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Dick Leinenkugel Pic GHTF-4

Ride with Leinie Returning to Scenic Vilas County July 26th

By Gary Ridderbusch The 14th annual Ride with Leinie will return to Conover Saturday, July 26th, including five ride options for bicyclists in the scenic North Woods of Wisconsin. The ride, a fundraiser for Great Headwaters Trail Foundation (GHTF), features the Conover-Phelps Trail (C-P Trail) in eastern Vilas County. The C-P Trail, completed in 2021,…

GHTF Volunteer of the Year Award - Carlton Schroeder 03.25.2025

GHT Foundation Honors Schroeder with First Volunteer of the Year Award

By Gary Ridderbusch The Great Headwaters Trails Foundation (GHTF) recognized the Volunteer of the Year and several other individuals for outstanding service to the organization during its board dinner at Trees For Tomorrow in Eagle River on Tuesday, March 25th. In addition to introducing board members and special guests, GHTF President Laura Van Valkenberg and…

TRAIL SYSTEM Wayside river1

River Trail Analysis Report Scope

Last fall our Board of Directors and the River Trail Action Team contracted the services of the consulting firm, Trail Strategies, LLC, to evaluate the project overall, identify key strengths and challenges, and recommend future actions to move the project forward. Having received and reviewed the final report, we were pleased to receive validation that…

Laura Van Valkenberg

Great Headwaters Trails Foundation Names New President, Four Directors

By Gary Ridderbusch The Great Headwaters Trails Foundation (GHTF) named four new board members and a new president at its board meeting earlier this month. Cheryl Todea, Cheryl Adams and Diane Gunderson are new directors at large and John Gustavson will be serving as the organization’s treasurer. The board members will serve three-year terms. In…

Trail Needed Hwy 70

Vilas County News-Review Editorial: River Trail Project Deserves Another Chance to Succeed

By Kurt Krueger The River Trail Commission gave preliminary endorsement recently to a Highway 45 multi-use crossing that could be billed as the initial phase of the proposed River Trail between Eagle River and St. Germain. We think that’s a big deal because the River Trail would connect Eagle River and Three Lakes, via the…

Adopt a Highway Crew.11.1.2024

GHTF Volunteers Cleanup Hwy 70

On Friday, November 1st, GHTF volunteers helped pick up trash along Hwy 70 heading west near the Energy Mart to the Mud Creek Bridge by the Eagle River Inn. Anyone interested in joining this crew for the three 2025 cleanups between April 1st and November 1st should email ghtvolunteercoordinator@gmail.com to be added to the contact…

ER Connector Fall Bollard Removal.10.2024

Vilas County News-Review: Volunteers Remove Trail Bollards as Biking Season Winds Down

By Gary Ridderbusch, Correspondent About 10 volunteers gathered in the city of Eagle River last Thursday morning to remove the bollards that mark the bike and pedestrian trail through two parking lots near downtown — signaling an end to the summer and fall bicycling season. The bollards are installed each spring and taken down in…

Hwy 45 Crossing in Eagle River.10.2024

Vilas County News-Review: River Trail Group Backs Multi-Use Crossing

By Gary Ridderbusch, Correspondent The River Trail Commission gave a preliminary endorsement to a Highway 45 multi-use crossing and “placemaking” project that could be billed as the initial phase of the proposed River Trail between Eagle River and St. Germain at its meeting last Wednesday. The crossing project, proposed by the Eagle River Revitalization Program…

Donation to Conover and Phelps 2024

GHTF Donates to Support Trail Mainenance

We recently held the Annual Ride with Leinie fundraiser bicycle event which featured a ride with Dick and Katie Leinenkugel on the Conover-Phelps Trail (C-P Trail). The event drew in over 400 participants from across Wisconsin and 15 other states, including as far away as Texas, California, Florida and New York. The GHTF Board voted…