Sheboygan part of proposed 1,200-mile kayak water trail around Lake Michigan

[Go Big Red!]

Sheboygan part of proposed 1,200-mile kayak water trail around Lake Michigan

By Josh Lintereur • For Wisconsinoutdoorfun.com • April 29, 2011

State officials are developing plans for the Wisconsin leg of a proposed 1,200-mile water trail circling Lake Michigan that backers say will be the longest freshwater sea-kayaking trail in the world.

In Wisconsin, the water route would run alongside 450 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, with trail markers along the way and a network of 350 public access points established on land for boaters, including about a half-dozen or so in Sheboygan County.

The trail would be geared toward sea kayakers and other small watercraft users that are able to access undeveloped shoreline areas.

Officials with the state Department of Natural Resources said they expect the trail to become a travel destination for kayakers and other small craft users, the same way Wisconsin's bike trails attract visiting cyclists. Their hope is that boaters will use the trail to put together multi-day trips, spending the night at hotels and campgrounds in communities up and down the lake.

"It has great tourism and economic ties," said Jeff Prey, a DNR senior planner.

The Wisconsin leg, which the DNR hopes to complete by 2013, would become part of the planned Lake Michigan Water Trail circling the entire lake.

Sections of the Lake Michigan trail already have been established in waters off Illinois and Indiana, while Michigan officials are set to begin laying out their section next year.

Once the entire route is complete, officials from all four states plan to seek National Trail status, which would make federal money available for further upgrades. Two Wisconsin trails, the Ice Age Trail and North Country Scenic Trail, currently have that distinction.

John Browning, a kayaker who's long pushed for creating the trail and is now assisting the DNR through his involvement in the Lake Michigan Water Trail Association, said there's a great deal of interest in the project in Wisconsin, where the popularity of kayaking has exploded in the past 20 years.

"It started at almost zero, and now, it's an extremely popular sport," said Browning, a Milwaukee resident who teaches kayaking and wilderness first aid and also holds a day job as a telecommunications analyst. "When I started, if a car drove by with a kayak rack on it, I knew who they were, versus today when they're pretty common."

DNR officials are working to establish additional public access points along the route. The existing access areas vary from city parks, marinas and state parks, all with nearby campgrounds, restrooms, lodging facilities and restaurants, to small beachfronts with no amenities.

Four access points have been proposed in the City of Sheboygan: North Point Park, Deland Park, General King Park and Lake View Park. The route also would be accessible from Kohler-Andrae State Park and from community parks located east of Oostburg and Cedar Grove.

Browning said he expects the trail to attract mostly day users at first, but as more campgrounds and lodging operators support the effort, he thinks the trail will attract more overnight travelers.

"Hopefully as we develop it, people will put together multi-day trips, hop-scotching up the coast from Milwaukee to Door County," Browning said.

The DNR's current proposal identifies numerous gaps where further public access is needed to complete the trail. According to Prey, the DNR will consider acquiring land in these areas to establish additional access points.

Once the route is finalized, the DNR will publish maps and place trail markers on land along the route.

Prey said the DNR will spend about $40,000 to lay out the route and identify existing access points. Creating a web site and printing maps, brochures and logos should cost less than $100,000.

The agency is currently accepting public comments on the proposal. For more information, contact Jeff Prey, 608-266-2182, or email jeff.prey@wisconsin.gov.

The DNR will take public comment on the trail proposal during an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. on May 3 in Green Bay at the Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission Office, 438 S. Jackson St.

Public comment can also be submitted through May 13 by contacting Jeff Prey, at P.O. Box 7921, PR/6, Madison, WI 53703, or call 608-266-2182, or email jeff.prey@wisconsin.gov.