Snowmobiling, ATV trails, mountain biking and just a couple of cross-country ski clubs. The Keweenaw has plenty of options to get outside any time of the year. Behind each trail network, bike park and ski chalet are hundreds of people volunteering their time, knowledge and physical labor to maintain these community assets.
If you enjoy going outdoors in the Copper Country, there’s likely a group working to maintain your favorite bike park, ski trails or motorized trail network. While some groups might have become well known over many years, many recreation clubs across the region have struggled in recent years to recruit new members.
“Organizations that create a unique culture and sense of identity, who focus on the social aspects it’s about the sport or activity, but at the end of the day, it’s about bringing people together and building relationships. Those organizations tend to have a stronger recruiting base and more engagement,” said Brad Barnett, executive director of Visit Keweenaw.
KSC President Ryan LaPorte says it’s been a big challenge. But what support groups have found has kept trail and recreation access open to visitors and residents alike.
“We’re talking at the advisory levels about how the DNR can help. They’re working with communication groups because if you can have a detailed conversation with somebody for 15 or 20 minutes, you can explain the whole program and how it works. It really opens people’s eyes to understanding what it takes,” LaPorte said. “For a snowmobile, a $52 trail permit grooms 10 miles of trail once. If you need to replace a grooming tractor, that’s $250,000 to $350,000. It takes an awful lot of trail permits to do that.”
Visit Keweenaw’s Brad Barnett estimates 80 percent of the Copper Country’s visitors will participate in an outdoor recreation activity. And locals certainly use the trails and parks too.
“Whether it’s winter carnival, the great bear chase or the copper dog race most of these events focus on outdoor recreation to some extent or entirely. Even non-traditional visitors are coming up here for a specific activity that usually has something to do with the Keweenaw’s beautiful outdoors. These volunteer groups play such a critical role in maintaining and stewarding these assets,” Barnett said.
Typically in January, recreation clubs host annual meetings where leaders might begin planning projects or set goals for the year. LaPorte says these meetings can offer a glimpse into how clubs operate.
“The more we know that we’ve got a team of people out there whether they’re really active or just do an annual check we know we’ve got people who understand our cause, want to be part of it, understand why we do what we do, and can help advocate for it. That helps us as a board and team know we’re doing the right thing,” LaPorte said.
Non-motorized and motorized recreation drive a significant part of the Copper Country’s tourism economy. From annual events that draw people to Copper Harbor on Memorial Day to families planning snowmobile or ATV trips while camping, recreation access needs support from visitors and residents. Barnett encourages people to research the places you already enjoy going and check out clubs or organizations that maintain these areas.
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