Fox River State Recreational Trail

Brown County, Wisconsin

The Fox River Trail offers a rich variety of scenery as it meanders from downtown Green Bay along the Fox River and passes through

the Brown County communities of Allouez, De Pere, Rockland, Wrightstown and Holland. The 20 mile trail has approximately 8

miles of paved surface on the more urban section from the trailhead in downtown Green Bay going south. Additional paving is slated

for 2010 which will extend the paved portion to approximately the first 10.5 miles of the trail. The southern section is crushed stone

and includes designated sections for horseback riding. As the trail surface changes in De Pere, its path veers away from the river

passing by light industrial structures and transitioning to rural and agricultural areas on the way to Ott Rd. just north of Hilbert in

Calumet County.

On The Way

From the trailhead in Green Bay going south you'll quickly reach the back entrance of Hazelwood Historic House Museum which

showcases one of the earliest homes in the area. A little farther south at about the .8 mile mark you can see a large functioning paper

mill on the opposite side of the river. You also might see an occasional large ocean-going ship unloading cargo on the opposite bank

near the trailhead.

In De Pere, the trail passes by

Voyager Park which includes a

popular fishing area near the De Pere

dam. On the other side of the trail

near the park is a library branch and

one block east on Broadway St. is a

commercial area featuring

restaurants, bars, and retail stores.

Just beyond Voyager Park is the

Claude Allouez Bridge and the De

Pere lock and dam. The new Claude

Allouez Bridge opened in October

2007. The lock and dam system is

one of only a few remaining manually

operated systems in the country.

Boats enter a chamber on the edge of

the dam where the water level is

either raised or lowered to allow

continued upstream or downstream navigation.

After passing under the bridge, on the opposite bank is the over 100 year old historic campus of St. Norbert College, a small private

liberal arts college known for academic excellence.

Alternate North Route: The trail officially starts near the corner of Adams and Porlier Streets in Green Bay and proceeds south,

however, from the starting point, the trail actually continues north towards downtown Green Bay. The trail transitions into a

riverfront walkway as it goes under the Mason Street bridge then continues for several blocks passing under both the Walnut and Main

Street bridges and around the Holiday Inn City Center near the confluence of the Fox and East Rivers. With a little maneuvering

through city streets, a bike rider could proceed all the way to Bay Beach Amusement Park, the Wildlife Sanctuary and the University of

Wisconsin - Green Bay (UWGB). An even more ambitious rider could continue past UWGB along Nicolet Dr. for over 7 miles without

stopping. Nicolet Dr. east of the university has bike paths and offers great views of the bay.