DNR invites comments on plan to add Old Mill Park horse trails/horse-trail

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DNR invites comments on plan to add Old Mill Park horse trails/horse-trail staging area
(Released August 26, 2011)

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Parks and Trails is amending the management plan for Old Mill State Park to allow horseback riding within the park, and to develop a horse trail system.

The system would use segments of existing trails and park roads and connect to a larger system of trails outside the park. A horse trailer parking and staging area would also be developed.

Old Mill State Park is located in northwestern Marshall County, about 30 miles northwest of Thief River Falls.

The plan amendment is now available for public review, with comments accepted through Sept. 30. It can be viewed and downloaded on the DNR website.

Anyone interested in learning more about the amendment is invited to the Old Mill State Park open house, held in conjunction with Grinding Days, on Sunday, Aug. 28, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Park staff will be available to discuss the plan amendment, and copies of the amendment will be available. The newly restored grist mill and steam engine will grind flour the old-fashioned way, and fresh stone-ground flour will be available for purchase. 

The park is surrounded by more than 40 miles of horse trails that follow rural roads and connect to the nearby towns of Newfolden and Argyle. The park would provide a staging area for day-use trail riders using this larger network and would encourage riders to take advantage of the park’s amenities. The plan amendment proposes about 1.6 miles of horse trail within the park, primarily along existing hiking and snowmobile trails and park roads. About one-fifth mile of new trail is proposed as a connection to the staging area and adjacent roads. 

A management plan sets the direction for a state park for the next 15 to 20 years and includes recommendations for managing resources and providing recreational and interpretative opportunities to park visitors. Management plan amendments are developed when new facilities or activities are proposed in parks.

For more information, or to comment on the plan amendment, contact:   

Chris Weir-Koetter, strategic program manager, 218-308-2679, christine.weir-koetter@state.mn.us
Suzanne Rhees, principal planner, 651-259-5586, suzanne.rhees@state.mn.us
Mail: DNR Parks and Trails, c/o Suzanne Rhees, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4039.