Opening section of famous north Wisconsin ski route makes for great summer hike

Birkebeiner Trail system (Note: Map is missing the recently
added Birkie Ridge Trail and trailhead north of Norrthern
Lights Road.).

Birkebeiner Trail system runs for 66 miles between Cable and Hayward

Though known primarily for the annual ski race held on it, Wisconsin’s massive Birkebeiner Trail system also makes a great hiking route in summer.

With more than 66 miles of trails, all maintained by the nonprofit American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, “The Birkie Trail,” as its fans affectionately call it, offers multiple trailheads, loops and variations between Cable and Hayward. One segment that’s easy to locate and hike is the Birkie’s opening section, a 2.6-mile round trip when treated as an out-and-back trail.

Classic Northern hardwoods
To reach the trailhead, in Cable from County Road M go south onto Randysek Road. After crossing the Namekagon River, turn left/east onto McNaught Road. Drive about 1.7 miles then park to the side of one of the mowed paths on the road’s left/north side.

After walking through the treeline, the Cable Union Airport comes into the view. The trail heads west from the airport.

Built for bicycling and cross-country skiing races, Birkie Ridge is wide and void of roots and stones.

The entire opening segment of the trail runs through a classic Northern hardwoods forest of sugar maple, basswood, beech, white ash, and yellow birch, making for a colorful autumn walk. Hemlock and fir also appear in the mix.

The opening segment also sits inside the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. The Namekagon River, protected by the National Park Service unit, flows north of the trail on its way to Hayward.

Forty-plus years in the making
The entire Birkie trail system is a 40-plus year project in the making. The first cross-country ski race was held on it in 1973; today, it’s the largest race of its kind in North America, attracting about 10,000 participants and 15,000 spectators.

Northwoods promoter Tony Wise is largely credited with starting the race and helping to popularize modern-day cross-country skiing. In 1972, he built cross-country trails at his Telemark Ski Area near Cable then a year later started the Birkie race.

The Birkie trail system gets its name from Norway’s Birkebeinerrennet cross-country event, which commemorates when skiers in 1206 AD smuggled the king’s illegitimate son to safety during a civil war. The skiers were soldiers in the Birkebiener party.

Upon reaching the power line, the trail veers southeast and crosses McNaught Road. The power line marks a good point to turn back.

Be aware that mountain bikers and joggers also use the Birkie. There’s plenty of space for both, but on race days the trail system will be closed to hikers; check www.birkie.com/trail to see when events are planned.

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

Trails follow great rivers, circle glacial lakes

Snuss Trail near Flambeau River

A hat-trick of major rivers and dozens of glacial lakes offer a variety of trails for day hikers to enjoy in Sawyer County, situated in the middle of the Wisconsin’s Northwoods.

In the county’s northwest corner, the Namekagon River sits in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. The popular fishing, camping and hiking destination runs west to Trego and northeast into the Chequemegon National Forest.

The Chippewa River cuts through the county’s center, with its forks flowing through the Chequemegon National Forest.

On the county’s eastern side, the two forks of the Flambeau River offer kayaking and numerous fishing opportunities in the Flambeau River State Forest.

In addition to the scenic riverway and national and state forests, the Tuscobia State Trail heads across southern Sawyer County. The hiking and bicycling trail is built on an old railroad bed.

Among the county’s top day hiking trails are:
g Lakeside walks, fire towers await day hikers in Chequamegon N.F. (Chippewa River)
g Variety of wildlife visible on day hike through woodlands (Flambeau River)
g Hike portage route of 18th century fur traders, explorers (Namekagon River)
g Learn about Northwoods’ logging history on Black Lake Trail (glacial lake)
g Old railbed turned hiking trail passes farms, lakes, forestland (southern Sawyer County)

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

Great trails abound in Northwoods county

Sparsely populated, northern Wisconsin’s Sawyer County offers a plethora of great day hiking trails.

Hayward, in the northwest corner, is the lone town of more than a thousand residents in Sawyer County. It’s home of the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, which boasts the oft-photographed 200-foot fiberglass muskie. The world’s largest fiberglass structure, you can climb into the fish’s mouth for a view of the town. U.S. Hwy. 63 runs through Hayward, which sits alongside the Namekagon River.

The village of Winter in the southwest corner serves as a crossroads for accessing the main sections of the Flambeau River State Forest. Wis. Hwy. 70 runs through the town.

Three other small villages and a smattering of unincorporated communities dot the rest of the county.

