The Ice Age Trail's Mammoth Hike Challenge offers more than a chance to get outside in fall
The Ice Age Trail Alliance again aims to motivate people to lace up their boots, grab their walking sticks and explore Wisconsin's nooks and crannies with its annual Mammoth Hike Challenge.
To complete the challenge, a person has to hike, walk, run or backpack at least 43 miles of the trail and visit at least three Trail Communities during the month of October. The miles don't have to be unique (so participants can hike their favorite section multiple times, if they want), and people can participate individually or as part of a team. If that's too much, the IATA offers ways to earn "bonus" miles to augment the actual hiking miles. (Read on for details.)
The IATA works to develop, conserve, maintain and promote the nearly 1,200-mile Ice Age National Scenic Trail. This is the fourth year the nonprofit has organized the challenge.
"This is meant to be a fun challenge," said Amy Lord, manager of outreach and education for the IATA. "Push yourself a little, but mainly we want participants to have fun and explore places in Wisconsin they've never been."
The program started in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, seeded with grant money from the state Department of Tourism, also known as Travel Wisconsin, Lord said.
"We were really looking for ways to still encourage tourism, but do it in a safe way," Lord said. "We knew the trail was open, and we wanted to encourage people to get outside and use it and explore it."
Along the way, they also encouraged hikers to visit businesses in the Trail Communities, which are towns and cities that support and recognize the trail.
Hikers loved the concept. More than 20,000 people have signed up for the Mammoth Hike Challenge since it was introduced. Even if they collectively only hiked 20 miles each, that's 400,000 miles hiked.
Participants have visited all 17 of the Trail Communities. This year, two more have been added (Baraboo and Portage), bringing the total to 19.
All told, organizers estimate that the challenge has added more than $1.1 million to the Wisconsin tourist economy.
The value might be even greater for hikers themselves, Lord said. Part of completing the challenge includes filling out an online form that describes the segments and Trail Communities hikers visited.
"It's very humbling and very touching to read the comments," Lord said.
She's read about hikers who said they were struggling with emotional darkness and found walking on the trail helped them change their outlook. Parents have written about how hiking with their children helped create memories. Others talked about how they improved their health by getting about and being more active.
How much does it cost, and where do I sign up for the Mammoth Hike Challenge?
It's free! And signing up is as easy as logging on to iceagetrail.org/mammoth-hike-challenge. So far about 3,500 people have signed up. Procrastinators, the IATA gets you. People can register well into October. Once people register, they'll receive itineraries highlighting the Ice Age Trail Communities, invitations to events related to the challenge, and a coupon code for a discount on clothing from the event's sponsor, Duluth Trading Company.
What happens when hikers complete the challenge?
Once complete, hikers fill out an online completion form to receive a certificate of achievement and a special Mammoth Hike Challenge Patch. It's all based on the honor system.
The challenge is more than 10 miles a week. What if people don't want to or can't hike that far?
Not everyone can hike 43 miles, a number based on the anniversary of the Ice Age Trail's designation as a National Scenic Trail. For those people, the IATA offers bonus miles for doing activities related to the trail. For example, visiting an additional Trail Community will net a person 10 bonus miles. There are six ways to earn bonus miles. It's possible to complete the challenge without hiking at all.
People also can sign up as a team, and participants' miles and Trail Community visits can be cumulative. Once teams are finished, they can indicate to organizers how many certificates and patches they need.
Want more tips about hiking the trail? Click this link: Here's what you need to know about hiking on Wisconsin's 1,200-mile Ice Age Trail
Contact Keith Uhlig at 715-845-0651 or kuhlig@gannett.com. Follow him at @UhligK on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram or on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: The Ice Age Trail Alliance's Mammoth Hike Challenge is back for 2023
