Ahnapee State Trail: Reckelberg Park to Kewaunee
Bicyclists have much to enjoy on the Ahnapee State Trail from Harold Reckelberg Park to Kewaunee. The path travels near the Kewaunee River and its picturesque valley. Hillside pastures, hay fields, and apple orchards rise above the forests surrounding the river. Near Kewaunee and Lake Michigan, the hills give way to an expansive river estuary.
This trail segment runs 12.6 miles. The surface is screened limestone, in two lanes with a grassy center. It is in good condition. From Reckelberg Park to Kewaunee, the elevation gradually descends. Along the way, the trail moves through CD Buzz Besadny State Fish and Wildlife Area, and by Bruemmer County Park.
Horseback riding is permitted on the Ahnapee State Trail. When meeting equestrians, bicyclists should yield, dismount, and walk their bikes past horses. Hikers also use this section of the path, which is shared with the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Cyclists should exercise caution when passing.
Reckelberg Park serves as trailhead for three Ahnapee State Trail segments. One trail section heads northwest to Luxemburg. Another route journeys northeast to Algoma. The trail segment to Kewaunee leads southeast. Reckelberg Park has a large parking lot, portable toilet, information kiosk, self-service bicycle repair station, picnic table, and park bench.
To reach the park by car from Wisconsin State Highway 54, turn south on Hillside Road and drive 350 feet. Hillside Road intersects the state highway 2.5 miles east of Luxemburg. After turning south, Hillside Road veer to the southwest. Drive 0.3 mile to Hawthorne Rd. Turn left (south) and drive 1.5 miles. Turn left (east) onto County Highway A. After 0.2 mile, the county road turns south. There, take Sunset Road to the left (east). The park is 0.4 mile on the left (north) side of the road.
The Ahnapee State Trail departs Reckelberg Park by heading southeast across Sunset Road. A path to Algoma veers off to the northeast, while the path to Kewaunee continues straight. Signs indicate the distance to communities on both trail segments.
Over the first mile, the path journeys through a forest surrounding Scarboro Creek. The trail crosses the creek, emerging from the woods to run parallel to County Highway A. The path then turns away from the road, travels past farm fields, and returns to the cover of the forest. After a short distance through the woods, the path crosses Kewaunee River.
For a half mile in this section, the trail passes through the C.D. “Buzz” Besadny Fish and Wildlife Area. The 2,632 acres state property in Kewaunee County is comprised mostly of forest, wetlands, grasslands, rivers and streams. The state land is a haven for wildlife and offers recreational activities including birdwatching, canoeing, fishing, and hiking.
Shortly after crossing the Kewaunee River, the trail intersects County Highway C. A small trailhead there has a parking lot and self-service bicycle repair station. The trail then tracks a curve in the river, bending northeast before heading back southwest.
It is 2 miles from the start of the arch at County Highway C to its end at Clyde Hill Road. There’s no access to Clyde Hill Road, as the trail passes under the road through a large culvert. The path persists in following the Kewaunee River southwest, through hardwood forests and cedar glades. Several park benches overlook the river.
As the Ahnapee State Trail runs through dairy country, the smell of manure from nearby megafarms is common. The pungent odor is strong at times, but often soon replaced by the fragrance of cedar trees and more pleasant forest aromas.
A mile from Clyde Hill Road, campfire smoke and noises may become noticeable, especially on summer weekends. Cedar Valley Campground is located on the other side of Kewaunee River. While the campground is largely hidden by the forest, campfire smoke and sounds often drift over to the trail.
The trail continues running by the Kewaunee River and through surrounding woodlands. It’s 3 miles from Clyde Hill Road to County Highway FF. Less than a mile down the path, it crosses County Highway F. In 0.6 mile, it traverses the road again. Throughout this section, the trail runs next to the road. On the opposite side, the terrain slopes up from the river valley. These hills support hay fields, orchards, small groups of trees, and open meadows.
Bruemmer County Park is located at the trail’s second intersection with County Highway F, next to a Kewaunee County Highway Department Station. A trailhead on the eastern edge of the park has a parking lot, information kiosk, and self-service bicycle repair station.
The park has ample amenities, including flush toilets, drinking water, picnic tables, grills, picnic shelters, hiking trails, a playground, and a vending machine. It also is home to the Zoological Society of Kewaunee County’s free zoo. This land was once heavily quarried for limestone, and several kilns were built here.
