Great hiking trails surround Ashland, Wis.

Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center. Photo courtesy of Roilbroil /Wikipedia.

Bayfield County ranks among Wisconsin’s most popular tourism destinations, attracting skiers, boaters, campers and sightseers. It also offers dozens of miles of trails for those who love hiking.

Consisting mainly of forestland and lakeshore, each Bayfield County village feels like a quaint throwback to years past. Only one of them boasts a population close to 3000 people.

Ten villages and towns can be found there, with the majority of them hugging the lakeshore or a county line. Among them is Ashland.

While most of this city of 8,600-plus people sits in Ashland County, a bit of it crosses over into Bayfield County. The town curves about Chequamegon Bay and was once a major port from which ore shipped out of. A major draw today to the town today is the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, which is in Bayfield County.

Popular day hiking trails in the Ashland area include:
g Doughboys’ Trail (Copper Falls State Park)
g Morgan Falls St. Peters Dome Trail (Chequamegon National Forest)
g North Country National Scenic Trail (Copper Falls State Park)
g Roundup of Ashland area trails

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