Maps for 5 great Douglas County day hikes

Anyone looking for a good hiking destination ought to try Wisconsin’s Douglas County. The county boasts a number of outdoor attractions perfect for day hikers.

Here are five top-notch day hiking destinations in Douglas County, as well as trails maps for each:

Amnicon Falls island trails
Hikers can view the results of an earthquake from 500 million years ago while walking the island trails at Amnicon Falls State Park. Known as the Douglas Fault, this split in the earth stretches from Ashland to near the Twin Cities. Much of the bedrock sits at 50-60 degree angles, offering sights reminiscent of those along California’s San Andreas Fault. All of these millennia later, the fault line still effects the course of rivers – which is to hikers’ visual advantage.

Big Manitou Falls overlook trails
Just a few miles south of Superior flows the highest waterfall in the Upper Midwest. Short overlook trails in Pattison State Park provide a variety of scenic views of Big Manitou Falls. Summer marks the most comfortable time to visit the falls, but each season delivers a unique experience. Winter offers mist rising off the falls, spring brings thundering water flows, and autumn unveils the fantastic ancient rocks forming the gorge below.

Brule Bog Boardwalk Trail
Visitors to the Solon Springs area can day hike what feels like the forest primeval on the Brule Bog Boardwalk Trail. Located in southern Douglas County’s Brule River State Forest, the 2.3-mile boardwalk cuts through a wooded bog. Part of the North Country National Scenic Trail, it is entirely handicapped accessible.

Buckley Creek Barrens Trail
Day hikers can truly get back to nature with a walk through a pine barrens near the northern reach of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. The Buckley Creek Barrens Trail is an undesignated out-and-back footpath that runs 1.2-miles round trip through the former Buckley Creek Barrens State Natural Area west of Gordon. Late summer and early autumn mark the best time to hike the trail, as spring through June will be wet and buggy.

Gordon Flowage Campground Trail
Day hikers can explore the northernmost reaches of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway on the Gordon Flowage Campground Trail. The roughly 2-mile round trip is a jeep trail running through the woods bordering the river. The trail actually is unnamed, but for convenience’s sake, we’ve christened it here after the campground where it begins in Gordon Dam County Park.

Read more about these and nearby trails in Day Hiking Trails of Douglas County.

Peaceful trail skirts edge of northern Wisconsin state park

Topo map of Tri-County Corridor Trail near Amnicon Falls State Park.

Tri-County Trail
segment runs
1.2 miles in woods

A pleasant woodland walk that includes a bridge over a rapids-filled river awaits day hikers on a segment of the Tri-County Corridor Trail in northern Wisconsin.

The former Burlington Northern Railroad railbed turned hiking trail connects Superior to Ashland, covering 61.8 miles. As much of the trail parallels busy U.S. Hwy. 2, it’s not the quietest of routes. An exception is a 1.2-miles round trip segment that skirts the southern edge of Amnicon Falls State Park from its west to east borders.

To reach that trailhead, take U.S. Hwy. 2 east from Superior. Turn left/north onto County Road U then take the very first left/west into Charlie’s Riverside. Park on Charlie’s backside; a connector to the main trail runs north from the lot. Upon reaching the main trail, go left/west.

The trail is mostly wooded with a good mix of evergreens and birch dominating.

The trail’s highlight is the old railroad bridge crossing the Amnicon River, which flows north through Amnicon Falls State Park on its way to Lake Superior. The river’s rocky shores and bottom make for a number of small rapids. The trail later crosses a creek that feeds the river.

As walking, keep an eye out for whitetail deer, fox, porcupine and other small mammals. Since the woodlands that the trail heads through joins the state park, there’s a vast area for wildlife to flourish.

The trail opened in 1987. As a former rail bed, the trail is wide with a surface of crushed limestone.

Kellog Road marks a good spot to turn back.

The trail is open to horseriding and bicycling as well as ATVs. Be aware that it sometimes is referred to on brochures and websites as the Tri-County Recreational Corridor.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Northern Wisconsin nature trail heads along river past rare plants

Thimbleberry fruit. Photo courtesy of UW-Green Bay/

Thimbleberry Trail also runs past brownstone quarry

Thick with a variety of trees and wildlife, the Wisconsin Northwoods awes anyone who spends their weekdays working and living in a concrete jungle.

