Cleanup effort focuses on Winona's Sugar Loaf rock

A group of enthusiasts is hoping to clean up piles of trash and other blights on parts of a majestic rock that overlooks Winona.

A cleanup of the 80-foot rock named Sugar Loaf is set to take place Saturday. The rock is in rough shape, with piles of trash, invasive buckthorn, graffiti and old industrial junk found at the popular outdoor recreation spot, the Winona Daily News reports.

The effort to clean Sugar Loaf is part of a growing partnership between climbers and the city of Winona, which owns the rock and surrounding land. The cleanup is being hosted by the Winona State Outdoor Education and Recreation Center, which has hosted climbing at Sugar Loaf since 2012, and the Minnesota Climbers Association.

"We're trying to make it an example of what a user group and land manager relationship should look like," said Eric Barnard, director of the Winona State Outdoor Education and Recreation Center.

Winona community services director Chad Ubl said city crews were recently at the site as part of cleanup efforts. They removed industrial piping, broken lights and rebar spikes at the base of Sugar Loaf, and pre-treated a large section of graffiti.

Volunteers will continue the work Saturday, followed by climbing and barbecuing.

"We'll get as far as we can," Barnard said. "It'll look better, for sure, than it did."

Ubl said it's good for everyone when a group takes care of public land. There's more potential for the site, he said. Future development concerns include a lack of access and permanent trail markers, with the site lacking signage or parking.

"Ultimately, we need to make sure it's a safe area," Ubl said. "Free-climbing Sugar Loaf without appropriate gear is not a good idea."