Top fall trails of northwest Wisconsin, Part I

Copper Falls State Park

There’s no better way

to experience autumn colors around Northwest Wisconsin than a hike.

The brilliant yellows, oranges and red of maples to the scarlet

and russets of oaks

...the crisp, fresh

autumn air and the last warm rays of sunlight before winter arrives...

the crunch of fallen leaves and acorns beneath your boots...stopping to enjoy a warm mug of apple cider or a caramel apple pulled from your backpack – it all calls for an afternoon on the trail.

Fortunately, there are plenty of great autumn trails around Northwest Wisconsin to hike. Some are right out your back door, while some are a day trip that you can do in an afternoon.

Ashland County
A river rapids over billion-year-old red-tinged rock, surrounded by a variety of autumn colors, awaits day hikers on the Red Granite Falls Trail in Copper Falls State Park. The set of two loops, loosely shaped in a figure 8, runs 2.5-miles round trip in the park’s southern corner. During autumn, you’ll find the brilliant yellows of ironwood, paper birch and aspen, the blazing orange of sugar maple, and the scarlet of red oak mixed with the evergreen of hemlock and white pine. From Mellen, take Wis. Hwy. 169 north. Enter the park by turning left onto Copper Falls Road, and park in the Loon Lake Beach lot. Head south to the beach and pick up the trailhead heading west.

***

Amber-leaved trees and evergreen conifers await hikers at Prentice Park in Ashland. A 1.25-mile round trip paved trail wends through a boreal forest and wetlands as well as crosses, via a bridge, Fish Creek Slough before ending at the Lake Superior beach in Maslowski Park. In all, Prentice Park is nearly 100 acres in size. From downtown Ashland, head west on U.S. Hwy. 2. Turn left/south onto Turner Road then right/southwest onto Park Road, which ends at a parking lot. The trail leaves from the lot’s west side.

Bayfield County
Massive trees from an old growth forest and vibrant autumn colors await day hikers on the Drummond Woods Trail in the Chequamegon National Forest. The 0.75-mile trail runs through the Drummond Woods, where a number of trees survived the 1800s lumberjacking of the Wisconsin Northwoods. Heading through a northern hardwood forest, the trail marks an excellent spot to enjoy fall colors: the yellows of basswood and birch; the oranges of sugar maples; and the scarlet of black ash and red maple. Evergreens dominate the canopy with towering white and red pines and hemlocks. From Drummond, take U.S. Hwy. 63 north. In one mile, turn left/west onto Old 63 N (aka Forest Road 235). About 150 feet from that intersection on the right is a small pull-off for parking.

Burnett County
Day hikers can walk across an old railroad bridge over the St. Croix River at the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and St. Croix State Forest on the Wisconsin-Minnesota border. The Gandy Dancer Trail, which starts dozens of miles south of the state forest in Polk County, at Danbury crosses the border into Minnesota. The trestle bridge segment is about two miles round trip. You’ll head through a forested area. The mix of trees near the riverfront yields a fantastic multi-colored leaf display in autumn. An added bonus for autumn hikers: You’ll probably spot a number of migrating waterfowl, including sandhill cranes. Also watch for bald eagles, osprey, northern harriers and hawks, all of which reside year-round in the area. In Danbury, parking for trail access is next to the walking route north of Hwy. 77 between and Hwy. 35 and North Glass Street. From the lot, take the trail north.

Douglas County
A walk along a pristine sand beach awaits day hikers of the Lake Superior shoreline in the Bear Beach State Natural Area. The unmarked trail runs for up to 3.4-miles round trip along narrow Bear Beach. Hiking the beach, you’ll get a good sense of what this area of the world looked like before Euro-Americans settled it. A thick woods hugs the sand’s southern side while the lake stretches wide beyond to the north. Though the forest this far north is heavy on the evergreens – especially balsam fir, white pine and white spruce – in autumn the yellowed-colored leaves of paper birch and trembling aspen and the spring green of speckled alder are well-represented. From Brule take U.S. Hwy. 2 west. In Maple, turn north onto County Road F. Next, go left/west onto Wis. Hwy. 13 then right/north onto Beck’s Road. Park in the dirt lot at the end of Beck’s Road near the Lake Superior shore.

***

A boreal forest may not seem like the best place to enjoy autumn leaves. The Superior Municipal Forest, however, delivers, with its extensive growth of gold-leafed white birch and aspen amid evergreen white and red pine, balsam, cedar, and black spruce. A 1.6-mile segment of the Millennium Trail winds through the woods. In Superior, at the 28th Street and Wyoming Avenue intersection, turn south to the municipal parking lot. The trail goes both east and west; skip the eastern side, which leads to multiple railroad tracks in Superior’s industrial section.

Polk County
Day hikers can experience an autumn forest that looks almost like the one Native Americans and pioneers saw during the 1800s. The 2.9-mile Ridge View Trails near Osceola heads beneath a lush forest canopy in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and the Osceola State Fish Hatchery on a bluff overlooking a St. Croix River back channel. Sugar maple is the dominant tree. Each autumn, its leaves vary from yellow to orange or red. Basswood, whose leaves turn olive in fall, and white ash, which changes to a deep maroon, usually are mixed in the canopy. From Osceola, take Wis. Hwy. 35 north and turn north onto County Road S. The two trailheads are on the road’s left/west. Both trailheads have their own parking areas off of the road. Just beyond 93rd Avenue is the southernmost parking area, which is an excellent trailhead for either loop.

***

The splendor of fall colors combines with a vista of the St. Croix River and fasinating rock formations on the Summit Rock Trail at Interstate State Park. The 1-mile round trip trail heads to a bluff’s highest point. Moss and autumn leaves cover the surrounding rock and ground while maples, basswood and eastern white pines line the trail. At the top, prickly pear cactus can be spotted amid the outcroppings. The highlight of the hike without question is the incredible view of the riverway from the summit. Looking north, the Old Man of the Dalles rock formation is visible. From St. Croix Falls, take Wis. Hwy. 35 south. Turn right/west into the park and follow the entry road to the parking lot across from the Lake O’ the Dalles.

Ice Age Trail segment heads past hemlocks

The Ice Age Trail passes Jerry Lake near Medford, Wis.

