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| A lily blooms in the Hay Creek-Hoffman Lake State Wildlife Area. |
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| Holts Landing Heights Trail topo map. Click for larger map/ |
The 1.2-mile trail sits in the Hay Creek-Hoffman Lake State Wildlife Area. It’s not the trail’s official name, but is so christened here as none of the in the wildlife area’s walking paths have official names.
To reach the trailhead, from Butternut, take Wis. Hwy. 13 south. In Park Falls, go left/east on Wis. Hwy. 182. Turn left/north onto Old Wisconsin 182 then right/northeast onto Blackhouse Lake Road. When the road veers right/east at a four-way intersection, go straight/north onto Hoffman Lake Road (sometimes referred to as Huffman Lake Road on maps). In roughly 4.5 miles, just before the road curves nearly 90 degrees to the east, is the trailhead. Park alongside the road.
Northwoods wildlife
The trail heads northeast into the woods. Common tress you’ll see there are aspen, basswood, hemlock, red pine, sugar maple, white pine, and yellow birch.
That mix of trees and the wildlife area’s size at 13,800-acres makes a perfect habitat for a variety of animals. Whitetail deer, ruffed grouse, woodcock, and black bear all can be spotted. Beaver also can be seen on the wildlife area’s many flowages.
At about 0.2 miles, the trail reaches a fork. Go left/northwest. This heads toward the Flambeau River, which sits about 20 feet lower than the heights where the trail runs. The road separates the trail from the river, so it remains out if sight from the trail. Holts Landing provides access on the river’s opposite shoreline.
The trail crosses a typical Northern Highland terrain, or what most in Wisconsin affectionately refer to as “the Northwoods” or “up north.” The Northern Highland covers close to a third of the state and more than half of Ashland County.
In about 0.4 miles, the trail reaches the road. Turn right/east onto it.
Shaped by glaciers
Hundreds of millions of years ago, the Northern Highland was a mountain range with peaks as high as those found in today’s Alps and Rocky Mountains. Erosion over the eons flattened the mountains, but the area remains at a higher elevation than the rest of the state. Indeed, nearby Timms Hill in Price County is the state’s highest point.
In a little more than 0.5 miles, watch for a trail that re-enters the woods on the right/south. Head back into the forest.
Today, the Northern Highland terrain largely is shaped by a glacier covering it as recently as 10,000 years ago. Many kettle lakes formed when chunks of glacier were left behind and melted in the bowls their weight created. Much of the soil here is sediment from glacial outwash that easily forms bogs.
The result is the area makes for poor farmland. Given this, the state in 1946 began purchasing land for the wildlife area to create a “deer yard” at a time when the whitetail’s population was far lower than now.
Hunting on trail
In addition to recreation such as hiking, snowshoeing and berry-picking, the wildlife area is popular among hunters. Hikers are best to avoid the trail in November during the prime deer hunting season.
The trail next curls around a small knoll then meanders northwest. In 0.9 miles, it reaches the stem trail you began the hike on. Go left/southwest back to your vehicle.
Be forewarned: Trails are not particularly maintained, so they quickly overgrow here. Early spring or in autumn after a freeze often is the best time to hike any of the trails in the state wildlife area. Because of this, pants and long-sleeved shirts, quality hiking boots, and a good dose of insect repellent are recommended.
