Array of trails crisscross Ashland WI region

Sunset from observation tower at Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center near
Ashland, Wis. Photo courtesy of Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center.

Imagine a place where you can hike sandy beaches and enjoy fantastic vistas of the world’s largest freshwater lake, a place of towering pines that bald eagles fly over and black bears scamper beneath, a place where you can explore sea caves or hike across billion-year-old red rock. The place is real – it’s called Bayfield County, Wisconsin.

If Wisconsin were a mitten, Bayfield County would be the peak of the four fingers. With much of it a peninsula, it boasts more shoreline on Lake Superior than any other Wisconsin county. It also offers dozens of miles of trails for those who love hiking.

Part of the city of Ashland spills into Bayfield County, and often travelers on their way to Bayfield or Madeline Island pass through the town.

It offers excellent access to Chequamegon Bay via an urban hiking trail and is a short distance from the Chequamegon National Forest. In addition, one end of the Tri-County Trail, a former railroad bed converted to hiking trail that runs through Bayfield County to Superior, starts in Ashland.

The city’s highlight in Bayfield County is the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, which offers exhibits, demonstrations, and a trail, all dedicated to fostering an understanding of Lake Superior’s natural history and man’s interaction with the largest of the Great Lakes.

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

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

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.

Hike through three wetlands areas on Wisconsin boardwalk

Interpretive Boardwalk Trail heads through wooded wetlands.
Photo courtesy of Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center.

Boardwalk trail runs 0.75 miles near Ashland

Day hikers can wander along a northern Wisconsin trail that wends its way through three coastal wetland ecosystems: a sedge meadow, a black ash swamp, and a cedar and tamarack swamp.

The Interpretive Boardwalk Trail runs 0.75-miles at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center west of Ashland.

To reach the trail, from Ashland take U.S. Hwy. 2 west. Turn right/west onto County Road G. The visitor center is the next right/left. Park in the center’s lot.

On the lot’s north side, take the paved trail heading northwest. After about 30 yards of lawn, the trail enters a sedge meadow and turns into a boardwalk.

Three coastal wetlands
Sedges – which look like tall grass – rushes and forbs dominate the sedge meadow. Those plants flourish on the wetland’s saturated soils.

Thanks to the sedge meadow and the center sitting next to the Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge, the trail offers a number of birdwatching opportunities. Among the highlights are bald eagles, migratory raptors, and spring warblers.

As the trail reaches the northern edge of its loop, it leaves the sedge meadow for the wooded swamp ecosystems.

The black ash swamp, so named for the tree that dominates that wetlands, also is known as a northern hardwood swamp. It typically occurs alongside lakes or streams. Because the landscape drains poorly, often the soil is a mucky sand.

A cedar and tamarack swamp, sometimes called a coniferous swamp, is named for the northern white cedar and tamarack that rule this type of wetlands. A foot of water can inundate it. When the flood recedes, ferns often grow in the understory.

Fun visitor center
As veering southeast, the trail runs along the border of the sedge meadow and the wooded swamps. At the first intersection in that transition area, continue straight/southeast.

Upon reaching the lawn area at the loop’s end, the trail becomes paved again. Turn left/south to re-enter the parking lot.

If you have children, be sure to stop at the visitor center, where they can crawl through a beaver lodge and engage in other fun (but educational!) activities. Admission is free.

As you’re entering wetlands, don and carry bug spray on the hike. The trail is handicap accessible.

Read more about day hiking Bayfield County, Wisconsin, in my Day Hiking Trails of Bayfield County guidebook.

Waterfall, Great Lakes shoreline, await Ashland, Wis., cabin-goers

Interpretive Boardwalk Trail. Photo courtesy of
Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center. 

