Written by Gunnar Carlson, Upstream Care for Place Fellow

Every year in June I take a long weekend to travel to Crosby, Minnesota to camp and ride the wonderful trail system in the Cuyuna Recreational Area. I am always amazed at how much fun I can have doing the same thing year after year. These trails are like old friends and I look forward to our annual reunion. As we both get older our features change a bit, but we recognize each other. Bobsled is my sentimental favorite. It got its name from the huge berms that are featured in the descent portion of the trail. One has to do a bit of climbing to get to the sweet payoff of a downhill section that’s like a rollercoaster, but it is definitely worth it.  

In recent years they have added some really nice adaptive trails in the Sagamore unit. These are trails that are designed for accessibility. They’re wider with a smooth surface and more gradual ups and downs. While it is not the most challenging riding I do, it is undeniably appealing to enjoy riding on a natural surface while taking in the fall colors, or as a nice cool down or warmup. It’s always fun to see little kids learning to ride in this area. I really enjoyed riding the backcountry trail this time. The combination of weather and hero dirt made for a great ride. We hit a different area each day and were able to enjoy miles of riding while never hitting the same trail twice (except for the trail from our campsite to the main trails).  

At night, we recount our day’s ride and the new memories we made around a campfire. These are the moments I cherish the most!  Nothing says, “outdoor recreation” to me as much as talking around a campfire.  It’s even better when that fire is in the woods somewhere far away from my home in North Minneapolis and that crackling is met by the laughter of friends. This is what makes Minnesota’s outdoors so special. There are so many opportunities for us all to enjoy being outside in nature in any way we like and so many places like Cuyuna that make it easier to do.  I hope everyone gets the chance to visit some part of Minnesota that’s a little off your beaten path and enjoy some new scenery.

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