The National Park Service (NPS) has completed the planning and regulatory process required to allow bike use on the Cable Connector Trail, a 0.25-mile connector trail across NPS land near Cable, Wisconsin.
In 2020 and 2021, the NPS completed the environmental planning and compliance process for the Cable Connector Trail with a Finding of No Significant Impact. This followed a National Environmental Policy Act / Environmental Assessment analysis, including a public comment period in fall 2020.
While the trail itself has been approved, the NPS has a separate process to allow bike use on it. The NPS Bicycle Rule process requires a special regulation (36 CFR § 4.30) and included a public comment period to solicit feedback from community members and partners. This special regulation process is now complete, and the regulation allowing bicycle use on the trail was published in the federal register on February 17, 2022. The bike rule will be final 30 days from this publication date, and bicycles will be allowed on the Cable Connector Trail on March 21, 2022.
Built in partnership with the Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association, the Cable Connector Trail will be a 0.25-mile natural surface, multi-use trail connection from the end of a segment of the Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association’s Wild River Trail on a former railroad grade, across NPS land, and then connecting to Parker Road. Once trail construction is complete, the trail will be open for hiking, trail running and mountain bike and electronic-assist bike (e-bike) use in the summer, and silent sports such as fat-tire bicycling, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter. No equestrian or other motorized uses would be permitted, except for authorized vehicles used for trail maintenance, emergency services and NPS-permitted special events.
Both the Finding of No Significant Impact and the special regulation allowing bicycle use can be found on the National Park Service Planning, Environmental and Public Comment (PEPC) website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/cabletrail. The park will post an update when trail construction is complete at @StCroixNSR on Facebook.
