Visitors to the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area (SRA) near Crosby and Ironton will encounter the temporary closure of Miner’s Mountain Road this summer. The approximately 1-mile road leading from the Miner’s Mountain Rally Center to the Huntington Mine overlook will be closed from mid-July to early fall for reconstruction and amenity upgrades.

The reconstruction is needed to stabilize the roadway and prevent erosion that could impact the adjacent mountain bike trails. When the project is completed, the paved roadway will lead to a new day-use picnic area and vault toilet at the current overlook.

Because of the extensive nature of the construction and heavy equipment needed to perform the work, the road will be closed to all vehicle, bicycle and foot traffic. For safety reasons, visitors are asked to obey the closure signs during construction and avoid areas where heavy equipment is present. Some adjacent bike trails may be temporarily closed or rerouted to avoid constructions areas.

Funding for this $510,000 project is coming from the Parks and Trails Fund, created after voters approved the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment in November 2008. The Parks and Trails Fund receives 14.25 percent of the Legacy sales tax revenue that can only be used for parks and trails of regional or statewide significance.

Construction updates will be posted in the visitor alert section of the Cuyuna Country SRA webpage at mndnr.gov/cuyuna. Updates are also available by calling the DNR Information Center at 888-646-6367 from 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, or by emailing [email protected].