Evergreen Trail Master Plan

Sheboygan County Cycling has partnered with the City of Sheboygan to improve the trail experience at Evergreen and Quarry Parks. To accomplish this, we contracted with the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) to perform a complete on-site trails assessment and create a master plan for the park.

Explore the details in the IMBA interactive project storyboard:

IMBA Storyboard

Trail Issues Identified

Difficult to navigate, many overlapping and crossing segments.
Many wet segments in low-lying wetlands or drainage crossings result in eroding trail surfaces.
Bridges within the trail network are in great disrepair.
Many downed trees and standing dead tree hazards.
Significant trail re-routing, tread surface establishment needed.
Opportunities for bike-only, hike-only, and shared access trails.

Trail Project Goals

Rebuild trails throughout the park to improve usability, drainage and sustainability.
Create progressive mountain bike trails and features for all skill levels.
Proposed features include a bike playground, flow trails, progressive jump trails, and an asphalt pump track.
Trail building is planned for 2025/2026.

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IMBA assessment found numerous Evergreen Park trail bridges in disrepair.

Fallen and standing dead tree hazards were found throughout Evergreen Park trails.

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Local NICA (National Interscholastic Cycling Association) student athletes utilize Evergreen Park trails for training.

Planned Evergreen Park mountain bike trail development include flow trails (example feature pictured).

IMBA Trail Assessment Spring 2024

IMBA Trail Solutions Staff performed an on-site trail assessment for each of the shared use natural surface trails in Evergreen, Maywood, and Quarry Park. Only Evergreen is included in the scope of the development project. Assessment findings are summarized in the map below, grouped into the six categories listed (click the + symbol on the right to expand for a description). Click the button below to download / read the full trail assessment (PDF, 12 MB).

Full Trail Assessment

TRAIL ASSESSMENT APPENDICES

Fall Lines

Sustainable trail design includes a variety of researched and time tested trail design and construction principles. One of the keys to trail sustainability is working with the contours of the land and avoiding trail grades that exceed half the grade of the hillside. Trails that do exceed half the side slope are considered fall line trails, which introduce a host of potential issues. Fall line trails are susceptible to major erosion and rutting as water flows down the trail tread instead of sheeting across.

Duplicative Trails

Dense trail networks may further complicate user navigation and have more significant ecological impacts on fragile environments. In some parks, new trails emerge from the landscape seasonally as users – sometimes intentionally – forge new paths through the forest. Many of these trails parallel existing trails, adding unnecessary complexity to the trail network and causing greater environmental impacts.

Trail Hazards

Wet Areas

Wet areas of a trail are caused by a variety of reasons, including tread drainage issues (tread cupping, lack of tread outslope, lack of grade reversals) and geological issues (seeps, wetlands, and poorly drained soils). Wet areas result in trail widening as users attempt to navigate around the water, causing additional erosion. Wet areas may be avoided by locating trails on suitable terrain and constructing trails with proper drainage.

Overgrown Areas

Trails require frequent maintenance; the recommended maintenance interval varies by region, landcover type, and use intensity. In some instances, overgrown trails are simply past-due for a seasonal cleanup. In other instances, overgrown trails are the result of infrequent use and are all but closed to hikers, riders, and other users. In the latter scenario, the trails should be considered for official decommissioning with a revegatation effort.

Trail Erosion

There are many common symptoms of tread erosion including tread cupping, significant rutting, and exposed roots that become more apparent over time. Trails that traverse steep drainages or that are located along flowing bodies of water are particularly susceptible to major erosion. In many cases, trail tread should be rock-armored if drainage crossings are unavoidable. Trails next to streams or rivers should be strategically located to avoid cut banks (the outer edge of a stream bend, which is expected to migrate further outwards over time). Trail tread located near a cut bank is likely to become undercut by the stream.

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Evergreen Park Zone Based Trail Vision Plan

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Local Government & Business Support

“Evergreen Park is a treasure in our city, and the IMBA Trail Improvement Project will enhance its accessibility and enjoyment for residents of all ages. This initiative reflects our commitment to sustainable outdoor recreation and creating spaces that allow everyone to connect with nature right in our own backyard.”

~Mayor Ryan Sorenson, City of Sheboygan

Visit Sheboygan fully supports the efforts of the Sheboygan County Cycling Club to improve bike trails at Evergreen Park. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, in 2023 outdoor recreation participation grew by 4.1% across the country. Bicycling activities, including trail biking, are one of America’s top five favorite ways to spend time in nature. In Wisconsin, bicycling contributes $152 million to the state’s GDP. Developing, sustaining, and maintaining the IMBA Trail Improvement Project at Evergreen Park is essential to competing in this thriving tourism market, as well as improving the quality of life for residents.

~Amy L. Wilson, PhD, President/CEO of Visit Sheboygan

Evergreen Trail Project Partnered Organizations

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Evergreen Trail Project History

October 2019

Carl Martens of Aventuron presented and fundraised the original idea to rebuild Evergreen Park at an Active8 SOUP Event! At this same event, a young girl by the name of Aubrey presented the idea of a bike playground, which is now part of the project.

Fall 2020

IMBA contracted with Carl and City of Sheboygan to create the feasibility report for Evergreen & Quarry Park trail improvements.

Spring 2022

SCC partnered with the city to fundraise for the complete park concept plan.

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Summer 2022

A wind storm hit the park taking down hundreds of trees on the bike trails, hiking trails, and disc golf course. Volunteers donated over 100 hours to clear the trails of fallen trees and debris. We couldn’t have done it without our community’s amazing support!

August 2023

SCC fully funded the planning proposal.

October 2023

IMBA performed an on-site, trail-by-trail assessment.