Ozzie Reif has lived in Ely for five years after spending several summers guiding canoe trips in the BWCAW. He enjoys all things outdoors and has been active with the North Country Trail Association (NCTA) a non- profit working to develop, maintain, protect, and promote the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT).
Ozzie shared details about the trail system that NCTA is involved with extending. It will go from North Dakota to Vermont and span 5,000 miles. It runs 4,800 now and will go through Ely. The section the Ely Chapter is involved in is from Bear Head Lake State Park to Kawishiwi Falls on the Fernberg Road.
The Ely Chapter of NCTA was established in 2023 and is working to use the network of existing trails in the Arrowhead to further develop the hiking trail. They typically run parallel to motorized trails for safety reasons.
The NCTA is working on organization visibility through sponsoring hikes, participating in local events such as the Blueberry Fest and Harvest Moon, spreading the word through the community and participating in community activities such as the Highway Cleanup event.
NCTA is mainly doing scouting for trail locations. Most of the land the trail will go through are Forest Service, State and township lands. There is one section that passes through private property.
Ely obtained Trail Town Status and is the fourth town in Minnesota to meet qualifications. This is a significant status for through trail hikers.
The benefits to the community include a need for shuttling and support services for hikers as well as an interest in local activities before or after hikes.
How to be involved:
Facebook - NCTA Ely Northwoods (see above)
Attend an event
Thank you to Ozzie Reif for sharing his knowledge and passion for the hiking trail system development of the NCTA.
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