Among the county’s top day hiking trails are:
g Namekagon-Laccourt Oreilles Portage Trail (Hayward)
g St. Croix National Scenic Riverway trails (Hayward)
g Totagatic River State Wildlife Area jeep trail (Hayward)
g Rim Creek Loop (Winter)
g Tuscobia State Trail (southern Sawyer County)

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

Old logging trail heads alongside newly designated Wild River in northern Wisconsin

Frog in Totagatic River. Photo courtesy of Wisconsin DNR.

Route parallels
Totagatic Flowage

Day hikers can ramble alongside one of Wisconsin’s few remaining wilderness streams on a jeep trail in the Totagatic River State Wildlife Area.

Though not a designated trail, the old logging road runs about a mile (2-miles round trip) through a forested area along the Totagatic Flowage’s northwest side. The flowage marks a wide swath of the meandering Totagatic River, which in 2009 became Wisconsin’s fifth stream to receive Wild River status.

Waterfowl friendly
To reach the trailhead, from Hayward take Wis. Hwy. 77 north/west. Turn left/north onto Wis. Hwy. 27. Park off the road on the west side of Hwy. 27 across from Dam Road. The jeep trail heads northwest from the parking area.

Most of the trail is under the cover of northern hardwoods, which makes for a scenic walk during autumn.

The Totagatic runs 70 miles through five counties. Its headwaters are in southern Bayfield County. Popular among canoeists, the cold and clear river flows into Totagatic Lake then to Nelson Lake and into the flowage. Hwy. 27 and the dam split Nelson Lake from the flowage.

Expect to spot a number of waterfowl along the hike. The bird-friendly flowage was constructed in the 1950s, and the 272-acre Totagatic River Wildlife Area has long been designated a state waterfowl restoration area. A mix of habitats – from hardwood forests and open water to swamps and upland grasslands – make up the wildlife area.

Namegakon tributary
If you ask locals about the river or read printed materials on it, you’re likely to run into some confusing appellations. Spellings and pronunciations of the river are about as murky as its name suggests – “Totagatic” is derived from the Ojibwa word “Totogan,” which translates as “boggy river.” Maps, plat books, tour guides variously spell the river’s name as “Totagatic” and “Totogatic.” Local pronunciations range from “Tuh-TO-ga-tec” and “To-TA-ga-tec” to “To-to-GAT-ic” and “To-BA-tec.”

From the flowage, the river heads roughly west. Northwest of Minong, it turns south and eventually flows into the Namekagon River.

Back in the wildlife area, the trail peters out at the edge of the flowage, a grasslands that the river runs through the center of. As an old logging road, expect parts of the trail to be overgrown, so don jeans and insect repellent for the hike.

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

Newest segment of Birkie heads through classic northern woods

Birkie Ridge Trail makes
for colorful autumn day hike

Though known primarily for the annual ski race held on it, Wisconsin’s massive Birkebeiner Trail system also makes a great hiking route in summer.

With more than 66 miles of trails, all maintained by the nonprofit American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, “The Birkie Trail,” as its fans affectionately call it, offers multiple trailheads, loops and variations. One segment that’s easy to locate and hike is the 2.9-mile round trip Birkie Ridge Trail.

A new trail in the system, Birkie Ridge opened in August 2013. The Birkie system runs between Hayward and Cable with this segment in Sawyer County just south of the Bayfield County line.

To reach a trailhead in Sawyer County, from Hayward take U.S Hwy. 63 north. After passing the Northern Lights Road junction, the trailhead with parking lot is on the left/east.

Trail system decades in the making
The trail heads south from the lot then quickly turns east. Built for cross-country skiing and bicycling races, Birkie Ridge is wide and boasts erosion mats beneath its surface.

All of Birkie Ridge sits in a classic Northern hardwoods forest of sugar maple, basswood, beech, white ash, and yellow birch, making for a colorful autumn walk. During the first 0.3 miles of the hike, hemlock and fir is more common in the tree mix.

About 1.2 miles in, the trail reaches a loop. Go right/southeast on a route that meanders through the woods.

The entire Birkie trail system is a 40-plus year project in the making. The first cross-country ski race was held on it in 1973; today, it’s the largest race of its kind in North America, attracting about 10,000 participants and 15,000 spectators.

At 1.9 miles, the loop reaches a stem trail that connects to the Birkie Trail, which leads to other routes in the system. Upon reaching the stem’s end, turn back. The stem trail runs 0.15 miles.

