Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area
Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area is a state park unit of Minnesota, USA, being developed to rehabilitate a portion of the Cuyuna Range where mining pits and piles of waste rock were left behind after decades of open-pit mining for iron ore. Abandoned by mining companies more than 20 years ago, the state recreation area consists of regenerated vegetation and clear lakes that draw a wide range of recreation enthusiasts. The park is located off Minnesota State Highway 210, northeast of Brainerd.
The Cuyuna Lakes State Trail is a paved 6.1-mile (9.8 km) path that stretches through the multi-unit Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area. In June 2011 30 miles (48 km) of singletrack mountain biking trails officially opened to the public. The Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Park has been designed for both recreational and experienced mountain bikers. This park is endorsed by the International Mountain Bicycling Association, who describe it as "the pinnacle of purpose-built off-road cycling trails."[citation needed]
The mine pits have naturally filled with water and one, Portsmouth Mine Pit Lake, is considered the deepest lake in Minnesota.