Gilbert outfitter adds side-by-side rentals for Iron Range trails
Gilbert’s West Forty RV Park has begun renting five Polaris side-by-sides, giving visitors a new way onto Iron Range trails without buying a machine.
Families and visitors can now reach Gilbert’s Iron Range trails without owning a side-by-side. West Forty RV Park and Campground launched Laurentian Adventures over Memorial Day weekend, adding rentals of five different new Polaris utility terrain vehicles that seat two to five people, depending on the model.
The move lowers one of the biggest barriers to off-road recreation in St. Louis County: the upfront cost of buying equipment. For travelers who want to explore the Iron Range OHV system for a day or a weekend, the new service turns trail access into something they can reserve like lodging, rather than something that requires a major purchase.
Laurentian Adventures includes GPS navigation, emergency support, helmets, goggles, trail and OHV park registration, and a pre-ride safety orientation. Operators must be 21 or older and hold a valid driver’s license. Renters also must sign a liability waiver, wear closed-toe shoes, and bring a government-issued ID and a credit card in the renter’s name. Children must be at least 46 inches tall to ride.
West Forty owner Paul Skrbec has built the campground around the same idea of reducing equipment barriers. The family-owned property sits on the Laurentian Divide and already offers 58 campsites, glamping tent-cabins, rental tents and a rental camper. West Forty says it is the only campground on the Iron Range with rental tents for people who do not bring their own gear.
The rental launch fits Gilbert’s long-standing role as a trail destination. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says the Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area has 36 miles of trails, while other tourism materials describe the 1,200-acre area as having more than 30 miles of trail possibilities. State planning records say the area was authorized in 1996 and remains Minnesota’s only state-managed OHV recreation area and one of the nation’s first.
Access is part of the appeal. The DNR says there is no entry fee to the state recreation area, though vehicle registration is required. The park is open daily from 8 a.m. until sunset, except during the firearms deer season, generally the first three weeks of November. West Forty says an unpaved connector trail from its entrance links ATVs, OHMs and side-by-sides to the Genoa Trail and from there to the Iron Range OHV State Recreation Area and other local trails, giving guests a direct route into the network.
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