Ice Age Trail - Jerry Lake segment topo map.
Click map for larger version.

Day hikers walk through hemlock groves on the Jerry Lake segment of Wisconsin’s Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

The 6-miles round trip segment from Jerry Lake to the South Fork of the Yellow River sits in the Chequamegon National Forest. The Ice Age Trail marks the edge of the glacial advance when ice sheets were last in these parts, about 8000 BCE. The trail stretches more than 1100 miles long across the state and largely cuts northeast-southwest through Taylor County.

To reach the trailhead, from Medford take Wis. Hwy. 13 north. Turn left/west onto County Road M then right/north onto Sailor Creek Road/Forest Road 571. A small parking lot is in 0.7 miles.

Take the Ice Age Trail north. Going south takes you to Lake Eleven, which is about five miles away.

In short order, you’ll arrive at picturesque Jerry Lake. The 26-acre lake reaches a depth of 30 feet. Largemouth bass, northern pike, and panfish all thrive there.

At 0.1 miles, the trail junctions a connector that goes southeast to FR 571. Continue straight/north along Jerry Lake’s eastern shore.

Hemlocks
The trail passes a campsite with pit toilet and a steel fire grate on the northeastern shore of Jerry Lake at 0.2 miles. Two other primitive/rustic campsites are ahead at the South Fork of the Yellow River and at Sailor Creek, though the latter is a bit buggy, as it’s near a bog.

A marsh next appears. This used to be part of the lake, which is receding.

The trail continues into a hardwood forest and a young hemlock grove. preferring moist but well-drained soil, the hemlock looks a lot like a child’s drawing of a Christmas tree. It can grow up to 7 stories high and reach 35 feet in width.

At 1.6 miles, the trail crosses Hay Meadow Road/Forest Road 572, which heads west to Forest Road 112 and east to Forest Road 571. Continue straight/north.

Overlook
Next the trails descend a low ridge with a hemlock grove. The trail then passes through a good mix of tall pines and deciduous trees with a fair amount of birch. Be sure to look up - sometimes porcupines climb trees and are hiding in plain sight right above you on a birch trunk.

As the trail picks up elevation, you’ll reach an overlook that provides a great panorama of the forest.

The trail then descends toward the South Fork of the Yellow River, which appears at 3 miles in. A 67-foot heavy timber bridge spans the wide waterway. Bald eagles fly overhead, and otters swim about in the shallow waters. The river is a good spot to refill your canteen, but always be sure to filter it first.

It also marks a good spot to turn back for a 6-mile round trip hike.

Continuing on
If have some more energy, you can continue north. You’ll first pass the aforementioned primitive campsite, which sits on the ridge overlooking the river.

Next the route crosses Forest Road 576 twice, as both the trail and the road curve away and then toward one another.

At 5.6 miles, a small bridge crosses Sailor Creek, a clear, running stream. You can turn back here for a 11.2-miles round trip hike or you can camp here for the night. The camp is situated in a hemlock grove with a stone fire ring.

The trail can get quite muddy in spots after a thunderstorm, so be sure to wait a couple of days for the ground to dry out before attempting a hike.

IAT segment offers chance to see cranes

The Ice Age Trail runs through a vast forest in northcentral Wisconsin.

Ice Age National Scenic Trail - Chippewa Lobe segment
topo map. Click map for larger version.

Hikers can see sandhill cranes and orchids on the Chippewa Lobe segment of Wisconsin’s Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

The 7.8-miles round trip segment from Mondeaux Avenue to Forest Road 108 sits in the Chequamegon National Forest. The Ice Age Trail marks the edge of the glacial advance when ice sheets were last in these parts, about 8000 BCE. The trail stretches more than 1100 miles long across the state and largely cuts northeast-southwest through Taylor County.

To reach the segment’s trailhead, from Medford take Wis. Hwy. 13 north. Turn left/west onto county Road M then right/north onto County Road E/Mondeaux Drive/Forest Road 107. Next, go left/west onto the gravel Mondeaux Drive/Forest Road 102. After crossing the North Fork Yellow River, watch for a small parking area. The trailhead is just west of it.

Hardwood forest
A dirt trail heads west into the wilderness. At 0.5 miles is a small pond. Past the waterbody, the path enters a hardwood forest.

One end of the Chippewa Lobe Loop Trail, a side trail south of the main route, appears at 1.4 miles. Continue straight-right/southwest

This takes you through a stretch of birch and pine.

At 1.9 miles, the IAT crosses the White Birch Trail, a grassy spur trail that goes north to Forest Road 102 and south to the Chippewa Lobe Trail. Continue straight/west

Next the trail heads through an open hardwood forest. Be aware that in spring after a winter of heavy snowfall or following a lot of rain, the trail here can be underwater.

Sandhill cranes
At 3.1 miles is the other end of Chippewa Lobe Loop side trail. If looking for a campsite, there’s a nice primitive one about 0.1 miles south on the loop. It sits on high, dry ground, offers a benches and a stone fire ring, and there’s a short spur leading to a small bog lake where you can get water. Presuming you’re not staying overnight, continue straight-right/southwest.

A wetland appears on the south side of the trail. Keep an eye out for sandhill cranes in the marshes during migration seasons and look for an impressive display of orchids in the wetlands’ northwest corner each June.

Sandhill cranes are easy to pick out when they stop over on their migration. Tall and graceful, the slate gray bird has a long neck, legs and wingspan. Their wings can stretch up to 2.2 yards across from tip to tip.

The IAT next crosses Lake 19 Road/Forest Road 108 at 3.9 miles. FR 108 goes north to FR 102 while south heads to Lake Nineteen. This is a good spot to turn back.

A few more miles
If you have some extra energy, continue straight/southwest. The trail zigzags north then northwest, rising into an upland forest and heads through a birch stand. A boardwalk along the way crosses a small, unnamed stream.

Look for a large boulder. Next to it is the entry to a primitive campsite that sits under a hemlock canopy.

From there, the trail ascends to the top of Hemlock Esker and stays on it for about a mile. The esker rises about 80 feet above the surrounding forest. This is part of Lost Lake Esker State Natural Area. A bench and signature register is at the ridge’s highest point.

Past that, the trail drops off the esker and turns southwest.

