NCTraces: Bird Sanctuary

NCTRaces: Bird Sanctuary

NCTRaces: Bird Sanctuary is a trail running event held at the Douglas County Wildlife Area known locally as the Bird Sanctuary near Solon Springs, WI. The course follows the North Country Trail and is described as 100% North Country Trail and 99.9% single-track. The sanctuary is managed as brush prairie and includes open fields, wildflowers, ponds, and areas of timber that provide varied scenery and widespread views. The trail through the sanctuary runs from the northeast corner to the southwest corner and is often one of the first local sections to be clear of snow in the spring.

The event offers two distances with limited fields:

• 10k - out and back from the headquarters; water only aid station at the Hwy. 53 Trailhead.
• 20k - two out and back sections that together cover the sanctuary; water only aid stations at Hwy. 53 Trailhead and Twin Bridges Rd.

Terrain is mostly rolling with one or two steeper hills; the trail is not highly technical. There are a few RV sites available at the headquarters/start/finish area; requests are handled through the race director. Participant limits are 75 runners for the 10k and 75 runners for the 20k. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.