Mountain biking is exploding across the nation as one of the fastest-growing outdoor recreational activities.

A group of about 35 Iron Range mountain biking enthusiasts is bringing some of the same energy to northeastern Minnesota.

Iron Range Off-Road Cyclists has developed a six-mile long intermediate mountain bike trail system at Lookout Mountain north of Virginia and a three-mile beginners' to intermediate trail system at Maple Hill south of Hibbing.

"Mountain biking has just blown-up in the last four or five years," said Erik Carlson of Virginia, an Iron Range Off-Road Cyclists board member. "It's a great way for people to be outdoors and be active."

The six-mile-long, single-track trail at Lookout Mountain winds through the Superior National Forest.

Over the past two years, club members have invested more than 600 hours of volunteer work into shaping and improving the trail.

Club members ride the trail each Monday evening at 5:30 p.m., starting at the Laurentian Divide wayside north of Virginia along Highway 53.

At Maple Hill in Hibbing, there's not a regular riding time scheduled by the club.

However, anyone interested in mountain biking is invited to ride either trail, said Carlson.

Since starting work on the trails several years ago, the club has expanded the number of miles, cleared rocks and marked the trails with small, circular "bike trail" signs.

"It's the perfect terrain for mountain biking," said Carlson of the Lookout Mountain trails. "It's technical enough that it should bring in a lot of people to ride it

Though the club has made huge strides in developing the sites, plans are to make the trails even better.

With additional volunteer work, and by securing grants currently sought, a new switchback trail at Lookout Mountain would be developed that would provide easier access to the trail system. A trail map would also be created and better signage installed.

Single-track mountain bike trails in Duluth and on the Cuyuna Range have received widespread recognition and ridership.

Carlson said the Lookout Mountain Bike Trail and Maple Hill Bike Trail offer off-road bicyclists a new challenge.

"Mountain bikers like to ride new stuff to test their abilities," said Carlson. "What we're trying to do is improve and have quality trails rather than just a lot of trails."

Iron Range Off-Road Cyclists is also working toward developing world-class, single-track mountain bike trails on abandoned mine land the Iron Range, said Luther Kemp, of Hibbing, president of the club.

"I think the opportunities on the Iron Range are tremendous," said Kemp. "We have so much in this area in the way of former mining pits and scenery. The Iron Range has a lot going for it and people are willing to travel to bike."

For additional information on Iron Range Off-Road Cyclists visit www.iroc-mtb.org.

Pictured above: Erik Carlson, a board member of Iron Range Off-Road Cyclists, rides a portion of a mountain bike trail system the club is developing north of Virginia at Lookout Mountain.