At 6.9 miles, the trail crosses Forest Road 571. North goes to Forest Road 111 and south to Jerry Lake. The forest road marks a good place to turn around for a 13.8-mile round trip.

Day trail explores kettle bog wildflowers

Marsh cinquefoil blooms June to August in Wisconsin's kettle bogs.

Barksdale Ponds Trail topo map
Click map for larger version.

Day hikers can explore rare kettle bogs and their wildflowers on a northern Wisconsin trail.

The 1.25-miles round trip Barksdale Ponds Trail heads through the southern unit of the Barksdale Ponds State Natural Area in the Chequamegon National Forest.

To reach the trailhead, from Iron River, Wis., take U.S. Hwy. 2 east. Turn left/north onto Topside Road. When the road splits, go left/northwest onto Loon Lake Road/Forest Road 242. Next, turn left-straight/northeast onto Forest Road 847 (some maps list it as Forest Road 647). In about 0.375 miles, look for a jeep trail on the road’s right/east. Pull off the road there and park. This is the trailhead.

The road to the kettle bogs crosses a dry, glacial outwash plain featuring a mature red and white pine forest. Most of the tree trunks measure 16-18 inches in diameter. Beneath the canopy is a sparse shrub layer of hazelnut and pine saplings. Ground flora includes bearberry, big-leaf aster, blueberries, bracken fern, and wintergreen.

Kettle ponds
The difference between the pine forest and the state natural area is stark and begins right away. The route is a jeep trail that winds between two kettle ponds.

Look for spirea, a three- to six-foot tall shrub that likes moist to wet soil, especially meadows and streambanks. Its white, five-parted flower is a mere quarter-inch wide and slightly fuzzy. It blooms June to August. It’s found in all but four of Wisconsin’s counties.

Another flowering plant here is the marsh cinquefoil, which loves mucky, peaty soil. The purple to red, five-parted flower measures about three-quarters of an inch wide and also blooms June to August. Cinquefoil grows across northern Wisconsin and near Lake Michigan.

Water smartweed blooms in autumn. It's fully aquatic with the leaves floating on the water. The bright pink flowers grow in short clusters on smooth stems rising from the water. Individual flowers in the cluster are a mere quarter inch in length. Smartweed is found in all but six Wisconsin counties.

At 0.375 miles from trailhead, you'll come to another jeep trail. Go right/east on to it.

Sphagnum moss
During the hike, you'll encounter several kettle bogs where light-green sphagnum moss covers the wetlands. Sphagnum moss, which tolerates acidic water, forms floating mats over ponds. It can thicken up to six feet deep.

Thanks to compounds in the sphagnum’s cell walls, the moss does not decay so easily traps water. Be careful to not step on the solid-looking moss – in addition to potentially harming other rare plants that grow atop it, the mats can’t fully support your weight, and you’re sure to get wet.

The sphagnum mat itself hosts several wildflowers.

Late April to May, look for leatherleaf. The nodding, tubular white flowers are about a quarter-inch long and hang in a row beneath their stem. The mound-shaped shrub can grow up to three feet high and sometimes forms dense thickets. It grows in most of Wisconsin but is largely absent in the Driftless Area.

Bog laurel, also known as swamp laurel, also blooms in spring. Its cup-shaped, rosy red flower measures from a quarter inch to a full inch wide. The plant's leaves and twigs are poisonous. It thrives in wet areas that receive sun across the state's northern half.

Carnivorous plant
Wild cranberry also grows here. Blooming in mid to late June, the flowers are dark pink. Bees pollinate them, and shortly afterward berries form, usually in late June or early July. Three different species of wild cranberry can be found in the state, mostly in the northern half and in the central sandy plains.

The highlight of any hike past a sphagnum bog is the carnivorous pitcher plant. Downward-pointing hairs guide insects into a pool of rainwater kept in its cupped stalk, where the trapped insect drowns. The plant releases enzymes into the rainwater to digest the bug. It's maroon, bell-shaped flowers, which bloom in summer, are large at 2-3-inches wide and droop from a tall stalk. The pitcher plant usually grows only in northeast Wisconsin.

At 0.625 miles, you'll come to another jeep trail. Go right/southeast onto it. The trail passes the eastern shoreline of another kettle pond before arriving at Mirror Lake. After taking in the sites, retrace your steps back to the trailhead.

Bug spray is recommended for the hike in spring and summer.

North Country segment passes hemlocks

Lesser purple fringed orchid grows in wet, shaded woods, like those
found along the North Country Trail in Wisconsin.

Map of Chequamegon Hardwoods State Natural Area, courtesy WI DNR.
Click for larger version.

Day hikers can explore a northern Wisconsin forest with massive old growth hemlock trees and wildflowers galore below them on a segment of the North Country National Scenic Trail.

The segment runs 2.2-mile round trip through the contiguous Chequamegon National Forest and the Chequamegon Hardwoods State Natural Area. Stretching from New York to North Dakota, the North Country Trail crosses seven states over a 4600-mile course.

To reach the trail segment, from Mellen, Wis., drive west on County Road GG. Once inside the Chequamegon National Forest, turn right/north onto Forest Road 187. Then turn right/northeast onto Forest Road 188, which as veering east becomes Hanson Road. After passing the Beaver Dam Lake Road intersection, watch for where the North Country National Scenic Trail crosses the road. At the crossing, park off the side of the road and take the trail northeast.

Basswood forest
The trail heads through a northern mesic forest in which basswood, red oak, sugar maple, white ash and yellow birch dominate. Below it grow alternate-leaved dogwood, beaked hazelnut, and mountain maple. Beneath that shrub layer, more than 80 plant species can be found, including bloodroot, Jack-in-the-pulpit, bellwort, blue cohosh, nodding trillium, lesser purple fringed orchid, spikenard, spotted coralroot orchid, and green adders’-mouth.

Among the first of the wildflowers to bloom here in spring is bloodroot. Sometimes it pops up from soil that has just thawed. It sports a large white flower, about 1.5 inches wide, with 8-10 petals and a yellow center. The red orange juice in its stem has been used over the centuries as a dye and an insect repellent. It grows all across Wisconsin.

