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Wisconsin could design and then brand a “Lake Michigan Water Trail” following the state’s lakeshore.

The trail, which would run from the Michigan border to the Illinois state line, wouldn’t be for hiking or biking – it would be for boating, primarily that done by diminutive craft, such as kayaks, small sailboats or rowboats that stay close to shore.

milwaukee lakefront (photo by Adrian Palomo)

The state Department of Natural Resources has taken an inventory of 365 access points along the lakeshore. These points, such as boat ramps, are essential to “water trails” and would need to be expanded to form a continuous trail of access points on the Wisconsin lakeshore.

In Southeastern Wisconsin, the department has identified several sections needing greater access. One stretches between the cities of Racine and Kenosha. Another spans most of the St. Francis and Cudahy coastlines, and a third covers most of the Ozaukee County lakeshore.

“These zones (and others) would be targeted to increase public land holdings along the shoreline,” says a DNR presentation on the effort.

The department isn’t putting forth any particular plans yet – just gauging public interest in developing the water trail, which, like the state’s land-bound Ice Age trail, would probably be a long-running project.

There will be a public hearing in Milwaukee on April 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Bay View Library, 2566 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.

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