Mountain biker and Marinette Area Mountain Bike Association member Renee Oastler rides green trail 821 at Strong Falls Trails in the town of Silver Cliff, Wis.

SILVER CLIFF, Wis. — Marinette County’s newest hiking and mountain bike trail system opens Saturday with a ribbon cutting and day of activities.

Strong Falls Trails is a professionally designed and constructed trail system in the town of Silver Cliff, featuring 11.5 miles of forested, single-track trails optimized for mountain biking. The trail system includes beginner, intermediate and advanced trails, including technical features.

Grand opening activities include:

— 8:30 a.m., sneak peek guided trail run, 3- and 6- mile courses

— 10 a.m., ribbon cutting under the arch constructed by Rise Up Metal Art

— 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., bike demonstrations — a limited number of bikes will be available for trail use at no cost; bike washing and invasive species information from Wild Rivers Invasive Species Coalition; food truck from Thermal Chaos; live music by Scott Young until 2 p.m; guided trail rides; free Strong Falls sports bottle to the first 100 attendees; limited number of free bike helmets available for kids

The grand opening will also reveal custom artwork created by area artists. Rise Up Metal Art has designed and constructed a unique metal arch that welcomes visitors to the trailhead.

A nearby selfie stand can be used to help visitors capture memories at the trails’ entrance.

Two picnic tables have also been painted by artist Vanessa Marlink, with colorful murals depicting scenes from the area. These features along with other amenities including a bike repair station, hand pump for water, an outhouse, and additional picnic tables, add useful, yet playful elements for families enjoying trails or resting after a day of hiking or riding.

Joe Krawczyk, president of the Marinette Area Mountain Bike Association commented on the area’s new trails, emphasizing their ability to accommodate all skill levels. He encourages people to bring their bikes to the grand opening, adding that MAMBA members will lead guided tours for those who haven’t mountain biked before or don’t know how to navigate the trails.

Furthermore, a limited number of bikes are available if individuals lack transportation for their bike, or simply don’t own one.

To accommodate all skill levels, trails are marked using a trail difficulty rating system – green circle (easy), blue square (intermediate), black diamond (difficult). Class 1 pedal assist e-bikes are permitted on the trails while Class 2 and 3 are prohibited. Leashed dogs are welcome.

Strong Falls Trails are located in northwestern Marinette County, N13980 Harper Road, Athelstane.

Directions can be found using Google Maps or from County I/Parkway, turn west onto Camp 5 Rd., continue 1.1 miles and veer right onto Harper Rd. Continue on Harper Rd for 2.7 miles to the trailhead on the right.

Trail passes are not required to ride or hike Marinette County-owned trails and a Marinette County Parks pass is not required for entry to the Strong Falls Trails trailhead.  However, if access to the trails is obtained through Goodman or McClintock parks, regular entry requirements apply.  Marinette County Parks day passes are $5 per vehicle and available at park entrances or online at marinettecounty.com. 

Funds from the American Rescue Plan Act allowed Marinette County to collaborate with IMBA Trail Solutions and Rock Solid to plan and design a 50-mile trail system and has completed construction on the first 11.5 miles of the Strong Falls Trails.

Trained MAMBA volunteers are working on the next phase.

For more information about Strong Falls Trails and the grand opening event, go to ExploreMarinetteCounty.com or find the Strong Falls Trails Grand Opening event on Facebook.