Trampers Trails

Trampers Trails

There is a network of trails in the Star Lake area called "Trampers Trails." They were originally laid out in the 1930's by the "Ballard Lake Trail Club" a loose net group centered on Rismons Lodge on Ballard Lake. The leaders were Frank Tucker of Akron, Ohio, M. B. Rosenberry, of Madison, Wisconsin, and Frank A. Gould of Evanston, Illinois. The trails were marked with signs indicating "Trampers Trail" and a map, in blueprint format, was published.

I have found no documentation to support this, but it was generally understood that the CCC worked to continue the upkeep of the trails.

At the end of the century and extending till the present time, the trails have been cared for by members of the Star Lakers Club.

I found a clue to the origin of the name from the following in a article in the Appalachian Trailway News: "The first two decades of the [twentieth] century had seen the emergence not only of forest conservation, but also of a strong hiking or 'tramping' movement in New England and New York. A broad array of path-building efforts by small clubs in New England and New York's Hudson River valley was underway." Rubin, 2000

Charles P. Forbes
August 25, 2006

Comprehensive References

DeMuth, Barb, Sayner-Star Lake, Trail Brushing Rescheduled, Vilas County News-Review, April 30, 1986., Eagle River, 1986. View Full Record
Gould, F[rank] A., Star Lake, Wisconsin, Forty Years Old December, 1934, The Milwaukee [Railroad] Magazine, January, 1935., Milwaukee, 1935. View Full Record
McGrath, Wm. Chad, Great Wisconsin Walks, 45 Strolls, Rambles, Hikes and Treks, A Wisconsin Trails Guide, Madison, 1997. View Full Record
Rubin, Robert, ed., The Era of Trail-Building, Trail Years, A History of the Appalachian Trail Conference, Special 75 Anniversary Issue, Appalachian Trailway News, Vol. 61, #3, July-August, 2000, Harpers Ferry, WV, 2000. View Full Record
Vilas County Advertising Department, Vilas County 2007 Visitor Guide, Eagle River, 2007. View Full Record

Major References

Ballard Lake Trail Club, Tramper's Trail Letter and Map, Star Lake, 1932. View Full Record
Starlakers Club, Tramper Trails [Map], Star Lake, 1984. View Full Record
Vilas County, Vilas County Hiking, Biking, Birding, Snowshoeing, & Cross-Country Ski Trails, Eagle River, n.d.. View Full Record