Kevin Revolinski - Best Rail Trails Wisconsin: More Than 50 Rail Trails Throughout The State

Phil Van Valkenberg has been bicycling in Wisconsin since he got a Chinese red Schwinn Spitfire for his tenth birthday in 1955. Even earlier, he was drawing maps and exploring the fascinating world along railroad grades. He remembers fondly when at age six he and a friend asked a steam locomotive engineer if they could have a ride. The engineer reached down to help them up the ladder. For a brief few minutes they rode in the fascinating cab, a world of valves, pipes, and gauges, as the engine chugged to the roundhouse. As an adult, both pedaling and railroad interests coalesced when he began writing about bicycle touring, and the state of Wisconsin started converting abandoned railroad grades into pedestrian/bicycle trails. He has authored eight books about trails and routes in Wisconsin and the Midwest for bicyclists, cross-country skiers, and snowshoers. Today he lives near the Chequamegon National Forest in Cable, Wisconsin.

Kevin Revolinski inherited a love of the outdoors from his father and can remember biking the dirt trails alongside the railroad tracks near where he grew up in Marshfield, Wisconsin. He is the author of 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Madison, The Wisconsin Beer Guide: A Travel Companion, and is co-author of Best in Tent Camping: Wisconsin. His articles and photography have appeared in a variety of publications, including the Chicago Tribune, Wisconsin State Journal, and Madisons Isthmus.

The Ahnapee State Trail connects two fascinating maritime towns, Sturgeon Bay and Algoma, and provides access to Potowatomi State Park and the many attractions of Door County.

Activities:

Location: Sturgeon Bay to Casco

Length: 39.3 miles of rail trail, plus 2.8 miles of town trail and on-street routes in Sturgeon Bay and 0.8 mile of city trail and on-street routes in Algoma

Surface: Crushed limestone with wood-planked bridges; some asphalt and concrete sections on the Sturgeon Bay city trail

Wheelchair access: Yes

Precautions: The town trails in Sturgeon Bay are not fully developed all the way to Sawyer Park; public streets must be used. Through the Stoney Creek Swamp, between Sturgeon Bay and Maplewood, the rail bed is elevated above the marsh level by a foot or more, which makes straying from the trail a wet experience. Horseback riders use the same trail bed as other users. Wisconsin State Trails have a carry-in/carry-out policy. Make provisions for carrying out any refuse. The trail between Algoma and Casco is mostly open, with occasional shaded stretches. The use of sunblock is advised. No fees are required on this state trail, but donations are gladly accepted at trailside boxes. In winter you must have a Wisconsin snowmobile registration or nonresident trail use sticker.

Food and facilities: Numerous restaurants and fast-food places are found in Sturgeon Bay and Algoma. A tavern/restaurant and a convenience store are in Forestville. Taverns are in Maplewood and Rio Creek. A cafe, a couple of taverns serving food, and a gas station convenience store are in Casco. Water and flush toilets are at Sawyer Park in Sturgeon Bay and Legion Park in Forestville. Flush toilets, water, and a playground are at Cherry Blossom Park on the city trail in Sturgeon Bay. Pit toilets are just north of County Road M near Algoma and at Forestville Dam Park. Playgrounds are at Forestville Dam Park and at Legion Park.

Seasons: Open year-round

Access and parking: From Wisconsin Highway 42/57 in Sturgeon Bay, take Green Bay Road northeast for 0.7 mile to Maple Street. Turn right (east) and go 1 block to Sawyer Park. For equestrians or hikers, from WI 42/57 in Sturgeon Bay, take Shiloh Road (look for brown and white trail signs) south for 1.0 mile to a T intersection with Leeward Street and turn right (west). After 0.2 mile turn left (south) on South Neenah Avenue and go 0.3 mile to the Ahnapee State Trail parking lot on the left. From WI 42 in Algoma, take Navarino Street west for one-half block and then turn right (north) into the Ahnapee Trail parking lot. Park on-street on Wisconsin Highway 54 in Casco.

Rentals: Ahnapee Trails Campground, Algoma, (920) 4873707

Contact: Algoma Area Chamber of Commerce, (800) 4984888 or (920) 4872041, www.algoma.org. Door County Chamber of Commerce, (800) 53RELAX or (920) 7434456, www.doorcountyvacations.com. Friends of the Ahnapee, (920) 3880444.

Y our Ahnapee State Trail adventure will be a mix of the beauty of the land and the mystery of the lake. Rich traditions of sailing, fishing, and shipbuilding contrast with quiet rural farming lifestyles. You can always count on fresh fish on restaurant menus in Sturgeon Bay and Algoma, and there is a lot more than trail travel to enjoy on the Door Peninsula.

The trail was once the route of the Ahnapee & Western Railroad. Trains served the countryside by hauling the bounty of the landlumber and farm productsto the lake ports. Today the rail bed opens up the peninsulas inland to recreation seekers.

If you are bicycling, you may choose to start in Sturgeon Bay at Sawyer Park on the towns waterfront. The scene hardly seems midwestern. Next to the park is the U.S. Coast Guard station, where the cutter Mobile Bay is often docked. Across the canal youll see the Palmer Johnson yard where luxury yachts and racing boats are handcrafted. Beyond the iron lift bridge, large lake freighters are docked at Bay Shipbuilding, the only yard on the Great Lakes big enough to handle 1,000-foot-long ships.

The harbor view is fascinating in Sturgeon Bay.

Theres more than scenery in Sturgeon Bay. Near Palmer Johnson is the Bayou on Third Street Restaurant, where they add a Creole touch to traditional Great Lakes whitefish.

Potowatomi State Park, just north of Sturgeon Bay, is a wonderful place to visit. Sitting on a limestone bluff overlooking the bay, the park is blessed with a beautiful forest of white paper birch, maple, and pine trees. An observation tower at the north end of the park offers a grand overview of the bay and the city. From the Ahnapee State Trail you can reach the park on a bicycle via city streets.

Riding southwest, you must follow city streets for the first 0.4 mile. Begin by going south on South Neenah Avenue for 3 blocks. Turn right (west) on Redwood Street and continue for 1 block. Turn left (south) on Madison Avenue, which becomes Green Bay Road, and follow it for 0.2 mile to the intersection of Lansing Avenue, where the city portion of the Ahnapee Trail begins (look for a brown and white sign on the south side of Green Bay Road). The trail is asphalt here and runs past Bay Mall, a possible alternate starting point if you want to avoid riding busy Green Bay Road. Past Bay Mall the trail becomes a wide concrete sidewalk that underpasses WI 42/57 and puts you out at a cul-de-sac on residential Hudson Avenue. Follow Hudson Avenue south for 2 blocks to a dead end and turn left (east) on the crushed stone Ahnapee Trail. This trail portion will zigzag to the east and south, passing Cherry Blossom Park on the way, for 1.1 miles until it reaches the Ahnapee State Trail parking lot on South Neenah Avenue. This parking lot is the best starting point for hikers and equestrians.