How the trail got its name
Northwoods promoter Tony Wise is largely credited with starting the race and helping to popularize modern-day cross-country skiing. In 1972, he built cross-country trails at his Telemark Ski Area near Cable then started the Birkie race a year later.

Upon reaching the loop’s eastern terminus, go right/northwest to add a little variety to the hike.

The Birkie trail system gets its name from Norway’s Birkebeinerrennet cross-country event, which commemorates when skiers in 1206 AD smuggled the king’s illegitimate son to safety during a civil war. The skiers were soldiers in the Birkebiener Party.

About two-thirds of a mile later, the loop reaches its western terminus. Go straight/west and retrace your steps back to the parking lot.

Be aware that the Birkie also is used by mountain bikers and joggers. There’s plenty of space for both, but on race days the trail system will be closed to hikers; check www.birkie.com/trail to see when events are planned.

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

Classic Northwoods experiences found on Sawyer County, Wis., trails

Remnants of the old Pacwawong logging dam create a ledge in the
Namekagon River. Photo courtesy of St. Croix National Scenic
Riverway NPS.

Lakes abundant with wildlife, a historic portage route, and classic Northwoods forests await day hikers on the west side of Wisconsin’s Sawyer County.

Among the most popular of Wisconsin Northwoods counties to visit, the county can best be reached from U.S. Hwy. 63, which cuts through the northwest corner along the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.

Some of the great day hiking trails on the county’s west side include:
g Blue and Orange trails – Among the Northwoods’ newest hiking trails can be found at the Town of Hayward Recreational Forest. Combining the rec forest’s Blue and Orange trails into a 1.6-mile walk takes you through a woods past a wetland and then a scenic lake where wildlife is abundant.
g Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area North Trail – Park at the Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area lot on the south side of West Chippnazie Lake Road, west of the intersection with Company Lake Road. A trail winds for about a half-mile one-way (1-mile round trip) through woodlands on the wildlife area’s north side.
g Namekagon-Laccourt Oreilles Portage Trail – The 0.8-mile loop memorializes a famous 18th century route where fur traders and explorers carried their canoes between rivers, hikers will head through a landscape much changed from that day. To reach the trailhead, from Rainbow Road turn right/north onto Rolf Road; upon entering the scenic riverway, take the first left/west. A parking lot will be on the right.
g Pacwawong Lake Trail – Less a walking path than a jeep trail for boat ramp access to Pacwawong Lake in the scenic riverway, this 0.4-mile round trip is remote enough that there won’t be much if any traffic. From Cable Sunset/Totalatic Road, head south on Mossback Road, taking the first left/east; park in the gravel lot at the boat ramp and walk back to the road.
g Timber Lawn Trail – The 1.2-mile round trip southwest of Hayward runs through woods to an overlook of the Namekagon’s north shore in the scenic riverway. From Old 24/Nursery Road (which parallels Hwy. 63), take Timber Lawn Road south until it becomes a jeep trail, where you can park. You can extend the trail by making a loop from the overlook via the jeep trail that heads north back to your vehicle.
g Totagatic River State Wildlife Area Jeep Trail – Park in the lot on the west side of Wis. Hwy. 27 across from Dam Road. A jeep trail heads through forested area along the northwest side of Totagatic Flowage for about a mile one-way (2-miles round trip).

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

‘Hikes’ author appearing at Musky Fest in northern Wisconsin

If traveling to northern Wisconsin this weekend, be sure to stop at Musky Fest in downtown Hayward, where I and several other regional writers will have booths on Author’s Row. You’ll be able to meet and talk with nearly a dozen published authors, as well as purchase their books. Two of my hiking guidebooks – Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northwest Wisconsin and Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway – include Hayward and the surrounding communities. Author’s Row will be open Friday, June 19 from 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday, June 20 from 9 am to 6 pm. See you there!

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

See wildlife on Flambeau River day hike

Snuss Trail in Flambeau River State Forest

Snuss Trail runs through
North Central Forest

Day hikers stand a good chance of spotting a variety of wildlife on the Snuss Trail in Flambeau River State Forest.

The trail runs 4.3 miles (one-way), in Wisconsin’s second largest state forest, which cradles 75 miles of the Flambeau River’s North and South forks. While the churning Flambeau is best known as a popular canoeing destination, day hiking and backpacking opportunities also abound.

Among the premier hiking routes is the Flambeau Hills Trail, which consists of 14 miles of paths divided into a series of stacked loops. The Snuss Trail is the stem trail for the stacked loops’ northern side.

