The Friendship Trail is a recreation trail in northeastern

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. The trail is used by walkers, hikers, bikers, horseback riders, and snowmobilers during the winter months. Two sections of the trail are complete: ~14 miles from

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

east to Fox Crossing and ~4.4 miles from Forest Junction southeast to Brillion. The route consists of

asphalt Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...

, crushed stone, and wood surfaces. The entire route is located in Winnebago County and

Calumet County Calumet County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 52,442. The county seat is Chilton, Wisconsin, Chilton. The county was created in 18 ...

Route

Western leg

The Western trailhead is located at CTH-M in the town of Winchester about east of the US-45/

US-10 U.S. Route 10 or U.S. Highway 10 (US 10) is an east–west United States highway located in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions of the United States. Unlike most U.S. routes with "0" as the last digit of its route number, US 10 ...

interchange. The trail then continues along US Highway 10 for . The trail continues through the

Fox Cities The Fox Cities of Northeastern Wisconsin are the cities, towns and villages along the Fox River as it flows from Lake Winnebago northward into Green Bay. The Fox Cities communities, as defined by its Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Vis ...

for the remaining length, this is the busiest section of the trail. A

trestle bridge A trestle bridge is a bridge composed of a number of short spans supported by closely spaced frames. A trestle (sometimes tressel) is a rigid frame used as a support, historically a tripod used to support a stool or a pair of isosceles trian ...

crosses

Little Lake Butte des Morts Little Lake Butte des Morts is a lake in the US state of Wisconsin, eight miles north of Lake Butte des Morts. It is part of the Fox–Wisconsin Waterway and receives its inflow from a short segment of the Fox River which drains from the north ...

as a concurrency of the loop the lake trail, this is one of two

rail trail A rail trail is a shared-use path on 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 right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...

sections on the trail. The final part of the trail travels along Wisconsin Highway 114 in Menasha. The Eastern trailhead is the intersection of US-10 and WIS-114. The trail intersects the

Wiouwash State Trail The Wiouwash State Trail is a rail trail in northeastern Wisconsin. Its name is derived from the first two letters of the four counties it traverses: Winnebago, Outagamie, Waupaca, and Shawano. The trail's Tribal Heritage Crossing of Lake Butte ...

, which connects the cities of Hortonville and Oshkosh, in Clayton. Communities along the route include: Winchester, Clayton, Fox Crossing, and Menasha.

Eastern leg

The eastern leg of the Friendship State Trail is maintained by

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 policy ...

. The western trailhead is located at

Fox River State Recreational Trail The Fox River State Recreational Trail (also known as the Fox River Trail) is a trail along the Fox River in northeastern Wisconsin. Route The trail begins at the CityDeck in Green Bay, Wisconsin (), follows the Fox River south through De Per ...

in southern Forest Junction. The Fox River Trail connects to Green Bay and

Hilbert David Hilbert (; ; 23 January 1862 – 14 February 1943) was a German mathematician, one of the most influential mathematicians of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Hilbert discovered and developed a broad range of fundamental ideas in many a ...

. The trail continues 4 miles southeast along US-10 to its terminus at the intersection of Center Rd. and Glenview Ave. in Brillion. This entire leg is rail trail and made of gravel.

Access

The trail is open year-round, though it is not cleared of snow in winter. Walking and bicycling is permitted the entire length. Horseback riding is permitted from CTH-M to CTH-CB on the western leg and the entire eastern leg. Leashed dogs are also permitted. There is no fee to use the trail. There are several free public parking lots available for use along the trail.

Future

Plans are in place to expand the trail westward to

Stevens Point Stevens Point is the county seat of Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. The city was incorporated in 1858. Its 2020 population of 25,666 makes it the largest city in the county. Stevens Point forms the core of the United States Census Bur ...

and connect the two legs together.

References

{{Wisconsin hiking trails Rail trails in Wisconsin Protected areas of Calumet County, Wisconsin Protected areas of Winnebago County, Wisconsin