Thursday, August 8, 2013

5 great day hikes in Shell Lake/Sarona, Wis.

View along Sawyer Brook Springs trails
Several excellent trails await cabin-goers in the Shell Lake and Sarona, Wis., area. Among the pickings:
g Bear Trail – Carnivorous plants and glacial lakes await hikers at the Hunt Hill Audubon Sanctuary near Sarona. Perhaps the best way to see the sanctuary’s wide variety of ecosystems is the Bear Trail, a 2.7-mile loop with a half-mile path to reach it.
g Ice Age National Scenic Trail-Grassy Lake Segment – This 7.2-mile section of the state-wide trail near Shell Lake can be accessed from Lehman Road. Part of the walk includes a ridge over a valley carved out by glacial meltwater.
g Sawyer Brook Springs trails – A set of three loops, primarily maintained as cross-country ski trails, begin behind the Shell Lake Arts Center in Shell Lake. The Yellow loop takes hikers twice across Sawyer Brook Springs.
g South Side Walking Trail – This comfortable path of wood chips works its way through meadows and wooded areas. The trail begins off of U.S. Hwy. 63 on Shell Lake’s south side.
g Wild River Trail, Sarona segment – This three-county trail runs along a former train route through Sarona on its way north from Barron County. Take the trail north to Spooner’s Railroad Memories Museum.

Learn more about these and nearby trails in Day Hiking Trails of Washburn County.