National Trails Day will be celebrated in Polk County on Saturday, June 6 with a hike on the scenic Trade River section of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.  

The hike will launch at 1 p.m. from the 150th Street trailhead of the trail, located .3 miles south of Wisconsin Hwy. 35 on the southern outskirts of Frederic.  Hikers will have the option of an easy segment of slightly more than one mile to 140th Street, or to continue on to 280th Avenue for a total of about four miles. 

The longer hike features a restored prairie, a large basalt boulder remnant, views of wetlands that form part of the Trade River headwaters and a stand of stately mature white pines. It follows two ancient beaver dams, crosses a boulder bridge constructed by a VISTA crew, and winds through a glen of rocky outcroppings.

Shuttle drivers will ferry hikers back to their starting point. The hike will be led by chapter members Karen and Paul Pedersen.  It is co-sponsored by Frederic Community Education and the local Trap Rock hiking chapter of the Ice Age Trail Association.  

National Trails Day was created by the American Hiking Society as a day of advocacy and service for local trails.  The Ice Age Trail is a unit of the National Park Service, which is a federal partner of National Trails Day.

Hikers should dress for the weather, wear sturdy footwear and bring water and insect repellent. For more information, contact Cheryl Whitman at 715-371-0048 or email the local chapter at:  traprockchapter@iceagetrail.org.