A good way to sample the Northwoods is the 0.8-mile Thimbleberry Nature Trail at Amnicon Falls State Park. The trail includes a side trip to a pond that at one time was a brownstone quarry.

To reach the park, take U.S. Hwy. 2 east from Superior. Turn left/north, onto County Road U. The park entry is in a third of a mile. A vehicle admission sticker is required to enter.

Upon entering the state park, continue past the contact station across the bridge over the river and pull into the third vehicle lot. It’ll be the only one on the left and is located where the park road begins its loop around the campground.

The trailhead is to the north, across the road from the lot. Be sure to pick up, at the trailhead, an eight-page booklet that discusses plants found along the way, as well how Native Americans used them. The booklet’s entries correspond to nine numbered signposts found along the trail.

Flat section of Amnicon River
The walking path quickly arrives at a trail junction. Take the trail straight toward the Amnicon River.

For most of the walk, the trail is wooded and somewhat hilly. Evergreens, birch and black ash are common here.

This first third of the trail parallels the river and offers several great views of it. You’ll also find easy access to the river bed, which runs fairly flat about a fifth of a mile upstream from a set of three waterfalls. During spring, rushing water swirls through here and sometimes will rise above its banks.

Not quite halfway through loop, a spur trail leads to the sandstone quarry pond. From the late 1860s to 1910, the brownstone rock found all across the Bayfield Peninsula proved a popular building material, as it held up better than other stone during fires. Fifteen quarries, including this one, can be found in the area. The brownstone – formed when sediment settled and was buried some 500 million years ago – gave way during the early 20th century to concrete, which was cheaper, and bricks, which were more colorful.

If a hot day, the quarry pond is a great stop for kids, as they can wade into the water.

Thimbleberries and Indian plants
Upon returning to the main trail, go right/north. The trail gradually loops back to the stem trail you came in on.

Keep an eye out for the trail’s namesake. Thimbleberries are a shrub whose five-point leaves look vaguely like a maple leaf. Their range is limited to the northern counties of Wisconsin and ranges into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. They prefer the sunlight of forest openings or edges, but older bushes will persist when the growing leaf cover finally shades them. Their fruit is edible, but people tend to have very extreme taste reactions to them, either loving or strongly disliking them.

Another interesting plant to watch for is Indian pipe. A white translucent color, it’s a saprophyte, a class of rare plants that aren’t green. Surrounding the Indian pipe’s matted root fibers root system is a fungus that breaks down organic matter; the roots then absorb the nutrients. They can be found in the shaded understory of oak-pine forests, usually rising out of ground covered in pine needles.

A variety of animals also can be found here. Watch for deer and coyote tracks along the trail. Be aware that during dry years, wasps and hornets can become pesky.

Upon reaching the stem trail, go right/south, cross the road, and return to the parking lot.

Amnicon Falls State Park is open each day of the year from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Enjoy four waterfalls, northwoods on trails

Amnicon Falls. Photo courtesy of Wisconsin DNR.

Among the best ways to see Wisconsin’s Amnicon Falls State Park’s top sights is via a day hike. Just three short trails will allow you to enjoy each of the park’s highlights – waterfalls, a classic Northwoods setting, and winter scenery.

To reach the park, from Superior, Wis., take U.S. Hwy. 2 east about seven miles. Go left/north on County Hwy. U. The park entrance is 0.3 miles on the left.

Waterfalls
Some 500 million years ago, a fault line stretched from what is now Ashland, Wis., to near Minneapolis-St. Paul, leaving rocks at 50-60 degree angles. Today, four waterfalls – Snake Pit Falls, Lower Amnicon Falls, Upper Amnicon Falls, and Now and Then Falls – sit on the fault line, all accessible via a pair of unnamed but well-groomed trails (combined 1.5-miles round trip) that includes a covered bridge across the Amnicon River.

Classic Northwoods setting
Thick with a variety of trees and wildlife, the Wisconsin Northwoods awes anyone who spends the week working and living in a concrete jungle. A good way to sample the setting is the 0.8-mile Thimbleberry Nature Trail, which includes a side trip to a pond that at one times was a brownstone quarry.

Winter scenery
Northern Wisconsin gets plenty of snow, dramatically changing the appearance of the landscape. During winter, the state park opens the 1.5-mile looping Snowshoe Trail that takes visitors through a woods as well as above and out of the river valley. As the trail’s name suggests, you will need snowshoes to cross it.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.