See Stunning Photos of New National Park Land That Soon Will Be Accessible From America’s Longest National Trail

The 213 acres of land in far northern Wisconsin, along the southern shore of Lake Superior, include a waterfall

Sarah Kuta | Daily Correspondent

June 11, 2026 5:04 p.m.

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The North Country National Scenic Trail spans more than 4,800 miles from Vermont to North Dakota, making it the longest route in America’s National Trails System. But roughly 1,500 miles of the 46-year-old route still travel along roads, rather than on permanent paths built on protected land, and that’s something trail advocates would like to change.

Now, they’re one step closer to that goal. This spring, the National Park Service acquired 213 acres of land in northern Wisconsin along the southern edge of Lake Superior, making it possible to move roughly three miles of the North Country National Scenic Trail off roads and into nature.

As of right now, 210 miles of the route wind their way through Wisconsin, including 145 miles of permanent, off-street trail.

“It moves the needle toward completing the trail where we have the opportunity to get temporary road walks replaced by actual trail that not only benefits the hikers, but also benefits the local communities,” Chris Loudenslager, the trail’s superintendent, tells Wisconsin Public Radio’s Danielle Kaeding.

NPS bought the property from the nonprofit Trust for Public Land using the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. The nonprofit had purchased the property from a private landowner for roughly $2.5 million in September, with financial support from the National Park Foundation and Wyss Foundation.

Located in Iron County, Wisconsin, the property extends from Saxon Harbor County Park to the Montreal River, which separates Wisconsin from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The site includes roughly 1,300 feet of Lake Superior shoreline and about 2,100 feet of Montreal River riverbank, including the section featuring Superior Falls, a 90-foot waterfall that plunges down steep canyon walls into a pool below.

The land also protects a historic Native American trade route called the Flambeau Trail. In the early 19th century, it was home to a fur trading post.

“It's got it all,” Loudenslager tells WXPR’s Katie Thoresen. “You've got the historic component of how the Montreal River had been used as a travel way over time. You've got the Lake Superior. You've got the falls, you've got the river, you've got the forest, and you've got all the wildlife and plants that find that unique setting along Lake Superior to be a particular habitat. It is just really unique on all the collection of resources and things that are all present in this spot.”

Thanks to the recent acquisition, the site is now protected from private development and will remain “open, accessible, and unspoiled for generations to come,” Will Cooksey, senior project manager at the Trust for Public Land, says in a statement.

Looking ahead, land managers plan to evaluate the property to find the best route for the trail, with a goal of preserving as many cultural and natural resources as possible. Work on the trail could start as soon as next year, per Wisconsin Public Radio.

“We’ll be really diligent in making sure we do protect things before we make a final decision on where the trail goes,” Loudenslager tells WXPR.

The Wisconsin land acquisition is just the latest milestone for the North Country National Scenic Trail. Last July, NPS acquired 317 acres in another part of northern Wisconsin, which will make it possible to move more than 30 miles of the route off roads and into forested areas. Also last year, volunteers in North Dakota built a new segment of the trail on Army Corps of Engineers property that runs along Lake Sakakawea.

Meanwhile, the broader National Trails System is growing. This week, federal officials added six new hiking, paddling and multi-use routes spanning 162.5 total miles in Colorado, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Utah.

Sarah Kuta | Read More

Sarah Kuta is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics and other topics.