Gold Star Memorial Trail
Gold Star Memorial Trail is the newest east-west hiking and biking trail system that will link Mayville, Horicon and Beaver Dam to the Wild Goose State Trail and to each other. Phase I from Mayville's Theiler Park to the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center opened for use in Fall 2018. Funding campaigns and planning continues in order to design and complete the trail to Beaver Dam in the coming years.
We remember and honor those local (and statewide/national) heroes that made the ultimate sacrifice – since 1991, Dodge County has lost six service members from the communities which are linked by this trail.
These local service members serve as a special inspiration for this trail project. However, the trail is dedicated to the remembrance of all military service members that paid the ultimate price and their families they left behind. Interested in honoring our local veterans? Visit the Patriot Project.
Keep up with happenings by following the trail's Facebook Page.
The Gold Star Memorial Trail (GSMT) is a citizen initiated, public-private project progressing through Dodge County, Wisconsin providing an important recreational trail facility for the citizens of Dodge County and its visitors and serves as a memorial to fallen service members of Wisconsin. The trail will stretch from the City of Mayville to the City of Beaver Dam, traversing approximately 15 miles when complete. The trail is for non-motorized use, primarily biking and hiking, and provides opportunities for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter months. The trail connection between the Cities of Mayville and Beaver Dam also provides important trail links to the Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area and its world class Education and Visitor Center, the City of Horicon, and the Wild Goose State Trail. Most of the trail is projected to be 10’ wide, asphalt paved and located within highway or railroad rights of ways separated from vehicle travel lanes.
The grass roots energy and support for this project has been the catalyst to jump start this long proposed trail development plan. Citizens, business leaders and Gold Star Families from Mayville to Beaver Dam and surrounding areas have formed a project committee and partnered with Dodge County and the Friends of Dodge County Parks, Inc. to lay the foundation for and carry out the funding, planning, development and future maintenance of the proposed trail.
The trail project is generally broken into five (5) phases. These phases can be accomplished in any order or concurrently with one another as funding is available and alignments are finalized. Each phase is locally important on their own. However, when combined, they create a significant regional connection between communities.