Crow Wing County officials received the annual county recreation update on Jan. 21, 2025, during which staff reported that four vehicle-accessible county parks recorded more than 100,000 vehicle visits in 2024 and that all ATV trail counters totaled roughly 93,000 crossings for the year.

The county presented counts from vehicle counters at Milford, Little Emily (added in 2024), South Long Lake and the fire tower. Tom (Land Services staff) said the Little Emily counter, deployed in August after construction finished, accounted for about 20,000 of the total and that the counters record entries and exits and are halved to estimate vehicle visits. “We broke over a 100,000 at our 4 parks,” Tom said.

County land‑services staff and commissioners said the counts show broad use of county investments in parks and trails. Commissioners noted the visitation has implications for budget planning even though, they were told, levy dollars do not finance parks operations. “None. 0,” Commissioner Lubke said when asked how much levy money is spent on parks and trails; the chair and staff reiterated that levy dollars are not currently used for those programs.

Staff also presented trail counter data for motorized and nonmotorized use. Tom reported about 90,000 ATV trail crossings across the county’s ATV network and identified popular systems including Emily Blind Lake, Emily Outing Trails, Mississippi River Northwoods, and Miller/Blackbird trails. Volunteer counts on Big Island (Raleigh Johnson Big Island) were described as a down year — about 380 day‑use visitors — and staff said volunteers are working to reopen island trails after a storm and tornado event.

The presentation covered equipment and data issues: several vehicle counters have been repurposed from earlier programs, one counter was stolen in 2024 and another was accidentally destroyed during trail work. Commissioners asked about shifts in trail use; Tom said side‑by‑side vehicles have grown in popularity and are heavier, creating more maintenance needs for clubs that maintain ATV trails. He cited a state statute–based width limit of 72 inches for vehicles as the regulatory maximum referenced in the discussion.

Staff described maintenance responsibilities: volunteer clubs maintain most ATV trails and snowmobile trails; land services mows and signs nonmotorized trails and performs some maintenance. Nonmotorized trails see seasonally concentrated use (for example, Wolf Lake Ski Trail is heavily used in hunting months and by skiers and horseback riders), and the county’s trail managers plan inspections and volunteer coordination accordingly.

Commissioners praised the recreation work and said visitation supports local revenues from visitors who spend in the county. Staff and commissioners agreed the data will inform future budget discussions and maintenance planning.

The county moved on to the next agenda item after the recreation update.