National Trails Day Celebration

Area hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts are invited to Solon Springs on Saturday, June 5th, to join the North Country Trail Association's Brule-St. Croix Chapter in celebrating National Trails Day. A full slate of hiking and recreational activities is planned in partnership with Friends of the Bird Sanctuary.

Activities begin at 8 AM with a coffee and conversation gathering at the Bird Sanctuary Clubhouse. At 9 AM, Bill Menke of the North Country Trail Association will present "Hike Across Wisconsin on the North Country Trail", a talk accompanied by slides of some of Wisconsin's most spectacular outdoor scenery.

At 10:30, transportation is available from the Clubhouse to the Spring Creek area for a two mile hike on the North Country National Scenic Trail in the Douglas County Wildlife Area. Hikers can expect to see spring prairie flora and many of the bird species that make the Wildlife Area home.

Return to the Clubhouse at noon for a picnic lunch - no charge, donation suggested.

At 2 PM, participants will gather at the Lucius Woods County Park lower lot to hike the North Country Trail in the park while doing cleanup and maintenance.

The Bird Sanctuary Clubhouse is located 3 miles south of Solon Springs on US Highway 53, then 3/4 mile west on County Highway M, then 3/4 mile northwest on Bird Road. Call Lynne at 715-378-4412 for details and directions.

The North Country Trail Association provides volunteer construction, maintenance, and recreational activities for the North Country National Scenic Trail, one of America's nine designated National Scenic Trails. Friends of the Bird Sanctuary is a volunteer group helping preserve and protect the Douglas County Wildlife Area.

For more information on these volunteer groups, visit www.northcountrytrail.org and www.fotbs.org National Trails Day celebrates local and community trails and the people who make them possible.

The 18th annual National Trails Day is sponsored by the American Hiking Society in partnership with numerous national and state agencies and organizations. For more information, visit www.americanhiking.org