Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area (CCSRA) is a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "Federated state, state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on accou ...

unit of

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, USA, being developed to rehabilitate a portion of the Cuyuna Range where mining pits and piles of waste rock were left behind after decades of

open-pit mining Open-pit mining, also known as open-cast or open-cut mining and in larger contexts mega-mining, is a surface mining technique that extracts rock (geology), rock or minerals from the earth. Open-pit mines are used when deposits of commercially ...

for

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...

. Abandoned by mining companies more than 20 years ago, the state recreation area consists of regenerated vegetation and clear lakes that draw a wide range of recreation enthusiasts. The park is located off Minnesota State Highway 210, near the towns of Crosby, Ironton and Cuyuna. The Croft Mine Historical Park, formerly city-run, is now part of the state recreation area. The Cuyuna Lakes State Trail is a paved path that stretches through the multi-unit Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area. In June 2011 of single track trails for

mountain biking Mountain biking (MTB) is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability ...

officially opened to the public. The Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Park has been designed for both recreational and experienced mountain bikers. This park is endorsed by the International Mountain Bicycling Association as a Ride Center; I saying "With purpose-built trails for beginners, intermediates and experts, riders from across the region are making the pilgrimage to a new Midwest Mecca" As of the summer of 2021, CCSRA has over 50 miles of mountain bike trails covering over 800 acres. Trail difficulty ranges from beginner to expert. The mine pits have naturally filled with water and one, Portsmouth Mine Pit Lake, is considered the deepest lake in Minnesota.

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Cuyuna Country State Recreation AreaCroft Mine Historical Park
- Explore Minnesota {{authority control State parks of Minnesota Protected areas of Crow Wing County, Minnesota Museums in Crow Wing County, Minnesota Mining museums in Minnesota Mountain biking venues in the United States Protected areas established in 1993 1993 establishments in Minnesota