Great Headwaters Trails

Conover-Phelps Trail completion underway!

This year we're completing a very special trail!

A March logging operation opened the trail corridor. Trail construction begins right after the spring thaw.

So does the Trail Opening Campaign to handle any wrap-up costs and to lay in a Trail Support and Enhancement Fund.

The aim is to connect two great towns by mid-summer with an extraordinary trail that gets better year after year.

In the works, the River Trail

We're laying the groundwork for this 10-mile extension of the 55-mile Heart of Vilas Trail System, connecting it to Eagle River and the 13-mile Three Eagle Trail.

Our boss is the River Trail Commission which is made up of the municipalities of St Germain, Cloverland and Eagle River.

SepTimber Ride coming again in 2020!

Almost 300 participants enjoyed SepTimber Ride's trail ride or road ride options last fall. The Ride is based at Eagle River's Tribute Brewing Co. and all options take you past a special rest stop at Three Lakes Winery.

The Ride brings in funds for area bike trail development and includes a raffle to win a Specialized electric bike or a Wilderness kayak and paddle Over $20,000 have been raised in the Ride's first 5 years!

Click here for details about SepTimber Ride VI, Sept. 12, 2020.

Over 200 donors accomplished great things in 2020 despite Covid - 10.6 mile Conover-Phelps Trail to be finished this summer!

TRAIL OPENING CAMPAIGN BEGINS SOON!

I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE CAMPAIGN - LET ME DONATE NOW!

By 2017, 8.7 miles of trail was in place and paid for!

$200,000+ donated in 2020 - Work on the last section has already begun!

2021 - Laying in the funds to keep the trail special year after year

8.7 miles built and paid for

Homestretch Campaign Goal was $200,000

Over $200,000 was donated by 9-30-2020!

Aiming for

of our $50,000 Trail Opening Campaign goal by July!

Building family-friendly biking and walking trails near the source of a Great River

Since its founding in 2010, the Great Headwaters Trails Foundation has been closing in on its goal to build 40 miles of biking and walking trails in eastern Vilas County, the headwaters of the Wisconsin River. The system we envision will expand the Heart of Vilas Trail System and connect the towns of Eagle River, Conover, Phelps and Land O’ Lakes.

This grand vision will result in a connected, family-friendly, hard surface trail system over 110 miles long.

The first leg of the Great Headwaters Trails system is the Conover-Phelps Trail. The next leg, the River Trail, will connect St. Germain to Eagle River.

A year for riding right out of the pandemic

April 3, 2021

In 2021, Northwoods biking opportunities of all sorts for people of all ages continue to grow all over the Vilas County area. A new trail between Conover and Phelps will be completed by mid-summer. Essential groundwork is in place for the River Trail between Eagle River and St. Germain. A…

Virus hasn’t slowed up GHT’s progress

September 30, 2020

Great Headwaters Trails ends this challenging summer without being slowed down by COVID-19. Fundraising to complete the Conover-Phelps Trail is close to being a total success, great progress has been made on routing the River Trail between Eagle River and St. Germain, and the annual SepTimber Ride biking event drew…

Coming down to the wire – 66% of the way to our goal, donate now and double your impact

September 11, 2020

This is crunch time! We’re about $70,000 away from our goal with about $35,000 of the Flanagan Challenge Fund remaining to be matched. The math works to gets us to success, but you only have until Sept. 30 to make sure we get there. Double the impact of your donation…

Be an active ingredient – all kinds of skills are needed to build top notch biking and walking trails. Add yours! <a href="https://ghtrails.org/volunteer-2/">VOLUNTEER</a>

Be an active ingredient – all kinds of skills are needed to build top notch biking and walking trails. Add yours! VOLUNTEER

Make the Northwoods even better – donate to help build the Great Headwaters Trail System <a href="https://ghtrails.org/donate">DONATE NOW</a>

Make the Northwoods even better – donate to help build the Great Headwaters Trail System DONATE NOW

When it comes to nonmotorized trails, here are the people – all volunteers - who are moving things forward in eastern Vilas County. <a href="https://ghtrails.org/about/">LEARN MORE</a>

When it comes to nonmotorized trails, here are the people – all volunteers - who are moving things forward in eastern Vilas County. LEARN MORE

Good trails pay off in fun, well-being, and dollars. Here’s what is in place and in the works right now! <a href="https://ghtrails.org/trail-system/plans-and-progress/">SEE THE PROGRESS</a>

Good trails pay off in fun, well-being, and dollars. Here’s what is in place and in the works right now! SEE THE PROGRESS