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September 16, 2024
RICE LAKE – Rice Lake, a city of 9,000 in Barron County, recently became the 23rd trail community on the Ice Age Trail (IAT) map – a 1,200-mile trail traversing Wisconsin that roughly follows the location of the terminal moraine from the last Ice Age.
The IAT is one of 11 National Scenic Trails in the United States.
“We’re super excited it finally went through,” Brandi Nelson, Rice Lake Tourism coordinator, said. “The application process was a bit long, but with the help of Sue Greenway from the Superior Lobe Chapter of the Ice Age Trail, we are now on the map.”
The process, Nelson said, started last September.
“(Greenway) is the one who helped me with the application process and brought the idea to our attention,” she said.
The city celebrated its inclusion with the IAT with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Aug. 28 at Veterans Memorial Park in Rice Lake.
The IAT is administered by the National Park Service and is constructed and maintained by private and public agencies, including the Ice Age Trail Alliance (IATA), a nonprofit and member-volunteer-based organization with local chapters.
“We’re excited to get Rice Lake on board,” Melissa Pierick, director of marketing and community relations with IATA, said. “When you look at the trail communities, there’s a lot in the southern and eastern parts of the state. Rice Lake has a great location and is a great base for hikers in that area. There are 53 miles of trail in Barron and Washburn counties.”
Nelson said Rice Lake is a perfect place for the Ice Age Trail for several reasons.
“The Ice Age trail doesn’t actually pass directly through Rice Lake, but it passes through the Village of Haugen – which is a little north of the city but still in Barron County,” she said. “Rice Lake is the main hub of the county for all your shopping needs, and we have most of the hotels in the county. We also have some great eating establishments and (are) home to Agonic Brewing Company, which brews its own beer. Then, of course, we have other different shopping outlets that may help hikers if they need anything. I think Rice Lake is a great fit for the Ice Age Trail.”
More on the trail, alliance
According to the IATA website (iceagetrail.org), the IAT became an official unit of the National Park System in 2023.
“When the park service made the administrative change and declared us a unit, that puts us on the same footing as all of the other national parks and scenic trails and equalizes us in the eyes of the National Park Service – it’s a good thing,” Pierick said. “Because we are an official unit (of the National Park System), we can now apply for different funding. It legitimizes the work our volunteers have done all these years.”
Speaking of volunteers, Pierick said the IATA utilizes more than 2,000 helpers to keep the trail open, clean and safe.
“Without the help of volunteers, the IAT would just be another line on a map,” she said. “During 2023, alliance volunteers devoted a record 100,666 hours to trail-related activities. That included building a new trail, maintaining the existing path, habitat restoration work, leading hikes and field trips and giving presentations in local communities.”
The IAT passes through 30 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties, from the northwestern part of the state to the shores of Lake Michigan.
“Of the 1,200 miles, about 700 miles of the trail are complete with the yellow blaze symbol marking the trail,” Pierick said. “The other 500 miles are what we call connector routes between those completed segments.”
Pierick said people in the alliance office are working every day to close those gaps.
“In most cases, we need to conserve land to put the trail down,” she said. “Mostly, the connector routes are rural roads and highways that are less busy and more scenic.”
In addition to Rice Lake becoming a trail community, Pierick said Weyerhaeuser (in Rusk County) is set to become the 24th community and will hold an inclusion celebration Oct. 5.
Application process
Pierick said there is an application process communities must go through to become a trail community.
“Some communities are more involved than others, but generally, the requests come from a tourism board or a parks and recreation department,” she said. “We look to see if the community is committed to the trail and willing to further the efforts of the alliance and the trail. There is also a small donation the community makes to the alliance in the form of $2,500 – it’s a one-time fee.”
Nelson said Rice Lake basically had to show that it was prepared and ready to be included with the Ice Age Trail.
“The application asked if Rice Lake would have a committee for this and what ordinances on trail preservation were in place,” she said. “It focuses on what Rice Lake and the Ice Age Trail can do together.”
Economic impact
Pierick said that based on a late 2023/early 2024 survey, it’s estimated that 4.65 million people use the IAT annually.
“There are some areas of the trail that are very remote and others are very urban,” she said. “If you’d go to Lapham Peak in Waukesha Country on a nice weekend, you will better understand how we get to that number every year – it can get busy.”
Just as Rice Lake will benefit economically from being a trail community, Pierick said all of Wisconsin does as well.
“The same survey showed that the Ice Age Trail has a $413 million economic impact yearly,” she said. “If I go up to Rice Lake or wherever I’m going, I’ll be filling my vehicle with gas, staying overnight somewhere, probably having at least one big meal and maybe stopping at Kwik Trip a time or two – it all adds up. Hikers may not be loud or flashy, but we definitely make an impact – one step at a time.”
Though Rice Lake hasn’t done any official calculations of yearly economic impact, Nelson said she knows being named a trail community will be a great asset to the city.
“To welcome hikers into Barron County is great,” she said. “In the past, we’ve gone into more motorsports and whatnot, but we’re really trying to go more into silent sports as well to get the diversity.”