To reach Bruemmer County Park from Wisconsin State Highway 29 in Kewaunee, turn north on Franklin Road toward Ellis Street on the western edge of the city. Drive several hundred feet, and turn left (west) onto County Highway C (Ellis Street). Drive 1.4 miles and turn left (south) onto County Highway F, and into the parking area.
After the Ahnapee State Trail leaves Bruemmer County Park, it’s 0.3 mile to a bride over the Kewaunee River. The path resumes south of the river, bending northeast along a ridge above the expanding river valley. It is 1.7 miles from the bridge to the top of the arc where it crosses River Road. This section has several places with stunning scenic views of the valley.
After River Road, the river and trail turns southwest. Here the valley broadens into a marshy estuary. Less than a half mile from River Road, the Ahnapee State Trail divides.
At the path junction, signs offer directions and distances to the two trailhead options. An information kiosk amidst the grassy marsh explains why the vast marshlands are fenced. Between 1938 and 1950 a train of the Green Bay and Western Railroad derailed, releasing high volumes of sodium arsenate. This arsenic chemical compound is a pesticide, used on orchard trees in the early 20th century. The vegetation here died, and the land became severely distressed. The most damaged area was capped, and today public access is prohibited. The land continues to be monitored by the Wisconsin DNR.
The path diverging to the left runs nearly a mile southeast through the marsh. It crosses the Kewaunee River, passes under Wisconsin State Highway 42, and ends at the parking lot of Kewaunee Fabrications, LLC. The parking lot of this factory may be used as a trailhead on weekends. It is off Wisconsin State Highway 42 (Main Street) on the north side of Kewaunee.
The path heading to the right travels south, 1.2 miles to the edge of Kewaunee. Throughout this distance, the path travels through the expansive marsh. In Kewaunee, the trail crosses Beardsley, Juneau, Dodge and Miller Streets, before arriving at the final trailhead on Wisconsin State Highway 42 (Milwaukee) Street.
This trailhead has a parking area, bicycle rack, and sign. A large covered picnic pavilion stands next to the world’s largest grandfather clock. A historical marker tells the story of the clock and Svoboda Industries, the local company that made it.
Harbor Park is another potential trailhead, found nearby across Milwaukee Street. Situated where the Kewaunee River enters Lake Michigan, this beautiful park has many amenities. Its parking lot fronts the river, and is located on Harrison Street. The park has flush toilets, a gazebo, picnic tables, and a riverside walkway. It also has several interpretive markers that reveal the city’s economic, railroad, and maritime history.
Harbor Park also houses an attraction: the historic tugboat Ludington. In 1943, the tugwas built at Jacobson Shipyard in Oyster Bay, New York, and served throughout World War II. It held two 50 caliber machine guns and participated in the D-Day invasion of Normandy, towing ammunition barges across the English Channel.
In the seventeenth century, the area of Kewaunee was the site of a Potawatomi village. In 1674, French Jesuit missionary Jacques Marquette celebrated All Saints Day at the Potawatomi village. French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle visited five years later. Another Jesuit priest, Jesuit Jean-François Buisson de Saint-Cosme, stopped in 1698.
In the late 1700s, the Potawatomi people moved further south along Lake Michigan, and the area was reclaimed by the Menominee tribe. The word Kewaunee comes from the Menominee word Kewāneh, the name for a species of duck.
In 1795, the French-Canadian fur trader Jacques Vieau operated a trading post for the Northwest Company in this area. The U.S. government acquired the land from the Menominee nation through a treaty in 1831.
Settlement at Kewaunee by white Americans began in 1836. It became Kewaunee County’s seat of government in 1852, was incorporated as a village in 1873, and became a city 20 years later. In the late 1800s, this area attracted many Bohemia and German immigrants. Its main industries have been lumbering, farming, shipping, and commercial fishing.
Today, Kewaunee is a lakeside city offering several amenities for visitors. Constructed in 1912, the Karsten Hotel is a local landmark. Today the historic hotel has 23 rooms set within its arts and crafts architecture.
Several restaurants, taverns, and cafés are found in Kewaunee. Downtown, the Bakery Bar serves scratch-baked treats and sandwiches, freshly baked artisan breads, and has a full drink menu, including alcoholic libations. Up the hill, Kewaunee Custard & Grill delivers quick drive-in style meals and tasty custard.
Map of trailheads and addresses along this section of the trail.
A ride on the Ahnapee State Trail from Reckelberg to Kewaunee is delightful and picturesque. Of the various segments of this trail, this one is the most scenic. The trail passes through the beautiful Kewaunee River valley and its broad estuary, and the small city of Kewaunee offers amenities, attractions and housing.
Trail last ridden and documented in September, 2023.