(Courtesy photo)

MARQUETTE — The Iron Ore Heritage Trail has been designated a National Recreation Trail by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan K. Zinke.

The National Recreation Trails Program is jointly administered by the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service in conjunction with a number of other federal and not-for-profit partners, notably American Trails, which hosts the National Recreation Trails website.

“By designating these new national trails, we acknowledge the efforts of local communities to provide outdoor recreational opportunities that can be enjoyed by everyone,” Zinke said in a release from the Iron Ore Heritage Recreation Authority. “Our network of national trails provides easily accessible places to exercise and connect with nature in both urban and rural areas while boosting tourism and supporting economic opportunities across the country.”

Jim Thomas, chairman of the Iron Ore Heritage Recreation Authority, said: “We are honored to be recognized with this national honor and join the 18 other trails recently designated from California to Vermont. We believe we are providing an unparalleled outdoor recreation experience by offering a beautiful trail through Marquette County while interpreting our amazing story of iron mining on the Marquette Range. We are so fortunate to build a trail with some geographic diversity. Trail users gain access to of marshes, rock bluffs, Lake Superior shoreline, river crossings, urban areas and reclaimed mining property. This designation not only gives us national exposure, but also offers us technical experience and possibly some access to funding.”

The designation comes with trail markers that will be installed along the trail. For a list of newly minted recreation trails and information on each, visit www.americantrails.org /nationalrecreationtrails/18nrts.html.

The Iron Ore Heritage Trail is a 47-mile, multi-use, year-round trail that connects the sites and stories of the Marquette Iron Range, a significant historical area where iron mines operated to serve the country during the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, World War I and World War II. The rail-trail connects Marquette to Republic.