Progress — 2014
Page 47
Great Headwaters Trails System
has good news report for 2013-’14
A family-friendly biking and hiking
trail system connecting towns across the
county is in the making and for eastern
Vilas County there is good news from
2013 and better news for 2014.
The good news: Thousands of dollars
from the Green Bay Packers Foundation, Wisconsin Energy Foundation and
the federal RTA Program were awarded
to developing the Great Headwaters
Trails (GHT) System.
More good news: The Eagle River
Common Council approved creating a
bike path to help bike users get right
into the heart of the city.
Still more good news: Eagle River
now is connected to Three Lakes by the
two sections of the Three Eagle Trail.
Better news for 2014: The first portions of the Great Headwaters Trails
System will be built this summer, including that bike path in Eagle River.
When the GHT System is completed, it
will connect Eagle River, Phelps,
Conover and Land O’ Lakes to each other and to the trail system that will
stretch all the way from St. Germain to
Manitowish Waters by this spring.
In its New Year’s Day issue, the Vilas
County News-Review applauded the developing countywide trail system, writing in an editorial: “Cheers to the Three
Eagle Trail Foundation, Great Headwaters Trails and all of the groups that are
working diligently to expand bike trails
throughout the forest and lake country
of Vilas and Oneida counties.”
That commendation grows from the
wide range of public benefits — economic, recreational, transportation and
health — that comes from the trail development work of these largely volunteer groups.
The value of the GHT System in eastern Vilas County will be magnified by
the fact that it will expand the county-
At the trailhead, Dairy Queen promotes
the use of helmets while cycling.
wide trail system, creating a unique destination biking and hiking facility —
more than 100 miles of trails accessible
to people of all ages and winding
through Wisconsin’s most beautiful
lakelands and forests.
GHT is the group spearheading trail
development in eastern Vilas County.
The all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization has used its first four years to
secure funding for trail development
and to start designing parts of the four
trail corridors — more than 40 miles
overall — that will connect the town centers of Phelps, Conover, Eagle River,
Land O’ Lakes and St Germain.
“The task is huge, but we have made
good progress and intend to have the
whole system developed by the end of
this decade,” said GHT Vice President
Gary Meister.
The cost of the entire 40-mile system
will be about $4.5 million, so fundraising
is a significant part of GHT’s role. And
one that has gone well.
Thus far, funding has come from
more than 100 individuals, families and
organizations, including those mentioned earlier, and the chambers of commerce in Phelps, Conover and Eagle River. A $691,000 grant also came from the
federal Bicycle-Pedestrian Facilities Program, a program that no longer exists.
“Our ‘funding’ comes in many forms,”
said Meister. “It includes the significant
cost-saving work done by our growing
number of volunteers.”
That work includes CAD drawings
done by students of Northland Pines
High School to create the design package for the middle section of the
Conover/Phelps Trail.
It also includes thousands of dollars
of engineering done by retired civil engineer Carlton Schroeder and other valuable in-kind contributions like surveying
done by Greg Maines, additional CAD
services paid for by Mark McCain of
Three Lakes Winery and decals done by
Hahn Printing.
With more than $1 million now available for trail construction, GHT will
build the Conover end of the
Conover/Phelps Trail this summer and