Big News!!!!

Iron County Outdoor Recreation Enthusiasts (ICORE)
PRESS RELEASE

December 12, 2024
ICORE receives $35,000 grant from Enbridge
Iron County Outdoor Recreation Enthusiasts (ICORE) has received a $35,000 grant from the Enbridge
Fueling Futures Program. ICORE vice-president Ian Shackleford said the funds will be used to develop a
new walking and biking trail connecting Hurley to Montreal.
“We are very grateful to Enbridge for supporting this project. We have been working to extend the Iron
Belle Trail west to Montreal since 2016. We are hopeful that in 2025 things will come together and
allow us to purchase the land we need for the future trail. The generous contribution from Enbridge is a
major piece of the funding we will need.”
According to the Enbridge website, the Fueling Futures Program promotes “energizing communities,
through partnerships and sponsorships that strengthen the safety, vibrancy and sustainability of our
communities.”
When complete, the Hurley to Montreal trail would add 3 miles to the existing Iron Belle Trail. With a
total length of 13 miles, the trail would connect five communities: Montreal, Hurley, Ironwood,
Bessemer, and Ramsay.
Although the trail between Hurley and Montreal is still being planned, ICORE and the City of Hurley have
been cooperatively developing the Hurley Trailhead on Highway 51 at the west end of the Iron Belle
Trail. According to ICORE president Karen Hagemann, “After acquiring the Trailhead land in 2017, ICORE
and Hurley have paved the remaining trail, planted trees, shrubs, and wildflowers, built a new parking
area, and built a new foot trail down to the Montreal River. ICORE has also installed benches, bike racks,
lights, a bicycle maintenance station, a dog waste station, and an information kiosk.” In 2024 the City of
Hurley installed the bell that formerly adorned the Liberty Bell Restaurant, and new paved approaches
to the parking area were built as part of the Highway 51 reconstruction.
More information on ICORE is available at www.ironcountyoutdoors.org.