Day hike pass centuries-old trees on trail

You can see trees that are more than 200 years old on the Cedar Interpretive Trail in Governor Knowles State Forest.

Location of Governor Knowles
State Forest in Wisconsin.

To reach the trail, from Grantsburg, Wis., take North Pine Street/County Road F north through Crex Meadows. In about seven miles, the road curves east. After the curve, turn left/north onto Norway Point Landing Road. Park in the lot before the road ends at Norway Point Landing. The trailhead is east of the parking lot.

You can’t get lost on the trail, as the 1-mile round trip is on a boardwalk. It partially crosses the 330-acre Norway Point Bottomlands State Natural Area and the state forest.

The trail is named for the stately eastern white cedar, which here are at their northern limit in Wisconsin. Cedars can live for up to 400 years; the cedars you pass that are a foot in diameter were mere saplings during the War of 1812.

The cedars sit in a floodplain forest. Though you’ll only walk a half mile one way, you’ll head through an impressive five major lowland plant communities:
g Northern sedge meadow – Sedges and grasses dominate in depressions and the margins of nearby Iron Creek. This plant community occurs in several locations across northern and central Wisconsin.
g Shrub carr – Tall shrubs, including meadowsweet, red-osier and silky dogwood, and willows run through the forest. Though a common wetlands ecosystem in Wisconsin, it usually occurs farther south.
g Northern wet-mesic forest – You’ll know you’re walking through this ecosystem once mosses, lichens, ferns and wildflowers dominate the forest floor. The mineral-enriched groundwater from seepages helps support these plants.
g Southern wet-mesic forest – When maples, elms and ash trees with an open understory appear, you’re walking through this community in the floodplain. This is the northermost reach of the ecosystem in Wisconsin.
g Iron Creek – Near the trail’s end, you’ll come alongside Iron Creek, a minnow stream and tributary of the St. Croix River. The creek’s waters generally are acidic and infertile.

Each of these plant communities are fragile ecosystems within the bottomlands, so don’t step on or remove plants, many of which are rare.

Also, be forewarned that the boardwalk can be a bit uneven as roots break through the wood and as springs and seeps feed Iron Creek to the north. Because of this, you should wear waterproof hiking boots, even on the boardwalk. Insect repellent also is a good idea.

If you have a little extra energy, when the boardwalk ends, continue on the Kohler Peet Hiking Trial. Keep track of your distance so that you don’t go too far on this backcountry trail, which runs another 5.5 miles.

Read more about day hiking the scenic riverway in my guidebook Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.

See trees from 1800s in Gov. Knowles forest

Norway Point Bottomlands
Photo courtesy of WI DNR.

Day hikers can explore tree stands dating to the 1800s, the pristine St. Croix River, and rare plant communities at Governor Knowles State Forest in Burnett County, Wis.

Among the trails in the state forest are:
g Benson Brook Hiking Trail – A lengthy St. Croix River trail at seven miles, the path can be accessed at three points: its terminus at the Rush City Ferry Landing off of County Road O in the south; its terminus at West River Road in the north; or close to its center at the northern tip of Pleasant Prairie Road.
g Brandt Pines Interpretive Trail – The 2.5-mile trail heads through a 130-year-old stand of red and white pines near the St. Croix River in the Brandt Pines State Natural Area. To reach the trail, from Wis. Hwy. 70 west of Grantsburg, take Larson Road north; it becomes Gile Road. Where the road angles right/east at the junction with Hardwood Ridge Trial, go left/west into the parking lot.
g Cedar Interpretive Trail – Hikers can see eastern white cedars and walk through five plant communities that are more than 200 years old on the half-mile Cedar Interpretive Trail. The trailhead begins at the end of Norway Point Landing Road north of County Road F.
g Foxes Landing Trail – From the parking lot at Norway Point Road, the first two miles of this 9-mile trail along the St. Croix River are particularly scenic. Watch the skies for soaring bald eagles.
g Kohler Peet Hiking Trail – The 6-mile trail opens with the Cedar Interpretive Trail on its way to the Clam Flowage. The jeep trail parallels an old rail bed.
g Lagoo Creek Hiking Trail – The trail runs for seven miles alongside the St. Croix River between Evergreen Avenue in Polk County to County Road O at the Rush City Ferry Landing. Parking is available at both terminal points.
g Raspberry Hiking Trail – The 3-mile trail rambles alongside the St. Croix River. Park in a lot at the northwestern corner of West River Road. It passes the Raspberry Landing on the St. Croix north to the Wood River.
g Sioux Portage Trail – The 6-mile trail heads from the Sioux Portage Group Campground south to the Clam River flowage. It parallels the St. Croix River, crossing a stream and a couple of roads along the way.
g Wood River Interpretive Trail – The 0.8-mile trail runs from the St. Croix Campground to near the Wood River, a tributary of the St. Croix River. Reach the trailhead by taking River Road south of Hwy. 70 to the campground.

Learn about nearby trails in Hittin’ the Trail: Day Burnett County, Wisconsin.

Quality trails abound near Grantsburg, Wis.

Upper Phantom Cross Country
Skiing & Hiking Trail

Cabin-goers in the Grantsburg, Wis., area can enjoy several great day hiking trails. Among them:
• Cedar Interpretative Trail – Though short at 0.7 miles, this trail in the Governor Knowles State Forest heads through five major lowland plant communities amid a cedar grove. You’ll likely spot the activity and impact of beavers on the landscape.
• Fish Lake State Wildlife Area trail – From County Road O, a jeep trail makes a 3.2-mile loop past marshes. Eagles, sandhill cranes and trumpeter swans grace the wildlife area.
• Grantsburg Nordic Ski Trails - Stacked loops totaling 6.5 miles in length can be skiied in winter or hiked the other three seasons. From Hwy. 70 in Grantsburg, take Olson Drive to the parking area, which overlooks the Wood River dam; cross the dam via North Park Street to the trailhead at edge of Cattail Pond. Note: The Lower Loop, which heads through a wooded area, currently is the only open trail.
• Grettum Trail - A stem trail leads to a pair of loops over gently rolling terrain that double as a cross country ski trail in winter. A total of 2.2 miles long, the trailhead is off of Hickerson Road north of Grettum Dike Road.
• Hay Creek Hiking Trail – A 1.5-mile trail meanders through woodland at Crex Meadows Wildlife Area near Hay Creek. An observation platform at the trail’s end allows hikers to spot several waterfowl.
• Trade River Trails – A series of loops, including a large one around a meadow, sit near the Trade River in neighboring Polk County. The wide trails head over easy, rolling terrain.

• Upper Phantom Cross Country Skiing & Hiking Trail – A set of four loops offer a hike of up to 3.7 miles in length at Crex Meadows Wildlife Area. The wildlife area is part of one of the largest remaining pine barrens in the state.

• Willard Munger State Trail – The Boundary Segment of this trail runs in Chengwatana State Forest, across the St. Croix River in Minnesota. Tamarack and burr oak dominate the forest, which boasts wild turkeys, beavers, mink and muskrat.

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