The land between Saxon Harbor County Park and Montreal River was recently acquired by the National Park Service as part of the North Country National Scenic Trail, a nearly 5,000-mile long trail that stretches across eight states.
The 213 acres includes views of Superior Falls and Lake Superior.
“It's just an absolutely beautiful property,” said Chris Loudenslager, the National Park Service Superintendent for the North Country Scenic Trail.
He says this recent land acquisition “moves the needle” in the North Country’s goal of getting the entire length off roads and onto trails.
“This is a huge success for this particular location, the first few miles of Wisconsin coming in from Michigan,” said Loudenslager.
In addition to its natural resources and beauty, Loudenslager says the land has historical significance. This area was part of an ancient Native American trade route known as the Flambeau Trail and was the site of a fur trading post operated by John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company from 1808 to 1830.
“It's got it all. You've got the historic component of how the Montreal River had been used as a travel way over time. You've got the Lake Superior. You've got the falls, you've got the river, you've got the forest, and you've got all the wildlife and plants that find that unique setting along Lake Superior to be a particular habitat. It is just really unique on all the collection of resources and things that are all present in this spot,” said Loudenslager.
The land was purchased by the Trust for Public Land from a private land owner and conveyed to the National Park Service with funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund among other funding sources.
Trust for Public Land Senior Project Manager Will Cooksey says project like this further TPL’s mission to connect people to the land.
“Just knowing that these extraordinarily beautiful places are still out there, and they will remain undeveloped and open to the public and just the promise and possibility of exploration and enjoyment of our natural resources,” said Cooksey. “It's a wonderful property, and in the coming months and years as the North Country Trail is rerouted through the property it will be a gem, no doubt, for the local community, and for visitors alike,” said Cooksey.
Iron County Forest Administrator Eric Peterson called it a good connector along Lake Superior that protects sensitive shoreline between the Montreal River and Saxon Harbor.
“It's going to bring increased traffic through our facility at Saxon Harbor. Maybe we'll get some people that are camping there that are also going to hike the trail,” said Peterson. “It'll provide a trail connection between our Saxon Harbor facility and Superior Falls on the Montreal River by people who will be able to utilize the North Country Trail to make that connection. It'll be a positive for us,” said Peterson.
Loudenslager says now that the land has been acquired, the North Country Trail will be looking at the best possible route for a hiking trail.
“We'll be really diligent in making sure we do protect things before we make a final decision on where the trail goes,” he said.