Jack-in-the-pulpit also blooms in spring. Its erect 2- to 3-inch long flower sits inside a green or purple hood at the top of a single stalk. American Indians cooked its below ground stem as food, so it's sometimes referred to as Indian turnip. The plant contains calcium oxalate crystals, however, so no part of it above ground is edible, as it causes a burning sensation in the mouth.

Large-leaved bellwort, also called merrybells, blooms in spring as well. Its drooping bell-shaped yellow flower is about 1-2 inches long with up to six petals. The long-leaved is one of two bellworts that grow in Wisconsin; four other species grow in eastern North America. Its found throughout the state.

Nodding trillium, purple fringed orchid
Blue cohosh, a 1-3-foot high bush, also flowers in spring. A cluster of yellow-green flowers with six petals sits atop the plant, which grows throughout Wisconsin. Don’t eat its blue berries, which are poisonous.

Blooming from spring into summer is the nodding trillium. The flower is a whorl of three wavy white petals that droops beneath the plant’s leaves. Don’t pick any part of this plant as the leaves then may not be able to produce enough sugar and starch for a bloom to appear the following year. It’s one of seven trillium species that grows throughout Wisconsin.

Among the sweetly fragrant flowers is the lesser purple fringed orchid. The lavender to rose six-parted flower is about three-quarters of an inch long. They forma dense, spike-like cluster. The flower blooms from June to August. It is found in most Wisconsin counties.

Spikenard blooms June to August. Though the plant can grow 2-4 feet tall, its greenish-white flowers are tiny and form parasol-shaped clusters. The plant really stands out in autumn when the pollinated flowers transform into dense groups of rich burgundy fruits. Birds enjoy these fruits, but for humans they are inedible. Spikenard is found throughout Wisconsin.

Coralroot orchid, maidenhair fern
Spotted coralroot orchid blooms from mid-June to mid-August. Each white flower sports purple spots and is not quite a half-inch long. Several of the flowers grow on a single stalk Though the plant reaches up to 31 inches high, it has no leaves. It is found in a majority of Wisconsin counties, mainly those in the Northwoods and along Lake Michigan.

Green adders’-mouth flowers from July to mid-August. A small orchid, its teensy green blooms are only millimeters wide and long. Each plant produces about 20 to 50 flowers. Exactly which insect pollinates it is unknown, but scientists suspect small flies, like fungus gnats, play a role.

The blue-green maidenhair fern often provides cover for and around these many wildflowers in this part of the forest.

At about 0.4 miles, the trail unceremoniously enters the state natural area’s southeast corner. Though originally logged off in the 1930s, large old-growth hemlock and big-tooth aspen both still can be found here; some old-growth hemlocks boast a diameter of five feet. Scattered gabbro rock outcroppings, some of which are up to 50 feet high, also can be found in the state natural area.

The trail departs the state natural area in little more than 0.1 miles. You’ll know you’ve left, as the route passes a wet area once you’ve re-entered the national forest.

Second-growth forest
Black ash, red maple, and white cedar are common on this wet-mesic forest portion of the route. Amphibians, including the red-backed salamander and wood frog, are here as well.

The rest of the trail is dry as it runs east through the northern mesic forest. The variety of trees in this second-growth forest makes for a colorful walk in autumn.

About 0.3 miles from the wetlands are a pair of knolls that mark the two high points along the trail. They top out at 1535 (the westernmost knoll) and 1538 feet (the easternmost) above sea level.

The trail’s crossing of North York Road marks a good spot to turn back. Alternately, this makes a great point-to-point hike if you have a driver disinterested in hiking.

See carnivorous plants, old forest on trail

Thick evergreen groves line a segment of the Forest Lodge Nature Trail.

Route heads through several ecosystems

Among the best hikes to learn about the Wisconsin Northwoods is the Forest Lodge Nature Trail, east of Cable in southern Bayfield County. Located in the Chequamegon National Forest, the 1.5-mile loop is maintained in cooperation with the Cable Natural History Museum.

Any dry summer day is excellent for hiking the trail, and fall colors are spectacular with trees usually remaining golden until the third week in October.

To reach the trail, take County Road M for about 8.6 miles east of Cable. Turn left/north on Garmish Road. The trailhead is a mile later on the road’s right/south side.

From the parking lot, head straight south into an old field. If you turn left, you’ll end up on the neighboring Conservancy Trail.

Spruce, bog, white pine
While fairly flat, the trail does narrow from four- to two-feet wide upon reaching the woods. The forested section of the trail sports some rough tread as well.

The trail rambles through a number of ecosystems, offering a mini-walk through the region’s natural history.

Among the ecosystems is a lowland bog, surrounded by spruce and slender-stemmed cotton grass. Here you’ll also find the carnivorous bog-dwelling pitcher plant.

Another ecosystem – now rare for northern Wisconsin – is of old-growth white pines. During the 1880s when pioneers settled the area, the white pine dominated; after being logged off, hardwoods replaced them.

A good portion of the trail is a newer upland hardwood forest. Chipmunks are abundant there.

Giant boulders
One element of the landscape hasn’t changed, though: glacial erratics. These are boulders and rocks brought here during the last ice age that are different in color and composition than those “native” to the area.

Hikers also will walk through a grove of hemlocks, which looks like a scene out of a fairy tale, and an experimental prairie.

An excellent way to identify and learn more about these sights is the interpretive booklet available at the Cable Natural History Museum, located in Cable at 13470 County Road M (check ahead for hours).

If time and energy permits, consider adding the two-mile Conservancy Trail to your hike. That trail is more varied in terrain with some hill climbing.

Read more about nearby hikes in my Day Hiking Trails of Bayfield County guidebook.

Wisconsin hike passes four peaceful lakes

Anderson Grade topo map

Anderson Grade
follows logging
era railroad bed

Day hikers can enjoy four lakes on an old railroad grade in Wisconsin’s Chequamegon National Forest.

The 5.8-miles round trip Anderson Grade is a fairly level trail. It sits in the Rainbow Lake Wilderness, a federal unit within the Chequamegon National Forest. The wilderness area is home to a pack of timber wolves, but the reclusive creatures are rarely seen.

To reach the trailhead, from Drummond, travel north on Forest Road 35. In 5.5 miles, turn left/west into the parking area. The trail heads west from the lot.