To reach the trailhead, from Hayward, Wis., go south on Wis. Hwy. 27. When Wis. Hwys. 27 and 70 split in Ojibwa, continue east on Hwy. 70 into the state forest. About a mile after crossing the Flambeau River’s north fork in Oxbo, turn right/south onto Snuss Boulevard. Immediately after the intersection, a parking lot is on the road's left/east side. The trailhead leaves from the lot’s southwest corner.

Rare birds, many mammals
As a jeep trail, the Snuss is wide and fairly flat. It runs through a mix of hardwoods and conifers. Among the former are bigtooth aspen, paper birch, quaking aspen, and sugar maple. Eastern Hemlock dominates the conifers, but a careful eye also will spy balsam fir, the non-native blue spruce, and tall eastern white pine. During summer, wildflowers dot the forest floor.

Such flora is typical of Wisconsin’s North Central Forest, which the entire state forest sits in. This ecological landscape has the state's shortest growing season at 115 days.

In 0.27 miles from the trailhead, the Snuss reaches the junction with the Pelican Trail’s northern end.

Wildlife is plentiful in the state forest. Along the trail, you have a good chance of spotting – or at least of seeing the signs of – black bear, bobcat, coyote, fox, porcupine, red squirrels, and white-tailed deer.

Red-shouldered hawk, ruffed grouse, rare osprey, and songbirds galore also can be spied. Barred owls often are heard at dusk. Bald eagles, ducks, geese and herons are present, as well, though they’ll be closer to the river than on this forest trail.

Walking atop a very different Earth
About 1.3 miles in, the southern end of the Pelican Trail junctions with the Snuss.

Ancient rock that dates to at least 1.9 billion years ago sits not far beneath your feet. The topsoil on the trail consists of glacial drift that runs no more than 100 feet – and sometimes a mere five feet – deep. The bedrock below the drift was formed in the early Proterozoic, an era when the atmosphere contained far lower, though rising, levels of oxygen. During that time, bands of iron ore – which in the 20th century were heavily mined in this region – developed.

Rather than hike the entire trail, turn around when the path reaches Snuss Boulevard at 1.55 miles from the trailhead. In addition to reducing the distance should you have young children walking with you, this will ensure you don’t cross any roads. The entire hike then comes to 3.10-miles round trip.

You can extend the hike by taking the Pelican Trail on the way back. This adds about a quarter mile (one-way) to the walk and offers some new, though similar, scenery.

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

Several great hikes located near Hayward WI

The Namekagon-Court Oreilles Portage Trail pays homage to a route that
European traders created in the 1780s.

Hayward, Wis., serves as a perfect central location for day hikers seeking a number of excellent trails during their visit up north. Among the nearby trails are:
g Black Lake Trail – Hikers can learn about the history of Northwoods logging while enjoying excellent water views on the Black Lake Trail in the Chequamegon National Forest. The four-mile loop includes interpretative signs, and a campground is nearby.
g Blue and Orange trails – Among the Northwoods’ newest hiking trails can be found at the Town of Hayward Recreational Forest. Combining the rec forest’s Blue and Orange trails into a 1.6-mile walk takes you through a woods then past a wetland and a scenic lake where wildlife is abundant.
g Namekagon-Laccourt Oreilles Portage Trail – Located near Hayward in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, the trail is very near a portage route created in the 1780s. An easy, 0.8-mile loop, hikers will head through a second-growth forest of mixed hardwoods and pines.
g Namekagon Trail East Loop – Northeast of town in the Chequamegon National Forest, the East Loop of the Namekagon cross-country ski trails can be day hiked. The 1-mile trail heads through a mixed hardwood-evergreen forest and briefly passes Taylor Creek.
g Short Swing Trail – A few miles east of town, the Flambeau River State Forest offers a number of hiking trails. Among the easiest is the 1.1-mile Short Swing Trail, a loop that is easily found from an access trail in the parking lot of County Road W.
g West Torch Trail – Northeast of town, a trio of stacked loops form the West Torch Trail in the Chequamegon National Forest. From the parking lot, take the first (and shortest) of the loops for a roughly 2-mile hike through a wooded area.

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.

Enjoy lake, woods in Wisc. northwoods

Town of Hayward Recreational Forest in autumn

Among the Northwoods’ newest hiking trails can be found at the Town of Hayward Recreational Forest in Sawyer County, Wisconsin. The 160-acre facility opened in spring 2011 and is quickly becoming a popular cross country skiing and snowshoeing destination. In spring, summer and fall, it’s also a great place for day hiking.

