Ice Age Trail – Sturgeon Bay Segment
Ice Age Trail Information
The Ice Age Trail is a unique trail that mostly follows terminal moraine from the last ice age. As the glacier retreated, it left behind a multitude of glacial features. Glacial features are showcased throughout the extraordinary trail. The Ice Age Trail is a 1,200 mile long national scenic trail. It is part of the National Park System. The trail is entirely in the state of Wisconsin.
The trail is a trail runners paradise. My plan is to run the majority of each section of the Ice Age Trail. What inspired me to take this on? One my love for exploration and two have you ever read the book North by Scott Jurek? He took on the Appalachian Trail and not only ran the entire trail, but beat the fastest known time. Check out my book review. The idea of running an entire trail really sparked my interest and sense of adventure. Since running the entire length at once is not an option, I plan to run segments over the next few years until I have completed it.
Sturgeon Bay Segment
I decided to start my journey at the Sturgeon Bay Segment. The segment is 13.7 miles. The eastern terminus is located in Potawatomi State Park. The park is over 1200 acres and has multiple trails to hike, bike, run and cross country ski. It is located on The Bay of Green Bay an arm of Lake Michigan, in Door County the tourist mecca of Wisconsin.
Terrain
The segment runs from Maplewood to Sturgeon Bay. This part of the trail is flat with crushed limestone. The Ice Age Trail is shared with the Ahnapee State Trail. The Ahnapee State trail is multi use, and you can find people running, hiking and horseback riding. It is perfect for biking!
Having biked much of the Sturgeon Bay Segment prior, I decided that I wanted to run the park portion of the trail. The park is much quieter than other state parks in Door County, and is also very scenic.
The park section of the trail is best described as rolling hills and gorgeous limestone bluffs. It is approximately 2.8 miles long. As the trail follows along the shoreline the terrain is rocky with multiple tree roots. It was fun to run, but the rocks and tree roots are a real test for your ankles. The views of the bay are well worth it.
As you make you way along the trail, it joins the Tower Trail. You will climb a series of steps as the trail takes you into a mature hardwood forest.
The mature hardwood trees creates a nice canopy to make for a cool run. Meandering through the woods the dirt trail finally reaches the terminus. There is a large tower at the terminus, but unfortunately due to damage you can no longer climb it.
The trail does continue on for a short distance, and I highly suggest running beyond the terminus. At the end, you will find the original eastern terminus and the old ski hill overlook. It is a picturesque view and the perfect ending to scenic run.
