In northern Wisconsin, the Iron County Outdoor Recreation Enthusiasts (ICORE) are working to create a new paved trail linking Hurley and Montreal.
As reported by WXPR, the three-mile route would follow an unused Soo Line railroad grade and connect to Michigan’s Iron Belle Trail system, extending a popular recreation corridor across the state line. The new section would provide a safe, scenic path for walking, biking, and skiing while boosting local recreation and tourism.
“We’ve seen just how popular the Iron Belle Trail is,” said ICORE Vice President Ian Shackleford. “It gets a lot of use for recreation and also people using it as a safe way to travel within and between our communities.”
ICORE has already secured grants from Enbridge and the Gogebic Range Health Foundation and has applied for $82,000 from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program to help acquire the corridor from Canadian National Railway. The completed trail will be owned by the cities of Hurley and Montreal and include restoration of two historic railroad bridges.
Altogether, ICORE expects to raise about $2 million to complete the project.
Altogether, ICORE expects to raise about $2 million to complete the project. “Although it has taken a while, we’re really grateful for the support we’ve received,” Shackleford told WXPR. “We just need to buy it, fix some areas, and pave it—and there we’ve got a trail.”
Featured image by Travis Leech, 2014
