Rapids Riders ATV Club

Rapids Riders ATV Club - Adopt-A-Highway On May 13th, members joined together to clear trash and other articles from the ditches of Highway 169 south of Grand Rapids. Twice a year we take the time to beautify our adopted section of roadway and this year was no exception.

Over a dozen members combined forces to gather the trash and improve our environment. We removed over 20 bags of refuse from the ditch areas. During the event several motorists honked their horns and gave us the thumbs-up in recognition of the clean-up.

ATV Safety Classes In cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Red Rock Riders ATV Club is sponsoring ATV Safety Training Classes at the Itasca County Fairgrounds again this year. Classes have been scheduled for the following dates:

New ATV/Motorcycle Trail OpensFinishing touches are being added to a new all-terrain vehicle, off-highway motorcycle trail which is now open between Eveleth and Gilbert. The long-awaited four-mile “Genoa Trail” was roughed-in by DNR Trails and Waterways crews last summer and is now being finished with a topcoat of gravel by a local contractor.

The trail provides a direct link for four-wheelers and dirt bikers from Eveleth to Gilbert and to the Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area. “This is the first step toward the vision of a trail system connecting Minnesota’s flagship OHV Park with surrounding communities,” said Bob Garrity, chair of the Eveleth-Gilbert Joint Powers Trail Board, which sponsors the trail.

The trail is open year-round for motorcycles and ATVs, and to snowmobiles from December through March. It passes through the old Genoa mining location.

Recreation Area Manager Bob Chance said visitors appreciate the convenience of riding directly from Eveleth lodging facilities without needing to trailer their machines to the recreation area.

The trail begins just east of the junction of State Highways 53 and 37 near Eveleth and ends at the Sherwood Forest Campground in Gilbert. From there, another trail connects to the Iron Range Off Highway Vehicle Recreation Area. It parallels the non-motorized Mesabi Trail. The trails are separated by fence where needed.

Detailed information about the Genoa Trail and Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area can be found on the DNR’s website, www.mndnr.gov and www.findthetrails.com.

Len Hardy is 2007 DNR volunteer ATV Safety Training Instructor of the Year! May 14, 2008 - Len Hardy of Nashwauk was named the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ 2007 Volunteer ATV Safety Training Instructor of the Year during the recent ATV Fair held at the Benton County Fairgrounds in Sauk Rapids.

“As the first vice president of the All-Terrain Vehicle Association of Minnesota, Mr. Hardy constantly promotes ATV safety and responsible riding for all ATVAM members,” said Capt. Mike Hammer, DNR Enforcement Education Program coordinator. “He is a very active, well-respected leader in his community and round the state and has a remarkable rapport with people from all walks of life.”Hardy, a dedicated DNR certified instructor since 2003, regularly travels the state in an effort to ensure that each and every ATV club in Minnesota provides Youth ATV Safety Training. He has taught 36 ATV classes as the lead instructor and has certified more than 600 students.

Hardy was instrumental in the planning and implementation of the Gilbert Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation area in northern Minnesota, the first dedicated park for off-road vehicles in the state. The park has a training classroom and a dedicated field training area that is permanently set up for youth ATV safety training.

The number of registered ATVs in Minnesota has tripled in the past decade. This year, about 150,000 are licensed.

World's Largest ATV ParadeThe City of Silver Bay Minnesota was host to the World Record attempt for the Longest ATV Parade on June 14, 2008. Seven members of the Rapids Riders ATV Club showed up for the event with the hope of being a part of ATV history.

Staging was located near the event route and several manufacturers and vendors set up shop near the registration area. Adequate bathroom facilities and plenty of parking made things easy for riders. Participants were given event t-shirts, caps and area trail maps too.

ATVAM organized the event and handled it with relevant ease. The trails around Silver Bay were great and area merchants did a wonderful job seeing to the needs of event riders. Although we fell short of breaking the World Record (currently at 1138 machines) by 55 machines, it was a great event and a chance to meet riders from all over the area.

The event was also a memorial for C.J. Ramstad and his 17-year-old son, J.J., who died in an auto accident in May 2007.

Trail Conditions The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources does a great job of maintaining trails in and around Minnesota State Forest Areas. These trails provide many miles of enjoyment for riders of every age. In addition to trail maintenance, the DNR also maintains a web site with up to date information on trail conditions and forest road closures. It's a great resource for the ATV enthusiast.

Trail MapsThere are lots of legal places to ride your ATV in Northern Minnesota. Finding those places isn't always so easy, but the Minnesota DNR has provided a web site to make easier. findthetrails.com is an excellent place to start. There are trails for every taste and even trail maps that you can print for the trip. The MN DNR has updated the site for 2008!

Chippewa National Forest ATV Maps They're officially called 'Motor Vehicle Use Maps' by the US Forest Service and now they're available on the Chippewa National Forest's web site. The maps are divided up in quadrants and users can check the maps for riding opportunities. A paper version of the map is now available at most of the CNF Ranger Stations.

MN DNR's Monthly OHV Newsletter Every month the Minnesota DNR puts out an online newsletter called 'On Track' to update and inform OHV users of key events and developments. Its definitely worth a look and a great place to get up-to-date information.

Upcoming Events

Send us your upcoming events and we'll add them here. Send your events to webmaster@rapidsridersatv.org