Blue Hills Felsenmeer Ice Age Trail Alliance

The National Park Service has approved an Environmental Assessment for an 18.6-mile re-route within the Rusk County Forest for the Ice Age National Scenic Trail in Wisconsin.

The new route will replace the existing 22 miles of the trail in the county, which currently includes many sections shared with motorized vehicles and nearly a mile which follows the shoulder of a county highway.

The re-route will provide better interpretation and access to geologic features, create a more sustainable trail with improved water structures and permanently protect the trail through the Rusk County Forest, the National Park Service said. This new segment will provide opportunities to explore the forest and its natural communities near Rock, Spring, and Moose Ear creeks and experience the geologic features at Spring and Harris creeks, the Blue Hills Felsenmeer, Gundy’s Canyon, Devil’s Elbow, and Devil’s Kettle areas.

The purpose of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail is to ensure protection, preservation, and interpretation of the nationally significant resources and values associated with continental glaciation in Wisconsin, and to provide outdoor recreational and educational opportunities in support of and compatible with the conservation and enjoyment of the nationally significant scenic, historic, natural, and cultural resources along the trail.

The Ice Age National Scenic Trail was authorized as a National Scenic Trail by Congress in 1980 and a State Scenic Trail in 1987. The trail extends 1,200 miles, from Interstate State Park on the St. Croix River in Polk County to Potawatomi State Park in Door County. Statewide, approximately 700 miles of the trail are complete and open for use, including 22 miles in Rusk County. The trail exists in 30 counties in Wisconsin and passes through the ancestral lands of 15 Native American Tribes.