Ahnapee State Park Trail:
Wisconsin
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Description:
The Ahnapee State Trail is an excursion through farmland and forest, and for about 5 miles it traverses the Ahnapee River as it flows to Lake Michigan. The 44-mile trail runs from Sturgeon Bay in the north to 2 miles beyond Casco Junction in the south. From here a newly constructed extension heads generally east and west, from Luxemburg (west) to Kewaunee (east) on the shores of Lake Michigan. A 0.75-mile spur at Mile 16 (along the north-south portion) heads east to Algoma. Summer months see hikers, bikers, horseback riders and horse-drawn carts and wagons, so expect a crowded ride in parts. When the snow flies cross-country skiers and snowmobilers zip along the line.

The Ahnapee State Trail follows the corridor of the Ahnapee and Western Railroad, which served as an industrial link between Door, Brown and Kewaunee counties. The steam- and diesel-powered locomotives hauled dairy goods, cherry crops and lumber until the early 1970s.
Begin the Ahnapee State Trail just south of Sturgeon Bay and continue to the small community of Forestville. At Mile 10 a pleasant lake formed by the Forestville Dam gleams in the sunlight, surrounded by cattails, phlox and high grasses during summer. The trail runs through Forestville Dam Park, which offers restrooms, picnic tables and an opportunity to watch kayakers and fishermen enjoy the lake. The section of trail in Forestville is steeped in history: in 1871 the Great Peshtigo Fire ravaged the area. Though overshadowed by the Great Chicago Fire, which occurred at the same time, historians cite the Great Peshtigo blaze as the largest and most devastating in American history. More than 1,000 people perished and 1.25 million acres were destroyed.

Teeming with perch and bass, the Ahnapee River is your companion for the next 5 miles. A bridge at Mile 12.5 affords a wonderful view of the river's twisting course toward Lake Michigan. Soon after, the river the trail meets a crossroads. Turn east and in less than 1 mile you arrive in the picturesque lakeshore community of Algoma (an Indian name meaning "park of the flowers"). Historic warehouses along the trail mark this quaint town's woodworking past. The Ahnapee State Trail is not clearly defined here, but you can follow it by looking for trail-sized stop signs and telltale railroad tracks still embedded in intersecting streets.

Heading west at the crossroads will take you to Casco Junction through a landscape dominated by red board-and-batten barns, dairy farms and wheat fields. In the small town of Casco Junction the trail parallels old manufacturing buildings.

At the intersection of Sunset Road, the trail heads west to Luxemburg (N. Main Street) and east to Kewaunee (Miller Street). The eastern section passes through three parks: Little Scarboro and Kewaunee River State Public Fishery Areas and Bruemmer Park.

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Parking & Trail Access:
Sturgeon Bay - The trailhead and parking lot are just south of the city along Neenah Avenue. The trail continues north off the rail corridor along Neenah Avenue and other city streets, crossing State Highways 42/57 into the city of Sturgeon Bay.

Forestville - There is parking at the Forestville Dam County Park adjacent to the Ahnapee State Trail.

Algoma - There are three parking areas near Algoma: along County Highway M just north of the city, on Navarino Street in Algoma and at the Algoma trailhead.

Casco - Parking is available on County Highway C (Church Street) near the trail.

Sunset Road - Parking is available at Harold Reckelberg Park on Sunset Road in Casco Junction, at the junction where the trail forks to Luxemburg, Kewaunee and Casco.

Luxemburg - The trail starts near County Highway AB and parking is available along city streets.

Kewaunee - There are two trailheads in Kewaunee: the southern trailhead begins at Beardsly Street near County Highway E; the northern trailhead is near the intersection of State Highway 42 (Main Street) and Hathaway Drive. Parking is available at several locations in Kewaunee.

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Reviews: [0 trail ratings]
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Very quiet and peaceful
By Dennis Adam in October, 2007
"I rode this trail on 9/03/07 with my Scorpion Fx trike.
The Ahnappe Trail is a slow trail to ride because it consists mainly of crushed pea gravel. I found my average speed to be around 5-6 MPH. The trail is reasonably flat with a few grades here and there.
I found the best parking in Forestville at the county park. It's a nice size parking area with restroom facilities. To get to the park turn at the Uni-Mart station, go about 1/2 mile, and turn right at the bridge. You'll see a small sign nailed to a tree that say's co. park.

