MTRA’s Trail and Campground Improvements & Maintenance Projects:
MTRA has been active since 1979 and since 1993 has donated $360,000 to trails and campground maintenance and enhancement projects all over Minnesota. The $360,000 comes from your dues and donations, fund raisers, from memorial donations, from friends groups and club donations. All these are matched with Federal grant funds. The last five years the Federal match has been 75% to our 25% (so $3.00 to MTRA’s $1.00).
MTRA feels that it is important to help maintain and improve trails and campgrounds for equestrians. Equestrians benefit from safer trails, erosion control, trail maintenance, new culverts, bridges, trail signage, rest benches and mounting blocks. They also benefit from better toilets, fire rings, picnic tables, manure bunkers, lighting, signage, pavilions, tie lines with gravel, water lines, electrical hook-ups and more.
MTRA is a statewide organization. We learn about needs from our members and from managers of parks, forests and trails all over the state. MTRA sends annual surveys to all parks, forests and trails (DNR, city, county and Federal) that we are aware of that have equestrian trails and facilities. MTRA funds projects in all regions of Minnesota.
The following parks, trails, and forests are surveyed annually by MTRA to see what needs they have that, if met, would improve the equestrian riding and camping experience. If you are aware of a park or trail (must be publicly owned, not private property) that has needs, please contact me. If you know of more that should receive a survey, please use the ‘contact us’ form for “Legal/Public Relations” or call Terry Leary.
DNR Facilities and Trails:
Afton State Park
Arrowhead & Taconite State Trails
Beltrami State Forest
Camden State Park
Casey Jones State Trail
Douglas State Trail
Lake Bronson State Park
Forestville State Park
Fort Ridgely State Park
Gateway State Trail
Geo. Washington State Forest/Togo & Stony Brook Horse Camps
Geo Washington State Forest trails
Glacial Lakes State Trail
Glacial Lakes State Park
Greenleaf Lake SRA Horse Trails
Heartland State Trail
Huntersville State Forest/Shell City Horse Camp
Huntersville State Forest Trails
Jay Cooke State Park
Lac Qui Parle State Park
Lake Carlos State Park
Lake Louise State Park
Lake Maria State Park
Luce Line State Trail
Maplewood State Park
Mille Lacs Kathio State Park
Mn Valley State Recl Area Trail
North Shore State Trail
Paul Bunyan State Forest
Pillsbury State Forest/Walter Stark Horse Camp
Pillsbury State Forest Trails
RJD Memorial State Forest-Bronk, Money Creek, Vinegar Ridge, Trout Valley
-Hay Creek Trails, Kruger, Snake Creek
– Oak Ridge , Wetbark, Reno
– Zumbro Bottoms Camp, Zumbro Bottoms Trails
Sakahtah Singing Hills State Trail
Sand Dunes State Forest- Horse Camp
Sand Dunes State Forest -Trails
Sibley State Park
Split Rock Creek State Park
St. Croix State Park/State Forest /Tamarack Horse Camp
St. Croix State Forest Trails
Upper Sioux Agency State Park
Wild River State Park
Wm Munger State Trail
Wolsfeld Woods
Non-DNR Facilities (City, County and Federal) that MTRA also surveys:
Anoka County -Bunker Hills & Rum River
Beltrami County -Grant Creek Horse Camp/Soo Line Trail
Big Falls Horse Camp
Chippewa National Forest-Cutfoot Sioux Horse Camp
City of 50 Lakes Horse Camp- Crow Wing Co
City of Becker -Red Pouliet Trails/Oak Savanna Park
City of Duluth- St Louis River Corridor Trail/Ely Peak/Magney Snively Horse Trails
Dakota Co. Parks-Lebanon Hills
Darwin-Dassel Park
Deer River City Forest
Delhi Township Park
Hole in the Mountain County Park
Lac qui Parle County Park
Lyon Cty-Garvin Park
Nicollet Co. Parks-7 Mile Creek
North Country National Trail
Olmsted Cty-Chester Woods Park
Renville Cty Parks-Skalbekken
Ritter Farm Park-Lakeville
Sherburne Co. -Oak Savanna Park
Spring Grove Sawmill Horse Trail
Stearns Cty Parks-Dairyland Trail
Three Rivers Park District-6 parks
Washington Co. Parks-Lake Elmo & Pine Point
Wright Co Parks- 2 units