Our community is home to an abundance of dynamic trails used by walkers, hikers, and bikers alike. However, between 19 municipalities, 5 school districts, and countless non-profit organizations, coordinating the stewardship of our trails can be difficult. In 2022, the Door County Green Fund, a fund of the Door County Community Foundation, Inc., convened an ad hoc group of government officials, environmental groups, and trail enthusiasts, to foster better communication toward the ultimate goal of a seamless network of trails connecting the entire county.
Phase I – Information Gathering
In the first phase of the project, it was important to connect to all municipalities and relevant stakeholder organizations to not only inform them of the project but also to understand what trails exist and what trails might be developed in the future. It was important to gather this information directly from those responsible for trail development. The following table shows all communities and organizations that were contacted and the responses they provided. This information was used as the basis for developing all maps.
Phase II – Map Development
Phase 2 began once enough information was collected to begin laying out the comprehensive map. The design came together using information from each municipality as well as base map layers acquired from stakeholders. The initial comprehensive map came together with all the information collected and was presented to the task force in November 2023. The task force was able to make suggestions for changes including additions based on new information received and removals for initiatives that had either changed or were no longer moving forward. The task force also outlined additional maps to be developed using the comprehensive map as a base. These included close-up maps of each municipality as well as maps that showed a breakdown of trails vs. cycling routes for both Northern Door County and Southern Door County.
Phase III – Reviews and Revisions
Based on the task force’s review of the initial comprehensive map there were multiple new maps to create that could be used by each municipality to pursue their own trail initiatives. The bulk of the new maps included close-ups of the following communities:
• City of Sturgeon Bay
• Village of Egg Harbor
• Village of Ephraim
• Village of Sister Bay
• Town of Gibraltar
• Town of Baileys Harbor
• Town of Jacksonport
(View all Trail Maps Here)
Each of these close-up maps was sent to the appropriate contact or administrator for review and feedback. Feedback was received from all communities and edits were made to ensure that the information presented on each map was verified and correct. The review process also helped to ensure that each community was comfortable with the information that was presented on each map in regard to being able to speak to the map should questions or comments arise from community members in the future.
In addition to the close-up maps the task force wanted to see maps depicting the trail connections being planned from Egg Harbor to Sister Bay. A map was developed showing the four communities involved including: the Town of Gibraltar; and the Villages of Egg Harbor; Ephraim; and Sister Bay. The boundaries ranged from Frank Murphy County Park (located in the Town of Egg Harbor) to Waters End Road, just north of the Village of Sister Bay’s northern limits.
Phase IV – Future Planning
The maps that have been developed through the Door County Green Fund are resources for municipalities and community members to use in the development of the trail network. These resources can help each community plan for and move forward with trail development over the next 5-20 years.
The Door County Community Foundation, and its component fund the Door County Green Fund, expect to be entertaining requests for funding from the non-profits and municipalities that will further this work. Consequently, Destination Door County has generously agreed to take a central role in helping move this effort into its next stage. To get involved, contact Amanda Stuck at amanda@doorcounty.org.
