After stay-at-home requirements and mask mandates were lifted earlier in the pandemic, people immediately took to the fresh air. The city of Ironton in the Cuyuna Lakes Area is quickly becoming a go-to destination for mountain bikers as the sport grows in popularity. As more and more people come through town, it has also made it an attractive place to start up a business.

Over the last year, three new business have opened up in Ironton, which has been made possible by the influx in traffic that come to the area during the summer and on the weekends. No one expected the city to evolve from what it was back in 1911, when the city was established as a mining city in the middle of nowhere, to what it is today.

One thing that all members of the community can agree is that the city has been built by generations of families over time, creating a history of a strong tight-knit bond between residents and an incredible environment for local businesses to thrive.

One of the new businesses is the restaurant The Hudson, which opened a few weeks ago and lets riders bike in and bike out of the building.

By — Ryan Bowler