State Commission Recommends Spirit Mountain for $1.2M Grant

DULUTH, Minn. – The Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission has recommended Duluth’s Spirit Mountain for a $1.2 million Parks and Trails Legacy Fund grant.

The $1,254,471 Spirit Mountain grant would be part of the $12.2 million recommended by the commission for 20 parks and trails around the state.

Spirit Mountain says the grant would allow Spirit Mountain to complete the third loop planed for its Grand Avenue  Nordic Center trails and to build a connector trail from the Grand to the 22 kilometers of trails at the Upper Nordic trails.

The money would also support the installation of a pump for additional snowmaking for trails.

“Spirit welcomes outdoor recreation enthusiasts with a wide variety of activities, and we’re thrilled the Commission invested in our Nordic, snowmobile, and mountain-biking trails,” said  Ann Glumac, interim executive director. “Our mission is to provide residents and tourists with multiple outdoor recreational opportunities, and these improvements will help us further our mission.”

The Commission will now ask the Minnesota Legislature to approve the recommendations through the Parks and Trails Legacy Fund which will then go to support parks and trails statewide.

Since 2014 the GMRPTC has awarded more than $52 million in grants to over 50 regional parks and trails.