The Ice Age National Scenic Trail attracts an estimated 1.2 million visitors every year and trail users contribute approximately $113 million annually to Wisconsin’s economy, according to surveys conducted by UW-Whitewater researchers in 2012 of trail users and businesses along the trail.
The Ice Age Trail, one of only 11 National Scenic Trails in the United States, is a thousand-mile footpath highlighting Wisconsin’s glacial geology and scenic beauty.
“This study highlights the importance of outdoor recreation to Wisconsin’s economy and the value of protecting and managing our natural resources,” says Brigit Brown, state trails coordinator for the DNR.
The Ice Age Trail is administered through a partnership involving the National Park Service, the DNR and the Ice Age Trail Alliance, a statewide nonprofit group that first advanced the concept of the Ice Age Trail in the 1950s.
According to Brown, the trail has been developed through a mosaic of partners, including private donors, landowners, businesses, nonprofit organizations and city, county, state and other municipal governments.
The trail itself is built and maintained largely by volunteers coordinated by the alliance. Last year, more than 2,100 volunteers contributed nearly 70,000 hours of time to the trail.
The UW-Whitewater Fiscal and Economic Research Center built and employed an economic modeling system that looked at the direct effect of the trail users, volunteers and family members on items and services such as lodging, food and beverages, gas for transportation, and related expenses.
Currently there are about 640 miles of the Ice Age Trail open to the public for activities such as hiking, backpacking and snowshoeing. Land acquisition and trail construction are ongoing to complete the entire 1,200 mile route. The trail highlights world-renowned landforms sculpted by the last wave of glaciers that left Wisconsin more than 10,000 years ago.
The complete report on the economic impact of the Ice Age Trail (exit DNR) is available through the Ice Age Trail Alliance website.