Lake Superior Water Trail

The Inland Sea Society and regional and state agency representatives unveiled the recently completed Lake Superior Water Trail map Thursday, June 18 at 7 p.m. at STAGENORTH in Washburn as part of the kick-off to the Inland Sea Kayak Symposium. The Wisconsin Lake Superior Water Trail stretches 400 miles from the city of Superior to the Montreal River at the Michigan border.  The full-color, detailed map guides travelers to safe and legal access and camping sites along Wisconsin's wild and scenic north coast.

The 2009 Inland Sea Kayak Symposium combines food, art, and kayaking - all with a commitment to community and sustainability. Organized by the Inland Sea Society, the Symposium, now in its nineteenth year, offers kayak instruction, guided Apostle Island tours, seminars, presentations, and loads of fun and food. The four-day event held at Thompson's West End Park in Washburn kicked off Thursday, June 18 and ended on Sunday, June 21.

Thursday evening's program highlights the Lake Superior Water Trail map, as well as a panel of kayakers who have circumnavigated Lake Superior. Rick Hoffman of Illinois, who happened upon the Lake Superior Water Trail map planned his trip via water to the Symposium using the Water Trail Map. Leaving from Superior, Wisconsin, Rick got off the water at the Symposium, and talked about his experiences using the Water Trail Map. The National Park Service's Rivers & Trails Program partnered with the Inland Sea Society, a conservation organization, to organize a local advisory committee to lead the completion of this unique map.

Funding was provided by the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management under the Coastal Zone Management Act and the National Park Service Challenge Cost Share Program. Local, county, state, and tribal advisors contributed to the final product. Larry MacDonald, WI Coastal Management Council (WCMC) Chairperson and Mayor of the City of Bayfield, recently commented that "The WI Coastal Management Council (WCMC) is pleased to have assisted the funding for the new WI Lake Superior Water Trail map. The map provides valuable information on area resources and safety tips for paddlers."

The Northwest Regional Planning Commission supported the project and completed a detailed survey of the public access points identified in the Water Trail Map.  The map and report is online in a user friendly book format at: http://maps.nwrpc.com/coastal/lake-superior-water-trail.  The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources also supported the project and will be posting the map to their website in mid-June.  

Here's the map of the water trail. 

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