The Anderson Grade, a logging-era rail bed, also is referred to as Forest Service Trail 502 on some maps. There are no rails or ties today, but the area cut for the train remains and is maintained as a walking path.

North Country Trail intersection
You won’t have to walk far to see the first lake. Within a hundred yards of the lot, Clay Lake appears on the trail’s south side. At 28 acres in size, the lake reaches a maximum depth of 45 feet. Panfish are common in the lake, but largemouth bass also can found in it.

A mere 0.26 miles from the trailhead, Flakefjord Lake is on the trail’s north side. Though containing the same fish as Clay Lake, Flakefjord is much smaller at 10 acres with a maximum depth of 17 feet.

The terrain begins to roll a little from there, but it’s nothing significant that children can’t handle.

About 1.25 miles from Flakefjord Lake, an unmarked spur heads to Bufo Lake’s north shore. The spur dead ends on a pine-covered peninsula jutting into the lake and is well worth the few extra steps. At 20 acres in size, from the peninsula the lake stretches into the distance.

At 1.7 miles from the trailhead, the North Country National Scenic Trail intersects from the south. It briefly joins the Anderson Grade then in 100 yards splits right/north. Continue west on the Anderson Grade, however.

Largest of four lakes
The trail next passes around a long wetlands. Then, at 2.8 miles from the trailhead, take the spur trail that heads east for Anderson Lake.

In another 0.1 miles, you’ll reach Anderson Lake’s the northwest shore. A footpath heads to the lake’s north side, which marks a good spot for a picnic. The lake covers 31 acres with a maximum depth of 46 feet. Largemouth bass are common in it.

After taking on the lake views, retrace your steps back to the parking lot.

You can extend the hike and see a fifth lake by adding 2.4-miles round trip to the walk. Between Bufo and Anderson lakes, take the North Country Trail intersection north to Rainbow Lake. The lake covers 14 acres with a maximum depth of 21 feet. You’ll likely hear loons there.

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

Author releases day hiking guidebook to Bayfield County, Wis.

The second in a pair of new hiking guidebooks I’m releasing this holiday season is now available. Day Hiking Trails of Bayfield County describes more than a hundred trails in Bayfield County, which sits at the top of the Wisconsin Northwoods along Lake Superior. A popular tourist destination, Bayfield County is host to the annual American Birkebeiner, the largest cross-country ski race in North America, and to the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival. Trails in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, the Chequamegon National Forest, and the Brule River State Forest can be found in the volume. The book marks the eighth title in the popular and bestselling “Hittin’ the Trail” hiking guide series. It is available for purchase online.

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

Forty-inch around trees await day hikers

Moss grows on an old-growth forest tree along the
Drummond Woods Ttrail.

National forest route links
to North Country Trail

Massive trees from an old growth forest and vibrant autumn colors await day hikers on the Drummond Woods Trail in the Chequamegon National Forest.

The 0.75-mile trail runs through the Drummond Woods, where a number of trees survived the 1800s logging of the Wisconsin Northwoods. The route sometimes is referred to on maps and in literature as the “Drummond Woods Trail.”

Autumn leaves
To reach the trailhead, from Drummond, Wis., take U.S. Hwy. 63 north. In one mile, turn left/west onto Old 63 N (aka Forest Road 235). About 150 feet from that intersection on the right is a small pull-off for parking.

From the lot, take the stem trail northwest into the Drummond Woods. Coming to the loop, go left/west or clockwise. The loop is flat and fairly easy for children.

Heading through a northern hardwood forest, the trail marks an excellent spot to enjoy fall colors: the yellows of basswood and birch; the oranges of sugar maples; and the scarlet of black ash and red maple. Evergreens dominate the canopy with towering white and red pines and hemlocks.

The hemlocks are particularly impressive. Some of them measure 40 inches around.

Carnivorous plant
The ground cover also offers a show, especially in spring. Violets, trillium and humble bellwort grow amid princess pine. When reaching wetter areas, blue flag iris flourishes in clumps.

A little more than halfway through the hike, the trail runs alongside a tamarack-black spruce swamp. On the ground, look for Labrador tea, leatherleaf, and pink lady slippers. One other surprise is the carnivorous pitcher plant, which traps insects in its blossom and then digests them.

Along the loop’s north side, you can extend the hike by taking the intersecting North Country Trail into the backcountry.

If visiting the region during winter, the trail is popular among snowshoers.

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

Lakeside walks await in Chequamegon N.F.

Walking paths and jeep trails lace northern Wisconsin’s Chequamegon National Forest, offering a variety of day hiking experiences.

While hardly an exhaustive list, some great day hiking trails in the Saywer County portion of the national forest – which is northeast of Hayward – will take you to historic streams, up fire towers, and alongside "Quiet Lakes." Trails include:
g 315-319 Trail – The 0.75–mile out-and-back jeep trail (1.5-miles round trip) heads through a thick forest of mixed hardwoods. Park off of Forest Road 319 at the trailhead, which is the first left north of County Road B; turn back at Forest Road 315.
g Black Lake Trail – A 4-mile loop around the classic Northwoods lake includes nine interpretive signs about the history of logging in the area. Park at the Black Lake campground.
g Clam Lake Lookout Tower Trail – The jeep trail climbs 64 feet over 0.2 miles (0.4-miles round trip) to a fire tower at 1522 feet elevation, providing views of more than a dozen lakes and the West Fork Chippewa River. You can more than triple the hike’s distance by continuing on the jeep trail northeast of the tower. Park off the jeep trail at its junction with Forest Road 208 north of Wis. Hwy. 77.
g Fishtrap Creek Trail – The hiking trail heads 1.1-miles (2.2-miles round trip) through a mixed hardwoods and pine forest from Log Lodge Road (immediately east of Fish Trap Lake Road/Forest Road 1661) to Fishtrap Creek. The creek connects Fishtrap Lake and the East Fork Chippewa River.
g Lost Land Lake Trail – A brief 0.4-mile round trip hike through a woods, the trail ends at an overview of Lost Land Lake, one of Wisconsin's three Quiet Lakes in which jet or water skiing are not allowed. Park off of Upper A Road at the trailhead, which is the first right east of Wilson Creek.
g Mukwonago Lake Trail – The 2.5-mile loop skirts the west shore of Mukwonago (aka Larson) Lake, climbs a hill to 1450 feet elevation, and then turns back at a pond. Park to the side of the gate at the trailhead on the south side of Hwy. 77 east of North Neumaier Road.
g West Fork Lookout Tower Trail – The 0.4-mile out-and-back jeep trail (0.8-miles round trip) is uphill for the first half of the walk to a fire tower at 1495 feet elevation, which offers great views of the surrounding countryside. Park off the side of the trail junction with Moose Lake Road, the first left west of County Road S/Forest Road 164.