Combining the rec forest’s Blue and Orange trails into a 1.6-mile walk takes you through a woods past a wetland and then a scenic lake where wildlife is abundant.

Dry periods are the best time to visit the forest, as deer ticks can be a problem in the wet grass that makes up the trail surface; when the grass is mowed, though, this isn’t a issue. In addition, the forest is closed to hiking during Wisconsin’s annual gun deer hunting season, which runs the Saturday before to the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

To reach the rec forest, from U.S. Hwy. 63 at Hayward’s south end, take Vermont Street north. The road curves west, becoming Johnson Street and upon leaving the Hayward city limits turns into County Hill Road. Drive for about two miles. Past N. Gomey Road, the entrance to the park will be on your left, just beyond the gravel pit. The entry road takes you to the parking lot.

Wooded land
From there, hikers have choice of two trails, which in turn lead to several loops. Take the one on the lot’s south side and to the right; it’s nicknamed the Blue Trail because of its color on the rec forest map.

The Blue Trail’s first segment runs straight and leads to a loop. When you come to the T-intersection, you’ve reached that circle.

At that junction, go right. Another straight section runs for a third of a mile. You’ll pass through an oak, aspen and pine forest. The terrain is rolling to hilly.

When coming to the next trail junction, go right onto the Orange Trail, a short 0.49-mile loop. You’ll pass a wetlands and then curve away from it.

On the next sharp curve, you’ll reach the Konieczny Lake shore. It’s named for the property owner from who the land for the rec forest was purchased in 2007.

At the next trail junction, you’ll rejoin the Blue Trail. Go right. The path continues briefly alongside the lake, and then trail and shoreline veer away from another.

More amenities coming
You’ll pass three more junctions as you round back toward your starting point. These are connecting trails that run through the forest’s southeast corner.

At the fourth junction, you’ve reached the segment of the Blue Trail that you came in on before reaching the very first loop. Take this segment by going right and head back to parking lot.

While the forest is underdeveloped compared to the typical state or county park – there are no bathrooms or water – this does makes for a stronger back-to-nature experience. Plans are underway to improve amenities; in fact, a warming house was recently added.

One other benefit: Pets are allowed at the rec forest.

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

Hike portage trail of 18th century fur traders

Namekagon River

Though the Namekagon-Laccourt Oreilles Portage Trail memorializes a famous 18th century route where fur traders and explorers carried their canoes between rivers, hikers will head through a landscape much changed from that day. In fact, those fur traders and explorers probably wouldn’t recognize the wild area.

Located near Hayward, Wis., in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, the modern trail is very close to the original portage route. A fur trader even operated a winter post during 1784 near the trail.

That portage route sprung up because travelers hoping to avoid problems with Sioux Indians near the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers junction decided to instead reach the continent’s greatest waterway downstream from the Sioux by making a series of portages from the Namekagon to the Chippewa River, which joins the Mississippi at Lake Pepin.

To reach the portage trail, from Hayward go south on Wis. Hwy. 27. A historic marker erected in 1955 commemorates the portage. Turn left/west onto Rainbow Road then right/north onto Rolf Road. Upon entering the scenic riverway, take the first left/west. A parking lot will be on the right, and the trailhead begins there.

Significantly different
An easy, 0.8-mile loop, hikers will head through a second growth forest of mixed hardwoods and pines.

Those using the portage trail in the 1700s found quite different flora growing there. At the time, this flat sandy area largely consisted of red and jack pines with white pines on the surrounding higher grounds. Most of that was logged off during the late 1800s, however, and the result is an area now dominated by maples, oaks, birch, red pine and spruce.

Logging and later small dams collaborated to change life in the Namekagon by leaving the shoreline open to sunlight. The result was an increase in the water temperature, which decimated some fish populations common during fur trading times.

Spur to riverfront
At the loop’s westernmost edge, hikers can take a short spur trail to the Namekagon, and it’s well worth the walk for the blue river is scenic.

One thing the 101-mile long tributary to the St. Croix River does retain is its Ojibwa name, which means “at the place abundant with sturgeons.”

Today, bass, blacknose dace, brook trout, brown trout, cheek chub, Johnny Darter, mudminnow, northern pike, sculpin and sucker primarily live in the river. Rainbow Creek, which runs south of trail and feeds the Namekagon, remains a rainbow trout fishery, however.

Along the trail, hikers also can cross wetlands over a boardwalk. Watch and listen for bull frogs, turtles and waterfowl that are common in the area.

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

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.