6 months ago
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Those who hike the Ice Age Trail in the West Bend area will soon have over 2 miles of actual trail to hike on instead of a county highway.
About 2.5 miles of the Ice Age Trail from Slinger to West Bend will be created so people can continue to walk on a marked trail. This is due to a partnership between the Cedar Lake Conservation Foundation and the Ice Age Trail Alliance.
"Walkers will get off busy highways and get (on) to a nice scenic natural surface," said Kevin Thusius, senior director of land conservation at the Ice Age Trail Alliance. "It will be much safer, more scenic and bring neighbors together."
The 2.5 miles won't be in a continuous stretch.
Sophie Gosetti, CLCF conservation manager, said there are five separate areas on CLCF properties where new segments of trail will be created.
An upcoming project will add 2.5 miles of marked trail to the Ice Age Trail in an area between Slinger and West Bend. The red line indicates the existing Ice Age Trail. The dotted line shows where the trail currently follows roadways. The areas with the yellow and black dashed lines show where new trail will be constructed.
The goal of the Ice Age Trail, said Thusius, is to "close the gaps" to make the entire trail marked just for hiking. Currently, there are gaps in the trail where the route follows roadways.
Over the 60-year history of the Ice Age Trail, 700 miles of trail have been improved and marked, Thusius said. The goal, he said, is to close the remaining 500 miles of gaps that remain.
About 2.5 miles of hard-surface road trails will be replaced by soft-surface hiking trails at the Ice Age Trail in an area north of Slinger to West Bend
What is the Ice Age Trail?
The Ice Age Trail is a National Scenic Trail located entirely in Wisconsin. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the trail is one of the 42 designated state trails and the only one that has the designation as a "State Scenic Trail." It is about 1,200 miles long.
When will this project begin?
Thusius said this project will begin in 2025, and it is projected to be completed near the end of 2025 or in 2026.
Where will the 2.5-mile trail replacement project be?
Thusius said that this project will be on CLCF properties between the Village of Slinger and the City of West Bend.
Will volunteers be needed for this project?
Thusius said that volunteers will be needed for this project. Those interested can call The Ice Age Trail Alliance at 608-798-4453 for more information.
Where can I get more information about this project?
For more information on this project and the Ice Age Trail Alliance, visit www.facebook.com/iceagetrail or www.iceagetrail.org.
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Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or cathy.kozlowicz@jrn.com. Follow her on X at @kozlowicz_cathy.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New trail to take Ice Age Trail off road between Slinger and West Bend
