Kewaunee County is part of the Niagara Escarpment with unique rock formations found in places like Red River Park. Now, while we may not have public access for viewing, the Niagara Escarpment Network (NERN) has reached out to see if we have sustainable tourism business in the County, which qualify to be listed on their mobile-friendly WI-Ledge Geotourism Rambler online map guide.
To see if your tourism business qualifies to be listed, fill out the questionnaire and email it to Susan Kennedy, Geotourism Consultant with NERN at geotourism@wiledge.org as soon as possible.
The Niagara Escarpment (aka The Ledge) is a geologic formation that “begins” above ground with outcroppings of head-high rocks at Brady’s Rocks in Kettle Moraine State Forest’s Southern Unit, an offshoot of the Ice Age Trail. It covers 7 counties in Wisconsin before forming a great arc into Canada and spilling out as Niagara Falls and beyond in New York State, encompassing 1,000 miles. The NERN/WI Ledge website is being redesigned, but can be accessed for more information here: https://www.wiledge.org/.
NERN is creating a destination along the 7 counties of Escarpment in Wisconsin, which includes Kewaunee County, and is designing a mobile-friendly WI-Ledge Geotourism Rambler online map guide that will list natural and cultural sites, trails, events, and other pertinent information along the 230+ mile Escarpment corridor in Wisconsin. In addition to public sites, NERN is vetting businesses in the tourism sector for their sustainability efforts and those that qualify will be allowed on a map free of charge in 2022. In 2023 and beyond, there may be a nominal fee but that has not been decided yet.
The following tourism-related businesses in Kewaunee County that would be eligible include local (non-national chains):
- Food & Drink establishments: restaurants, cafes, breweries, wineries, etc.
- Sleep: locally owned accommodation providers such as B&Bs, etc.
Shop: local mom & pop shops
The specifics are outlined in this document and business owners will need to demonstrate that their enterprise supports community, culture and the environment, which is the triple bottom line of sustainable tourism.
If you or any members have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Susan Kennedy directly at geotourism@wiledge.org or call (920) 279-0301.