Quality trails abound near Grantsburg, Wis.

Upper Phantom Cross Country
Skiing & Hiking Trail

Cabin-goers in the Grantsburg, Wis., area can enjoy several great day hiking trails. Among them:
• Cedar Interpretative Trail – Though short at 0.7 miles, this trail in the Governor Knowles State Forest heads through five major lowland plant communities amid a cedar grove. You’ll likely spot the activity and impact of beavers on the landscape.
• Fish Lake State Wildlife Area trail – From County Road O, a jeep trail makes a 3.2-mile loop past marshes. Eagles, sandhill cranes and trumpeter swans grace the wildlife area.
• Grantsburg Nordic Ski Trails - Stacked loops totaling 6.5 miles in length can be skiied in winter or hiked the other three seasons. From Hwy. 70 in Grantsburg, take Olson Drive to the parking area, which overlooks the Wood River dam; cross the dam via North Park Street to the trailhead at edge of Cattail Pond. Note: The Lower Loop, which heads through a wooded area, currently is the only open trail.
• Grettum Trail - A stem trail leads to a pair of loops over gently rolling terrain that double as a cross country ski trail in winter. A total of 2.2 miles long, the trailhead is off of Hickerson Road north of Grettum Dike Road.
• Hay Creek Hiking Trail – A 1.5-mile trail meanders through woodland at Crex Meadows Wildlife Area near Hay Creek. An observation platform at the trail’s end allows hikers to spot several waterfowl.
• Trade River Trails – A series of loops, including a large one around a meadow, sit near the Trade River in neighboring Polk County. The wide trails head over easy, rolling terrain.

• Upper Phantom Cross Country Skiing & Hiking Trail – A set of four loops offer a hike of up to 3.7 miles in length at Crex Meadows Wildlife Area. The wildlife area is part of one of the largest remaining pine barrens in the state.

• Willard Munger State Trail – The Boundary Segment of this trail runs in Chengwatana State Forest, across the St. Croix River in Minnesota. Tamarack and burr oak dominate the forest, which boasts wild turkeys, beavers, mink and muskrat.

Read more about day hiking Burnett County in my Hittin’ the Trail: Day Burnett County, Wisconsin guidebook.