I rode the trail to the north going through the small village of Maplewood, and ending at the parking area on the other side of Cty Hwy S. There's a small portion of trail that goes beyond this point into Sturgeon Bay if you chose to do so.
This portion of the trail is 10 1/2 miles from Forestville to the parking area.

The trail was alive with butterfly's, grasshoppers, and the smell of fall in the air. You'll go through a small apple orchard to start with, then journey through deep woods, farmlands and finally a swamp area filled with cattails.

When I arrived back at Forestville I took the trail to the south to the town of Algoma, about 5 miles.
This part of the trail is somewhat rougher than the northern portion. There are more weeds growing in the middle of the trail, and the trail becomes more narrow at certain points. About 3-4 miles before Algoma you'll reach a wooden bridge which crosses the Ahnapee River. This is a good place to stretch, and enjoy the peaceful solitude of the surrounding area.

As you continue on you'll pass a rest room facility before you get to the parking area on the south end of the trail located on Hwy. M. The trail does go on another 9 1/2 miles south west to the village of Casco, but this is where it becomes tricky. You'll need to turn left out of the parking lot onto Hwy. M, and go about a half mile. You'll get to a stop sign at the juncture of M and Hwy. S. proceed straight onto
Hwy. S for another 1/4 of a mile, and you'll see the trail on the west side. This portion goes to Casco.
There's another big parking lot about 3 blocks east of this portion of the trail on Hwy. S if your inclined to start in Algoma. The total length of the trail is around 54 miles from Casco to Sturgeon Bay.

I enjoyed this trail immensely, and would highly recommend it. I found it to be very peaceful and relaxing, and quite scenic.
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Good Way to Spend a Day
By Daniel M Sylvester in June, 2006
"Yesterday, June 15,I started my trip from Algoma and went first to Sturgeon Bay and return. There is a detour leaving Algoma and city streets must be used for about a mile. I would also reccomend the use of streets in Algoma as the trail is in pretty rough shape leading to a from downtown. The trail is a nice mix of woods and open areas. There are trailside benches every couple of miles within Door County if you want to get out of the saddle for a spell. Sturgeon Bay was the highlight of the trip. Beautiful! I found some parts of the trail within the city in poor shape so I returned to the trial via Neenah Avenue from the waterfront. Back in Algoma I had lunch then went to Casco Junction and returned. Just out of Rio Creek crossing there is a ""Wind Farm"" with several big turbines to the north of th trail. Another highlight for me was finding a rusted whistle post still in place at Casco south of County Highway C. I noticed it on my return trip. It's rusted so much the ""W"" can't be read but I'm sure that's what it is. There is also the bridge over the Kewanee River between Casco and Casco Junction. It is my understanding this bridge washed out in the 1970's putting an end to railroad operations north of that point. The northern abutment is still the original cut stone but the south end has been filled with rock for the new bridge. I found a lot of loose gravel also in this section making pedeling a bit difficult. I had coverd 65.24 miles in a little less than seven hours."
Wonderful Improvements
By Larry & Judy in September, 2004
"Much of this trail has received a new crushed limestone surface in the last four years. On the last day of September we rode our cross bicycles on the Algoma to Sturgeon Bay portion of the Ahnapee Trail.

Beginning in Algoma you can avoid the detour by parking at the lot near the campground on County Road S. Restrooms are available 100 yards or so down the trail. Heading north the trail is still a bit bumpy but it was well mowed. At the road where the Algoma Snowmobile Club maintenance ends and the Door Drifters Snowmobile Club picks up you will find the new crushed Limestone.

The horse owners continue to be irresponsible and do not always clean up after their animals (are they attempting to have the trail closed to horses?) but the trail surface is no longer pitted with hoof prints.

Enjoy a stop and the restrooms at the County Park at the Forestville Dam. Between there and Maplewood look for the Apple trees along the sides of the trail. The summer of 2004 was very hard on fruit trees but other years a refreshing snack would often be readily available laying on the trail.

We saw wild turkey and white tail deer the day we rode the trail. The new surface made the 34 mile round trip a fun challenge in the cool weather. In the past the trail surface has fallen into a state of disrepair and one year, in 1999, a ride in the mid summer heat made for a rather uncomfortable ride even only one way.

Enjoy Wisconsin’s Ahnapee Trail with your good bicycle."
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