Connecting you with area communities via multi-modal trails continues to gather steam as officials prepare to attend the International Trails Summit in Madison in April. Door County Trails, the citizen-led nonprofit coordinating efforts, received a grant this month from the Door County Community Foundation to attend the event, bringing experts worldwide to discuss trail development, funding strategies, and long-term sustainability. What started as a way to connect Egg Harbor with Fish Creek in the fall of 2023 has grown to encompass the entire county. Last summer, officials from the National Park Service, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation came to the area to discuss the strategies and challenges of the project. Door County Parks Manager and Door County Trails Board Member Tim Kazmierczak says the county has been looking at a similar project for over a decade. He is thrilled that the community and officials at all levels of government are buying into the prospect of what the trail system could mean for the area.

Kazmierczak likes the momentum the project is gaining but still reminds residents and visitors that the system will not be created overnight as stakeholders pursue property purchases and easements to make the trail a reality. The International Trails Summit will take place April 15th-17th.