Note that most of the national forest trails don’t have official names. For convenience sake, the above trails are named after the major waterbody they pass or the roads they connect. Also, a national forest pass is needed to park your vehicle at the trailheads.

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

Walk along bluff overlooking Namekagon

Though Lake Namakagon is known for its trophy muskies
(above), the Namekagon River is a popular sturgeon habitat.
Illustration courtesy of WI Legislative Reference Bureau.

Day hikers can walk along the headwaters of Wisconsin’s Namekagon River on a trail in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway easternmost tip.

The 1.3-mile round trip Namekagon Dam Landing Trail is located in the southwest corner of the Chequamegon National Forest. June through September mark the best months to hike the trail.

To reach the trailhead, from Cable, Wis., take County Road M east. In about eight miles and after entering the national forest, turn left/north onto Dam Road/Forest Road 211. After crossing the Namekagon, take the first right, which heads to a small dam. A parking lot is located there.

The dam backs up the river into a flowage that heads east to Lake Namakagon (note the different spelling from the river). The 2,897-acre glacial lake in southern Bayfield County boasts 43.67 miles of shoreline. One of only three managed trophy muskie lakes in Wisconsin, it reaches a depth of 38 feet and even has islands.

From the dam, hike back up to Dam Road, go left, and walk alongside the asphalt back across the bridge. The bridge’s corner offers a great view of the dam to the east and the narrow river to the west, which runs for 101 miles to the St. Croix River.

Continue walking south on Dam Road. In about a thousand feet from the bridge, turn right/northwest onto Forest Road 1730. The jeep trail follows the top of the bluff overlooking the Namekagon. The bluff line runs anywhere from 20 to 40 feet higher than the river, which sits at a fairly even 1400 feet above sea level.

The trail heads beneath a canopy of mixed Northern hardwoods. During autumn, it makes for a fantastic display of golds and oranges accented with reds and dark evergreens.

The river below, nestled in a fen forest, is popular with canoeists and kayakers during summer. A series of small rapids can be found about two miles below the dam; after the rapids, the river widens, and the fen forest gives way to open marsh.

On the bluff line trail, in about 350 feet from Dam Road, you’ll cross a creek that flows into the Namekagon. Watch for beaver, which create ponds out of the stream and wetlands. Sometimes on the main river, beaver dams even will stop the paddlers.

In about a thousand feet from the creek, the trail ends at a high point of 1439 feet. From there, go back the way you came.

During early to mid-summer, be sure to carry insect repellent. Also, note that official maps do not call this the Namekagon Dam Landing Trail; the name is a convention for this site.

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

Day hike forest to site of Wisconsin’s first Thanksgiving

Trailhead to the site of Wisconsin's first Thanskgiving.

Primitive trail runs through Chequamegon National Forest

Day hikers can walk through the area where Wisconsin’s first Thanksgiving took place just a few decades after the Pilgrims held the very first one at Plymouth Plantation.

The unnamed trail – which I’ve christened the Forest Road 1919B/BA Trail because of the jeep trails it follows in the Chequamegon National Forest – takes hikers on a 1.14-mile round trip to the headwaters of the Chippewa River. Near that waterway in what is now the southeastern corner of Bayfield County, local Native Americans rescued three starving French explorers by providing a feast in a story with remarkable parallels to the Pilgrims’ harvest banquet.

To reach the trailhead, from Clam Lake, Wis., take County Road M northwest. Once past Day Lake, rather than turn left to head for Cable, continue straight onto Forest Road 191 (aka as Old Grade Road and on some maps as Taylor Lake Road). Then turn left/southwest onto Forest Road 1919 (aka Job Corps Road). Follow this to its terminus above Chippewa Lake, parking off the road.

A jeep trail heads to a campsite on the shores of Chippewa Lake. Though expansive at 280 acres, the lake is fairly shallow at only 11 feet. From it rises the West Fork Chippewa River.

Starving to death
Near the lake in late 1658, French explorers Pierre Esprit Radisson and Médard Chouart Sieur des Groseilliers ran out of food during the particularly harsh winter.

To survive, they ate their dogs then retraced their steps to former camps so they could dig the refuse of their previous meals from snowbanks for food. Then they crushed bones into powder and boiled guts and skin for sustenance. Finally, they ate wood. “…the rest goes downe our throats, eating heartily these things most abhorred,” Radisson wrote.

From the lakeshore, walk back to Forest Road 1919 and turn right/south onto Forest Road 1919B. The trail heads through a Northern hardwood forest, a beautiful hike in autumn when gold, orange and crimson leaves dominate the skyline.

In 1659, a group of Odowa (Ottowa) Indians came across the two explorers. The Odowa gave them new clothes and most importantly provided a banquet of wild turkey and rice as well as other fowl. Groseilliers gave “a speech of thanksgiving.”

Saved from certain death
Where the trail splits, go left onto Forest Road 1919BA. This heads to the edge of the West Fork Chippewa River. The bulk of the hike is on FR 1919BA.

Upon reaching the river, to the northwest are marshlands surrounding Chippewa Lake. Downstream, the fork meanders before joining with the East Fork Chippewa River and forming the Chippewa River proper, which flows for 130 miles into the Mississippi River.

Just as the Wampanoags had saved the Pilgrims from starvation by showing them how to raise crops such as corn and squash, so the Odowa similarly saved the French explorers from certain death by the sharing of food. With that gesture, Radisson and Groseilliers were able to return to their base in eastern Canada. The Wisconsin Historical Society considers it the state’s first Thanksgiving celebration involving Europeans and Native Americans.

From the West Fork Chippewa River’s shoreline, return the way you came to your vehicle.

