The Eisenbahn State Trail is a multi-purpose trail designated as a park by the

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is a government agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin charged with conserving and managing Wisconsin's natural resources. The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board has the authority to set polic ...

. The trail is maintained by the counties through which it transgresses, Washington and Fond du Lac counties. The trail extends 25 miles, from the village of Eden in the north () to Rusco Road, south of West Bend (). The trail follows the route of the former Fox Valley Railroad.

Route description

The trail is 25 miles long. It passes through the cities of West Bend, Kewaskum, Campbellsport, and ends at the Community Park in Eden, running along the west side of the northern unit of the

Kettle Moraine State Forest The Kettle Moraine State Forest is a state forest in southeastern Wisconsin. The chief feature of the reserve is the Kettle Moraine, a highly glaciated area. The area contains very hilly terrain and glacial landforms, such as kettles, k ...

and crossing the

Ice Age Trail The Ice Age Trail is a National Scenic Trail stretching in the state of Wisconsin in the United States. The trail is administered by the National Park Service, and is constructed and maintained by private and public agencies including the Ice ...

. The trail is partially paved and partially covered in crushed limestone. A ribbon-cutting ceremony opening a connection to the Moraine Park Technical College Campus in West Bend occurred on September 4, 2014.

Geology and biology

The trail travels through the

Kettle Moraine Kettle Moraine is a large moraine in the state of Wisconsin, United States. It stretches from Walworth County in the south to Kewaunee County in the north. It has also been referred to as the ''Kettle Range'' and, in geological texts, as th ...

region of Wisconsin. The landscape is dotted with

glacial landform Glacial landforms are landforms created by the action of glaciers. Most of today's glacial landforms were created by the movement of large ice sheets during the Quaternary glaciations. Some areas, like Fennoscandia and the southern Andes, have ...

s. The trail runs along the

Milwaukee River The Milwaukee River is a river in the state of Wisconsin. It is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 19, 2011 Once a locus of industry, the river is now the ...

near West Bend, including three bridges.

History of the trail

The Eisenbahn Trail was a

Rails to Trails A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corridor with active railways, ligh ...

project, built on the abandoned Fox Valley Railroad right of way. The name "Eisenbahn" is a reference to the trails origins, meaning "iron road." The railroad was originally constructed in 1871 by

Chicago and North Western Transportation Company The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...

. It was purchased by Fox River Valley Railroad in 1988 before being abandoned in 1999. The official opening of the segment located in Washington County was on April 28, 2006.

Future

The rail corridor is owned by the State of Wisconsin. It is allowed to be used for recreational purposes under a federal program, with the potential for future rail use.

References

{{Wisconsin hiking trails Rail trails in Wisconsin Tourist attractions in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin Tourist attractions in Washington County, Wisconsin