The National Park Service is completing a two-year facelift of the Lakeshore Trail this summer that hikers will find more than cosmetic. The trail improvements will protect natural resources, improve public safety and enhance visitor experience throughout the year.
Hikers will readily see many of the improvements. About 800 feet of new boardwalks will cover wet, muddy areas and will discourage the continuation of informal, social trails. Four new bridges spanning steep ravines, including two that are nearly 50 feet long, will replace those in poor condition and make walking easier and safer. Three beautiful, hand-crafted cedar benches will offer a respite for weary feet while five small waysides will be created for future informational and signage kiosks. And three overlooks will offer travelers great Lake Superior and island views, safely from atop the cliffs. Click images for full-screen slideshow. While use is limited to foot traffic only, for those who are interested in backpacking and overnight use, two new campsites will be added mid-trail, to augment the single site that now exists at the far end of the trail. Some trail work will be less apparent. The trail will be rerouted in one area to prevent soil compaction around the state endangered mountain cranberry that grows here, and new water bars along the trail in spots will prevent future erosional problems. Click images for full-screen slideshow. These additions will make a great trail experience even better. Late afternoon and evening are particularly good times to enjoy the lake scenery as the western sun lights up the cliffs as the waters shimmer below. Whether you’ve hiked this trail many times, or this will be your first, you will find the walk a delight as the mix of clouds, waters and light are always creating a new and changing palette of colors, textures and scenes to enjoy.
For more information on the trail and current conditions, visit the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore website.
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Thanks to many donations, funding from the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, and the hard work of the City staff, the renovation of the Waterfront Walk through Memorial Park is complete!
On behalf of the City of Bayfield Parks and Recreation Committee, please accept our heartfelt appreciation for helping to make this happen! Along with the Harbor improvements, this is something we can all be proud of.
THANK YOU!!!
Bill Bland said that when he moved to the area six years ago, the Big Ravine West Rim Trail was, he thought, the best, closest trail to town—and, for that reason, got the most use. “But over time,” Bill said, “because of heavy usage, the trail got ratty in spots. Dirt gets kicked aside, and stones and roots emerge. A little effort toward trail maintenance can make a big difference.”
BATs volunteers who worked on West Rim Trail included Jackson Beckman, Bill Bland, Mark Filonowich, Neil Howk, John Ipsen, Kate Kitchell, Gene Lemmenes, Ted May, Leo Stern, Cyndi Taylor, and Kris Wegerson. What’s the next opportunity to volunteer with Bayfield Area Trails? The BATs Trails Subcommittee will be looking for help on the Jerry Jolly Trails’ Overlook Loop during the week of July 24-30. Under the leadership of Mike Kinnee and Genevieve Johnson, the work will consist of clearing encroaching vegetation and re-establishing the trail between the Pikes Creek bridge and the Overlook. The crew will also install about 30 feet of boardwalk and a small wooden footbridge on the trail along Pikes Creek. Learn more about signing up to receive BATs updates, and volunteer, by clicking here.
The more volunteers, the merrier! On Thursday May 5th, a group of volunteers constructed short lengths of portable boardwalk to mitigate passage through wet areas on the north end of the Big Ravine’s East Rim Trail. The many hands of the following volunteers allowed the project to be completed in under two hours: Don Louis Bredle, Kurt Dicke, Mary Finn, Neil Howk, Paul & Brenda Kaese, Kate Kitchell, Tessa Levens, and Gene Lemmenes. The group dug small channels to help drain standing water off of the trail. They also constructed a dozen sections of treated boardwalk using 8-foot lengths of 2" x 12" boards screwed to 6" x 6" blocks. The boardwalks were placed along the wettest sections of the trail and can easily be moved aside once the trail dries out.
As always, trail reports, suggestions and ideas are welcome. You can send them via the Send Trail Report button below or from our Trail Alerts page. Happy Spring and we look forward to seeing you out on the Bayfield Area Trails! Mark Your Calendars
Upcoming Trail ClosuresMud (and ice) season is coming our way: To avoid resource damage and potential safety risks, please anticipate trail closures on the Big Ravine's Pine Bluff and Hemlock Heights trails. When the closures are implemented, signs will be posted at key intersections and trail alerts added to the website and Facebook page. We all love these trails, so please stay off trails during closures. As always, suggestions and ideas are welcome. You can send them via the comment form found at the bottom of all pages on this site. We look forward to seeing you out on the trails! Our January 2022 Community Meeting was a great success! The recorded version is linked here in case you missed the meeting. Thank you for your continued support of Bayfield area Trails! Click the image below to view Bayfield Area Trails January 2022 Community Meeting recording.
The Cornucopia Trails Club in association with Bayfield County & the Bayfield Area Trails group, is working on developing trails to show off not only the peak but nearby Cloud Lake, the surrounding forests and a big view of Lake Superior and Eagle Island, the most westward Apostle Island. To learn more or volunteer to help build the trail, contact Cornucopia Trails Club by emailing Peter Rothe at: peterrothe1@gmail.com. Current trail development information will be posted on the Cornucopia Trails Club Facebook page. Below are some images of the beauty to be discovered in this area! |
Blog | Bayfield Area TrailsArchives
March 2023
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