The Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission is requesting proposals to complete an assessment of Mountain Bike Trails and Support Facilities in Greater Minnesota Districts 1 and 2. The deadline for proposal submission is 5:00 PM Friday, July 20, 2018. See the attached RFP for additional details.

Prior to additional future investment into regional systems, the GMRPTC needs to: evaluate the realistic demand base for the developing system; better understand the current and potential size of the system in priority Greater Minnesota regions regardless of jurisdiction, and provide better guidance to our local partners on design standards for regional-level facilities.

If you have any questions, please contact GMRPTC System Plan Coordinator Joe Czapiewski at coordinator@gmrptcommission.org.

Come one, come all!

Join us in celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the passage of the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment!

Essentia Duluth Heritage Center will host a very special PARKS AND TRAILS LEGACY CELEBRATION! At this event we will have plenty of activities for all-ages and all-abilities, including rock climbing, biking, an ATV simulator, lots of Legacy project information, and other activities guarantee fun for parks and trails enthusiasts of all abilities.

Each event will be filled with family-friendly activities aiming to engage and inspire people from across the community to get involved with their parks and trails, and to learn about the opportunities the Legacy Amendment offers.

During these events, staff from the ten Metropolitan Regional Parks System’s implementing agencies, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission will gather your ideas and perspectives on Legacy efforts thus far, and invite you to help shape priorities moving forward.

For more information and a list of all 2018 events across the state, visit the website.
www.legacy.leg.mn/ptlac/2018-regional-events
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The new MN Great Outdoors website is a joint initiative of Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission, MN DNR and Metropolitan Council.  After almost two years of planning and construction, the new site was launched on June 12, 2018!

https://mn.gov/greatoutdoors/

The website will make trip planning easy and provide a great way to filter a search based on location, accessibility, amenities and features.  Once a search is complete, the site provides the parks or trails that fit the parameters and users simply click through to the individual websites for more detail and planning assistance.

The site provides a comprehensive database of State Parks and Trails, Metropolitan Council Parks and Trails and all Greater Minnesota designated parks and trails, along with snowmobile and ATV trails. 

One of the primary benefits to the designated facilities in Greater Minnesota is the ability for city and county facilities with smaller marketing budgets to gain greater exposure to a much larger audience of park and trail enthusiasts.  To date the site includes 184 parks and 419 trails!  The new site is a win for all involved, and we’re excited to announce the launch at the start of the busy travel season.

CANNON FALLS, Minn. --  U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has designated the Cannon Valley Trail in southeastern Minnesota as a national
recreation trail.

The Cannon Valley Trail is one of 19 newly designated national recreation trails in 17 states announced Wednesday. Zinke says the designations recognize the efforts of local communities to provide outdoor recreational opportunities that can be enjoyed by everyone. The announcement adds more than 370 miles to the National Recreation Trails system of more than 1,000 pathways.

The 19.7 - mile Cannon Valley Trail opened in 1986. It runs through diverse and spectacular scenery along an old rail bed along the Cannon River, connecting the cities of Cannon Falls, Welch and Red Wing. It's open year-round for hiking, bicycling, in-line skating, skateboarding, and cross-country skiing. It attracts close to 100,000 visits per year.The Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission has classified the Cannon Valley Trail as a trail of regional significance in Greater Minnesota.

Complete article: https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/secretary-zinke-announces-19-new-national-recreation-trails-17-states