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Ahnapee trail to get upgrades

Users will soon find it easier to access the Ahnapee Trail in Sturgeon Bay.

A map of the Memorial Drive connection to the Ahnapee Trail. Courtesy of the Door County Parks Department.

George Pinney, Director of the Door County Parks Department, said the multi-use trail will be extended from Utah Street to Michigan Street, and also along Memorial Drive to safely connect the east side of Sturgeon Bay to the trail by the Bay View Bridge.

The $130,000 project is entirely funded by grants from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the Department of Natural Resources.

The Ahnapee State Trail is a 46-mile multi-use trail that runs along the old Ahnapee Railroad track from Algoma to Sturgeon Bay.

Pinney also said the county will complete a $1.3 million purchase of two parcels near the Cana Island Lighthouse to use for parking.

That deal is expected to close Dec. 16.

A map of the Utah Street to Michigan Street connection. Courtesy of the Door County Parks Department.

“Part of our agreement with the federal government when we took over management of the lighthouse was to pursue parking,” Pinney said in explaining the cost of the project. “The parking situation out there now is not good for the neighbors, and there are concerns about access for emergency vehicles.”

Visitors to the popular lighthouse currently park along the shoulder of a narrow road. Fifty percent of the purchase will be paid for with state and local grants, while the county will pitch in $150,000. The remaining portion will be paid for with donations and revenue generated by visitors to the lighthouse.