake. The township is home to approximately 600 year-round residents and serves as a recreational hub anchored by the Sturgeon Chain of Lakes and McCarthy Beach State Park.

Email Danae Beaudette or call her at 218-735-3022 for Culture & Tourism grant information.