Several excellent day hiking trails await visitors to the Ashland, Wis., region. The trails include:
g Interpretive Boardwalk Trail – At the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center west of town, a 0.75-mile trail wends its way through three coastal wetland ecosystems: a black ash swamp, a sedge meadow, and a cedar and tamarack swamp. If you have children, be sure to stop at the visitor center, where they can crawl through a beaver lodge and engage in other fun (but educational!) activities.
g Morgan Falls St. Peter’s Dome Trail – An 80-foot waterfall and impressive vista with views 20 miles around await hikers on the Morgan Falls St. Peter’s Dome Trail in the Chequamegon National Forest. The route can be broken into two trails depending on your time and energy.
g Tri-County Corridor Trail – On its way to Superior, the trail runs west out of town. A pastoral segment is between Pine Creek Road and County Road G. Park at the Moquah Town Hall and head east for a 1-mile round trip.
g Waterfront Trail – This 10-mile trail loops around Ashland, passing through several parks and a beach along the way. A scenic segment runs along the Lake Superior shoreline from Maslowski Beach to Howard Pearson Plaza for about 2 miles one-way.

Read more about family friendly day hiking trails in my Headin' to the Cabin guidebooks.

Trail heads to Wis.' second highest waterfall

Morgan Falls' bottom.

Morgan Falls tumbles 80 feet
on national forest hike

An 80-foot waterfall and impressive vista with views 20 miles around await cabin-goers south of Ashland, Wis.

The Morgan Falls St. Peter’s Dome Trail in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest actually can be broken into two trails depending on your time and energy. The first 0.6 miles of the trail heads to Morgan Falls (for a 1.2-mile round trip), or you can continue another 1.2 miles to the top of St. Peter’s Dome (for a 3.6 mile round trip). Late spring to early fall is the best time to walk the trail, but it’s also popular in winter for snowshoeing.

To reach the trailhead, take Hwy. 63 about 22 miles north of Cable. Turn east onto County Road E, driving six miles to Ashland-Bayfield Road (aka Forest Road 199). Turn south. It’s 4.2 miles to the parking lot. Watch for the trailhead sign at the parking lot. Either a day pass or an annual forest pass is needed to travel to the trailhead.

Historic sites
The first portion of the trail is fairly flat and graveled and even accessible for people with disabilities. After a half-mile walk through a wooded area, Morgan Falls – Wisconsin’s second highest waterfalls – comes into view. The water zigzags some seen dozen feet down a rock face before splashing into a small pool. It overflows the pool falling another eight feet in different streams down a crooked granite to the bottom in an intimate setting.

Be forewarned: During drought years, the water flow can be a little better than a trickle.

If continuing on to St. Peter's Dome, the trail gets a little more rugged, becoming a dirt path cutting over roots and stones across shallow creeks. The autumn colors are impressive, and in spring wildflowers including the large-flowered trillium, violets and Dutchman’s-breeches dot the undergrowth and trail sides.

Other sites are located on the way. Among them is a circular stone cistern built at an abandoned Civilian Conservation Corps campground constructed during the 1930s. A stone quarry from the mid-20th century (red granite is used to make countertops) also exists; it also is no longer in operation.

Lake Superior from 20 miles away
A number of rare ferns are situated along the trail. Among them are Braun’s hollyfern woodfern and northern maidenhair fern. Hemlock and Canada yew also abound in large patches.

The trail does become steep as ascending St. Peter’s Dome, which sits 1,565 feet above sea level. Atop this ancient formation of red granite, Chequamagon Bay in Lake Superior is visible from 20 miles away on clear and dry days. With binoculars, you also might be able to spot the Michigan Island lighthouse, about 33 miles away, if you look northeast through a gap in the trees.

The vista is a massive red granite dome that began to form some 1.2 billion years ago. Magma crystallized underground, mixing with quartz and feldspar, which give the granite a pink to orange coloring. Weathering over the eons has brought the granite “above” ground.

From the dome top, take the same route back to the trailhead.

Read more about family friendly day hiking trails in my Headin' to the Cabin guidebooks.