FR 1919BA is a primitive trail, so you'll need to wear jeans and a long-sleeve shirt. Being so near to the lake and wetlands, you'll also want to don and carry mosquito repellent.

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

West Torch Trail loops offer great forest day hike in Chequamegon N.F.

Towering pines on West Torch Trail.

Fairly flat trail offers
primitive hiking experience

Hikers can get escape into a thick, serene woods on the West Torch Trail south of Clam Lake in the Chequamegon National Forest.

Wild Torch is a stacked loop trail system with loop lengths of 0.8, 1.7, 3.7, and 5 miles. The longer two loops offer some hilly terrain, but combining the 0.8 and 1.7 loops makes for an easy 2.2-mile hike (the loops share a stretch of trail).

Trees and wildflowers
To reach the trailhead, from Clam Lake take County Road GG south for 2.5 miles. The parking lot is located on the road’s left/east side.

From the lot, go left/northeast to do the trail clockwise. This is opposite of the way cross country skiers would do the trail in winter. The terrain is mainly flat with a few gentle rolls.

About 0.15 miles in, you’ll reach a trail junction; keep going straight (Going left takes you on the longest of the four looping trails.). Trees nicely shade the entire walking path, which are narrower than jeep trails but wider than most backcountry trails. Species lining the trail are common to the Chequamegon and include pines, mixed hardwoods, aspens, oak, paper birch, and sugar maple.

Upon reaching the next trail junction, about 0.15 miles later, continue straight/northeast. From there, the trail curves south and then east. Watch the ground for a number of different wildflowers that blossom through the year. Common blooms in the region include the downy yellow violet, the large-flowered bellwort, the large-flowered trillium, and the wood anemone.

Woodland animals
Continue right/south at the next trail junction (If going straight, you’ll end up on the third longest of the loops.). Red squirrels particularly like this section of the forest, but don’t be surprised if you spot other woodland animals, including white-tailed deer, chipmunks and rabbits. A variety of small birds also fill the air with song through the day.

At the next trail junction, go right/west. You’ll pass one more junction, at which you go straight/left back to the parking lot.

The trail is primitive so during summer and early fall you'll want to wear jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. As you're close to a wetlands, be sure to don and carry bug spray as well.

A final note that while hiking the trail is free, a recreation pass is required for parking anywhere in the Chequamegon.

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

Challenging trail awaits day hikers to Mt. Valhalla in northern Wisconsin

Popular ski routes run through national forest

Day hikers during summer can enjoy a set of trails that the U.S. Olympic Nordic Ski Team once trained on near Washburn, Wis.

A pair of three loops – the Teuton and the Valkyrie – make up the Mt. Valhalla trails in the Chequamegon National Forest. A shortened version of the Teuton Trail System’s Loop C makes for a somewhat challenging 2.75-mile hike.

To reach the trail, from Washburn take County Road C north for 8.5 miles. The parking lot is on south side of road, where the Teuton Trails are located (the Valkyrie Trails are on the right); you’ll need a pass to park your vehicle in the national forest.

Four Mile Creek
From the parking lot, follow the trail clockwise (the opposite way skiers take it), by heading south past the shelter. Upon reaching the split in the trail, go left/southeast, putting you on Loop C.

From there, you’ll begin traveling along the side of Mt. Valhalla and soon cross Four Mile Creek. The trails ultimately climbs about 170 feet in elevation with few level areas.

You may be too busy taking in Mt. Valhalla’s natural beauty to notice. The trails run through a Northern hardwood forest – rare for the Bayfield Peninsula – full of big tooth aspen, black oak, paper birch, and sugar maple trees, with a few scattered Eastern white pines. Ferns blanket the forest floor.

After a quarter mile, the trail curves south then west. You’ll soon parallel Four Mile Creek and then cross it again. A variety of frogs, chipmunks and red squirrels inhabit this area, and you’re likely to hear if not see them on the trail.

Mt. Valhalla's summit
In another mile, the trail curves north. Keep an ear out for the many songbirds in the forest, including the yellow-bellied sapsucker, blue jays, wood thrush, robins, warblers, sparrows, and grosbeaks.

After about a quarter mile when you come to a trail junction, go right/east. You’re now on Loop B. As the trail turns sharp to the north, you’ve come the closest to reaching Mt. Valhalla’s summit. The mountain tops out at 1388 feet, and you’re about 110 feet below it.

Loop B meanders downhill in a northerly direction for about 0.75 miles. The trail then makes a hard right for 0.5 miles with Loop A joining it along the way. This will take you back to the parking lot.

Don’t worry about getting confused by all of the trail junctions and intersecting snowmobile trails that cross your route. All of the Teuton’s trails are well-signed a metal map sits at every trail junction.

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

Hike remnants of ancient mountain range

Penokee Mountain Trail, near Mellen, Wis.

Cabin-goers to northern Wisconsin can hike across the remnants of an ancient mountain range that once soared as high as the Alps.

The Penokee Mountain Trail – a cross country ski trail in winter, a day hiking trail in summer – also is part of the North Country National Scenic Trail. It actually consists of three loops, which depending on your time and energy levels, can be done separately for as short as a 2 mile hike to one up to 5.3 miles.

Autumn makes for a lovely time to hike the trail, as the rugged uplands offer superb views of the multi-colored trees in the valley below.

To reach the trail, from Mellen drive about 3.5 miles on County GG. You’ll turn right into a parking lot. A fee is required to park. The trailhead sits at the parking lots north end. Follow the trail counterclockwise.

Range once as tall as the Alps
As you’re in the Chequamegon National Forest, walking paths are in good shape, but you will be going up and down some hills if you take the longest route.

The first loop runs for 2 miles along the area’s eastern side. You’ll head through a hemlock forest that provides home to whitetail deer, bears and ruffed grouse.

Reaching the north side, you’ll get a spectacular view of the valley below, which maples, oaks and basswood with an understory of balsam fir and white pine dominate. You actually are walking along one of the highest ridges in Wisconsin; the surface of Lake Superior, which sits 19 miles to the north, is 850 feet below your elevation.

The ridge with its granite ledges are all that remain of an ancient mountain range that once towered more than 10,000 feet high. Rock folds suggest what this range must have looked like some 500-600 million years ago: lofty peaks and deep valleys, similar to the Alps. These mountains are among some of the oldest in the world, predating animal life on land.

