Thousands of people to take on the Mammoth Hike challenge

Thousands of people will be hiking the Ice Age National Scenic Trail this October as part of the Mammoth Hike Challenge.

Now in its fifth year, the Mammoth Hike Challenge invites anyone and everyone to hike, run, walk, or backpack 44 miles along the stunning Ice Age National Scenic Trail and explore 3 official Ice Age Trail Communities. Participants have the entire month of October to complete the Challenge. Those that do, receive a limited-edition patch and certificate. Hosted by the Ice Age Trail Alliance, the Mammoth Hike Challenge is the organization’s largest awareness-building event. Unlike other hiking challenges held along the Trail, the Mammoth Hike Challenge is free. To register, visit IceAgeTrail. org/Mammoth-Hike-Challenge.

“The goal of the Mammoth Hike Challenge is to get people out on the Trail and visiting our unique Ice Age Trail Communities,” says Amy Lord, Outreach and Education Manager for the Ice Age Trail Alliance.

“Once someone experiences the Trail— the likelihood is great they’ll want to eventually hike the whole thing,” she says. “That’s the magic of the Trail. It pulls you in and leaves you wanting to discover the next segment, or the next turn.”

Earn bonus miles, no hiking required Nearly 50 Trail-related hiking events are taking place throughout October. These events, which are listed on the Alliance event calendar, range from hiker meet ups at breweries, to group hikes, dog hikes, and geology hikes. The events are opportunities to meet other Challenge participants and “talk Trail” as well as a way to earn bonus miles.

“Hiking 44 miles can be daunting,” says Lord. “To make it fun and achievable, we offer the ability to accumulate miles without actually hiking.”

Other ways to earn bonus miles: participating in a Trailbuilding or Trail Maintenance activity, becoming a member of the Ice Age Trail Alliance, or introducing someone to the Trail.

There’s Magic Along the Trail This year, more than 100 businesses are offering Trail Magic, an act of kindness or unexpected surprise a hiker encounters along the Trail. During the Challenge, Trail Magic comes in the form of special offers, discounts, or freebies from participating businesses, which are mainly located within the 24 official Trail Communities.

“Trail Communities are hiker destinations and are perfect for a pre-, mid-, or post-hike stop,” says Lord. “Many hikers plan their hiking adventures by which Trail Communities they want to visit,” says Lord. “Trail Magic is an added incentive to visit specific businesses within the communities.”

Mammoth Hike Challenge Fast Facts:

• More than 27,000 participants since 2020

• Generated visitation to 19 Trail Communities in 2023 (Hatley, Greater Wausau Area, Algoma, Rice Lake, and Weyerhaeuser are new Trail Communities in 2024)

• Generated more than $1.5 million spending in local economies since 2020