Jill Schramm/MDN Cutting the ribbon on the new Outdoor Recreation Trail Friday are Minot Parks Director Ron Merritt, left, and Park Board President Ken Kitzman. Others shown standing on the new concrete portion of the trail are, at left, Minot Area Chamber EDC Ambassadors Melanie Hogue and Keli Rossellini-Sullivan, and, at right, park board member Mike Schmitt.

Outdoor enthusiasts were already walking the newly opened trail at the Minot Park District’s Outdoor Recreation Area Friday morning.

The park board held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday morning for the completed first phase of the Outdoor Recreation Trail, a 1.75-mile concrete and earthen path through the scenic rolling prairie.

Olivera Memovic of Bismarck heard about the opening of the trail and decided to pay a visit on her day off from work. Having already planned a trip to the International Peace Garden, she took a route through Minot to walk the trail Friday morning and check out other unique community offerings.

“It’s nice to see something new,” she said, adding that getting outdoors on a summer day is a great opportunity as well.

“This is exciting for us,” Parks Director Ron Merritt said at the ribbon-cutting. “We’ve been working on this project for a long time.”

The park district purchased the property from the State Land Trust after the 2011 flood.

“An agreement was made with the State Land Trust after we purchased it. It gave us five years to make some kind of progress on the property. We actually got that extended by a couple of years and here we are today,” Merritt said.

There is a public entrance, parking lot and an initial trail.

“We’re thankful for all the partners that have helped us through this. A grant from Hess Corporation helped make this happen, and we have also a potential future grant for phase two, coming next summer,” Merritt said.

Minot Parks recently was given preliminary approval for a $210,000 grant from the state’s Recreational Trail Program. The project will consist of three miles of aggregate and natural trails within the 240-acre Outdoor Recreation Area.

Merritt said grants are paying a large share of the overall cost, but certain elements, such as the parking lot, are not grant-eligible. Grant funds are expected to cover about two-thirds the cost of Phase 2, he said.

The Hess grant will help provide for interpretive signing to include native plants, birds and animals that may be spotted along the trail. Signage and amenities such as benches are still a work in progress due to supply issues.

Elly DesLauriers, Minot Parks director of marketing and development, said the new trail is welcoming to people of all abilities.

“Anybody can use this,” she said. “That’s what I’m personally proud to see.”

Merritt said the trail will be maintained year-round for walking and cross-country skiing.

A future golf course is part of the Outdoor Recreation Area’s long-term design, but Merritt said the trail system would not be affected should the golf course become a reality. Other amenities, such as a playground, pavilion, ropes course and zip line, also are in the future design.

The existing trail is open for hiking, biking, birding, sight-seeing and outdoors education. The recreation area entrance is located at 4600 County Road 15 West.