What remains 200 million years later...
For the past 200 million years, the mountains have been slowly eroding into a low, slightly undulating flat area called a peneplain. The Penokee range, which stretches about 80 miles long and is up to a mile wide, is known as a monadnock because its resistant rocks leave them standing about this plain.

The three trail loops upon this monadnock are fairly easy to follow, as several signs indicate the North Country Trail’s route. In addition, ski maps of the trail can be downloaded or picked up at area establishments.

Should you be up for a longer walk, staying to the right rather than looping back by going left at trail junctions, will allow you to can extend the walk to 3.2 miles on the ridge’s northern side. That loop in turn can be extended to 5.3 miles, which covers the trail’s western portion. If opting for this longer route, you will twice cross a quarry road. The approaches at these roads are abrupt declines. You’ll also come across an Adirondack shelter, a great place for taking a rest break.

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

Trail teaches Northwoods’ logging history

Sign at trailhead

Chequamegon N.F. hike
loops glacial lake 

Hikers can learn about the history of Northwoods logging while enjoying excellent water views on the Black Lake Trail in Ashland and Sawyer counties, Wisconsin.

The Chequamegon (pronounced SHO-WAH-MA-GON) National Forest sprawls across 858,400 acres in Ashland, Bayfield, Sawyer, Price, Taylor and Vilas counties. Most of Black Lake is in Ashland County – though to get there you’ll spend most of your time driving through Sawyer County.

Anytime spring through autumn is a good time to hike Black Lake but be sure to bring mosquito and bug spray if going in summer.

Original forest cut down
To reach Black Lake, from Hayward take County Road B east for about 23 miles. Turn left/north onto Barker Lake Road (County Road W goes right/south). Upon entering the national forest, Barker Lake Road becomes Forest Road 174. You will a need a permit to park your vehicle in the national forest, but there’s no entry fee.

After about 10 miles, turn right onto Forest Road 172, also known as Black Lake Road. Just past Mud Lake, turn left/north onto Forest Road 173, aka N. Black Lake Road. You’ll soon come to the south end of Black Lake; once there, turn right/east onto Forest Road 1668. Park at the campground, which is at the lake’s midpoint on its eastern shore.

To find the trailhead, look west in the parking lot for the trail sign. Follow the four-mile loop clockwise (go left/south) so that the trail’s nine interpretive signs appear in order. You may want to pick up a brochure that explains the area’s logging history.

White pine grew around the lake when loggers arrived in the 1880s. During the next 30 years, they cleared the region of it, floating the logs down Fishtrap Creek and the Chippewa River to sawmills in Chippewa Falls. From there, it was rafted to the Mississippi River all the way to St. Louis. During the 1910s to mid-1920s, hemlock and Northern hardwoods were logged.

Glacial remains formed lake
Today, primarily birch, red pine, and spruce trees surround the 129-acre lake, which always appears clear and placid.

Thank a glacier for the brilliant blue waters. The lake sits where an enormous block of melting ice was left when the glacier retreated at the end of the last ice age. Today, the lake hosts largemouth bass, northern and muskie pike, and walleye. Elk, fox, whitetail deer and loon inhabit the shorelines.

At the campground, hikers can find water at hand pumps, toilets, and a grassy swimming beach. Dogs and other pets are allowed on the trail but must be on leashes at all times.

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

Hike segment of national North Country trail

Lake Owen

Multi-state trail runs through
Chequamegon National Forest

Visitors to Drummond, Wis., can hike a segment of the 4,600-mile North Country National Scenic Trail in a nifty route I’ve christened the “Lake Owen Loop.” 

The North Country trail stretches from North Dakota to New York, cutting through four Wisconsin counties along the way. The Badger state boasts the highest percentage of completed and the longest continuous stretch of the trail in the country. In Bayfield County, the trail cuts through the popular Chequamegon National Forest. 

About 5 miles long, the Lake Owen Loop is best done in autumn when the bug count is down and the trees are ablaze with color. Early spring is good for avoiding mosquitoes but may force you to cross two intermittent streams flush that time of year with snowmelt.

To reach the trail, from US Hwy. 63 in Drummond, take N. Lake Owen Drive (aka Forest Road 213, south). You’ll pass Roger Lake. When you come to Lake Owen, look for the intersection with Forest Road 216 (aka as Lake Owen Station Road). Stay on FR 213 and round the northern tip of Lake Owen. Turn right into the picnic grounds, where you’ll park. A swimming beach also is on site.

Mixed hardwoods and pines
From the picnic area, look east and pick up the trail where it intersects the forest road. The North Country trail is fairly flat with elevation shifting about 50 feet during the hike.

Walk south, cutting between the northern tip of Lake Owen and a 35-foot deep pond. An intermittent stream connects it to the lake.

The trail follows the north shore of Lake Owen, which forms a U. Mixed hardwoods and pines line the lake. Hemlock, oak, maple and white pine often tower over the dirt path.

As reaching the bottom of the U’s western side, you’ll cross a road. You’re unlikely to see many people, though, as this side of Lake Owen is little used compared to the other shores, which sport camps and boat ramps.

At 1,323 acres with a maximum depth of 95 feet, Lake Owen boasts very clear water, making it an ideal habitat for largemouth and smallmouth bass, muskie (Wisconsin’s state fish), northern pike, walleye and panfish.

Call of nesting loons
About midway at the U’s bottom, there’s a second intermittent stream to cross. You’ll then spot Twin Lakes Campgrounds on the opposite shore.

As coming up the U’s eastern side, the trail veers away from lake. Watch for the wildlife that makes this area home. Whitetail deer, squirrels, chipmunks and frogs are certain to be seen, but also keep an eye out for other animals’ tracks, especially those of raccoons. Keep your ears peeled for the call of loons, which nest on the area’s lakes.

After crossing a forest road, you’ll walk past a pond to the right and then one to the left. Finally, you’ll head past yet another pond, this one up to 14 feet deep, on the right.

Rejoining Forest Road 213, you can walk alongside it back to your vehicle. On the way you will first pass Forest Road 217, aka Cutacross Road, which goes north, and then Horseshoe Road, which goes south.

Upon reaching your start point, end the day with a picnic and swim.

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