The ICORE Trails Committee is working with the City of Hurley to acquire the CN (Canadian National) railroad grade from Hurley to Montreal in Wisconsin. Our goal is to create a new paved walking and biking trail, connecting to the Hurley Trailhead and the Iron Belle Trail in Michigan. We hope to complete the land purchase in 2026, and seek to fundraise $105,000 by the closing date of November 15, 2026.
If you would like to contribute to the Hurley Non-Motorized Trail campaign, you can make an online donation below or mail a check. Large donations will be permanently acknowledged at the Hurley Trailhead. Email icoretreasurer@gmail.com for more information.
2026 Hurley Montreal Trail Fundraiser
ICORE is raising funds for the City of Hurley to purchase land from CN Railroad for the future trail. Our goal is $105,000 by November 15, 2026!
Online Donation
Donate through PayPal. Choose “Hurley to Montreal Trail.”
Mail-In Donation
Complete the ICORE Donation Form, check the box for the Hurley Montreal Trail, and mail with a check to:
ICORE, P.O. Box 202, Hurley, WI 54534
ICORE Thanks Supporters of the Hurley Trailhead and Hurley Montreal Trail Project, including:
- The Bridge the Gap Campaign. 2015. $10,000.
- Over 100 Contributions to the November 2017 Fundraiser at Sharon's Coffee Company: $3,788.
- 50 Contributions to the December 2018 Fundraiser at Sharon's Coffee Company: $4,588.
- Hobby Wheel for donating bicycles for raffle prizes in 2017 and 2018.
- Anonymous #1. 2017, 2018, 2019. $6,000.
- 60 donations in memorial of Mike Fauerbach. 2019. $5,500.
- Ironwood Walmart. 2019 & 2025. $1,500.
- Gogebic Range Health Foundation. 2020. $20,000.
- Enbridge Inc. 2024. $35,000.
Hurley Montreal Trail Latest Updates
Hurley Montreal Trail Update Spring 2026
On April 15, 2026, the Hurley City Council voted in favor of signing a Real Estate Sale Contract with CN (Canadian National), wherein the City will purchase 37.23 acres of abandoned railroad land for $175,000, for the future Hurley Montreal Trail. Mayor Joanne Bruneau signed the Sale Contract on May 8, and delivered a deposit of $10,000, provided by ICORE. ICORE has until November 15, 2026, to raise another $105,000 for Hurley to complete the land purchase. More information is available in a press release here. The amount we need to raise is larger than expected, due to the loss of a DNR grant. In January 2026 the DNR informed us that they cannot provide funding to acquire land with oil, gas, or mineral reservations, and they would need to withdraw a tentative grant award of $82,655. They encouraged us to proceed, and emphasized that trail construction grants can cover up to 80% of costs, and do not have the oil, gas, or mineral restrictions. ICORE looks forward to raising all needed funds for the land purchase by the November 15 closing date. All donations $1,000 and more will be acknowledged at the Hurley Trailhead, with details forthcoming.
Hurley Montreal Trail Update 2025
ICORE continues working with the City of Hurley to purchase abandoned railroad land from CN to build the walking and biking trail between Hurley and Montreal. Many important steps were completed in 2025. In April ICORE worked with the City of Hurley to submit another Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Stewardship grant application to help purchase the land from CN. That same month, Cherie Laffin with Scott Williams Appraisal completed a required appraisal of the property. In September the DNR notified the City of Hurley they have been tentatively awarded approximately $82,655 from the Stewardship Acquisition and Development of Local Parks sub-program. However, that award depends on resolving several issues, including title defects and mineral rights. In October and November ICORE worked with Iron County Forestry, Iron County Recreation Council, Iron County ATV Club, and White Thunder Riders, and local businesses to discuss the proposed trail. As a result, some changes were made in our plans at the west end, including shared motorized and non-motorized use of the bridge over the West Fork Montreal River. In December Associated Title in Ironwood completed additional title research and drafted a title insurance policy for the CN land sale. We were pleased to learn that the City of Montreal appears to already own most of the railroad grade in Montreal, including the bridge behind their City Hall. We are currently working with the City of Hurley and CN to address the title defects identified by Associated Title. In January 2026 Coleman Engineering in Ironwood completed a required survey of the CN property.
Hurley Montreal Trail Update 2024: Enbridge Grant
In December 2024 ICORE received a $35,000 grant from the Enbridge Fueling Futures Program for the Hurley Montreal Trail. According to the Enbridge website, the Fueling Futures Program promotes “energizing communities, through partnerships and sponsorships that strengthen the safety, vibrancy and sustainability of our communities.” ICORE is very grateful to Enbridge for their support. Read more at our press release here.
ICORE and the City of Hurley resumed negotiations with CN, trying to purchase the railroad grade between Hurley and Montreal. There was a delay in 2022 and 2023 while CN and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) investigated if an 85.09 release of the railroad grade from the State would be necessary. Eventually the DOT said they released the railroad grade in 1983, waiving their first right to acquire the property (although in 2025 we learned that was incorrect).
ICORE continues to work with the Cities of Hurley and Montreal on a proposed walking and biking trail between the two communities, and connecting to the Iron Belle Trail in Michigan. Most of the proposed route would use a former railroad grade owned by CN. CN is currently working with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation…
June 7, 2020 The ICORE Trails Committee continues working on the proposed non-motorized trail between Hurley and Montreal. This spring we worked with the City of Hurley and helped them submit a $28,750 grant proposal to Wisconsin DNR. The grant would fund up to 50% of the appraised value of the Canadian National railroad grade…
This winter has been a mix of tragedy and optimistic progress for the ICORE Hurley to Montreal Trail Project. In December, Mike Fauerbach and the Trails Committee organized a successful fundraiser at Sharon’s Coffee Company in Hurley. Mike and everyone involved were thrilled by the generous support from the community for this project. However, the new year…
The ICORE Trails Committee has begin a pledge drive to secure funds for a future purchase of land to extend the Hurley Non-Motorized Trail to Montreal. Any funds pledged towards the project will be used to cover any required local match for grant funds to purchase land from Canadian National. The railroad company owns an…
Hurley, WI – Much has happened in the last year to move the Hurley non-motorized trail forward. In the fall of 2017, the City of Hurley purchased land for the beginning of the trail in Iron County with a grant from the Gogebic Range Health Foundation. The trail was paved from 2nd Avenue (Highway 51)…
ICORE Board members Mike Fauerbach and Bob Traczyk recently installed signage at the trailhead of the Hurley Non-Motorized Trail. The City of Hurley and ICORE Trail Committee members are also working together to establish a trail route from Cary Park to the trailhead, and route signs will be posted soon. The committee will host a…