Motorized Recreation Enthusiasts Receive Early Christmas Gift on Superior National Forest

Duluth, MN (December 19, 2014) – All-terrain vehicle enthusiasts received an early Christmas gift in the form of a new riding opportunity on the Superior National Forest thanks to collaboration between the USDA Forest Service and several partners. The new, 30-mile Jackpot Trail is located near Pitcha Lake, 6 miles east of Babbitt and 23 miles south of Ely, Minnesota.

This gift even came with a ribbon. The Jackpot trail was officially opened with a ribbon- cutting ceremony in October that culminated a 10-year long effort to establish the route. This new trail would not have been possible without a contribution of volunteer labor by the Babbitt ATV/Snowmobile Club; equipment and labor by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; a $25,000 donation from the Polaris Foundation; $5,000 donation along with use of company lands granted by Twin Metals Minnesota: and the support from the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council and National Forest Foundation.

The Jackpot Trail is a loop route which uses 28 miles of existing motorized trails and roads along with a 1.7-mile segment of new trail that was completed in October. The majority of the trail is located on national forest lands and passes through a diverse and scenic landscape. Trail head parking areas for the loop are located in Babbitt and also near the intersection of Lake County Road 2 and State Highway 1. The Jackpot Loop also connects with the popular 25-mile Stony Spur All-Terrain Vehicle Trail.

The U.S. Forest Service is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a mission of sustaining the health, diversity and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The Forest Service’s Eastern Region includes twenty states in the Midwest and East, stretching from Maine, to Maryland, to Missouri, to Minnesota. There are 17 national forests and one national tallgrass prairie in the Eastern Region. For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/R9.

The U.S. Forest Service manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation’s clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. The agency has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres within the U.S., of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live. For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/.