Ice Age Trail

Infobox Hiking trail
Name=Ice Age Trail
Photo=Ice Age National Scenic Trail Trail Sign.jpg
Caption=Ice Age Trail Sign, near Devil's Lake State Park
Location=Wisconsin, United States
Length=600 mi completed
1,200 mi planned
Start/End Points=Green Bay, Wisconsin
Interstate State Park
Use=Hiking, Snowshoeing
Sights=Glacial landformsThe Ice Age Trail is a designated National Scenic Trail in the United States that will run some 1,200 miles through the state of Wisconsin once completed. [ [http://www.nps.gov/iatr/faqs.htm Ice Age Trail National Park Service Web Site FAQ] ] It was established by Act of Congress in 1980 due in large part to the efforts of Wisconsin Congressman Henry S. Reuss, who in 1976 authored the book "On the Trail of the Ice Age." The Trail's origins, however, date to the 1950s with the dream of Milwaukee native Ray Zillmer, who in 1958 founded the Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation with the goal of establishing a National Park in Wisconsin running the route of the last glaciation. [ [http://www.iceagetrail.org/history.htm Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation History] ]

Some 600 miles of trail are completed as of 2007. [ [http://www.iceagetrail.org/faqs.htm Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation FAQ] ] The trail wanders through 30 of Wisconsin's 72 counties, [ [http://www.iceagetrail.org/chapter.htm Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation Chapters] ] following the southernmost location of the last continental glaciation. The western end of the trail is at Interstate Park. The eastern end is at Sturgeon Bay. According to Henry S. Reuss's book, the first person to backpack the entire length of the Ice Age Trail was 20 year old James J. Staudacher of Shorewood, Wisconsin during the summer of 1979.

While the trail is primarily administered by the National Park Service, [ [http://www.nps.gov/iatr/parkmgmt/index.htm Ice Age Trail National Park Service Web Site - Management] ] the trail is also constructed and maintained by numerous private and public agencies including, most notably, The Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation, a non-profit member- and volunteer-based organization with 23 local chapters. [ [http://www.nps.gov/iatr/parkmgmt/partners.htm Ice Age Trail National Park Service Web Site - Partners] ] Like other National Scenic Trails, the trail often coincides with other trails within various county and municipal parks. The trail thus passes through the land of various owners, including the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, The Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation and hundreds of other landowners, many of them private citizens. [ [http://www.iceagetrail.org/faqs.htm Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation FAQ] ]

Two books are published by the Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation to help visitors learn about or hike the Ice Age Trail: an 'Atlas' of maps and a 'Companion Guide' hiking book.

References

External links

* [http://www.nps.gov/iatr/ Ice Age National Scenic Trail official website]
* [http://www.iceagetrail.org/ Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation website]
* [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/facilities/dnr_lands_mapping.html WI-DNR Dynamic Mapping]
* [http://hikeiceage.blogspot.com Hike Ice Age Blog]

References