Fox River State Recreational Trail

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 25 mile trail has approximately 10

miles of paved surface on the more urban section from the trailhead in downtown Green Bay going south. 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 a loop of over 20 miles without stopping. Nicolet Dr.

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