Day hikers will find plenty to like in ‘Trail Town USA’

Birkie Ridge Trail, south of Cable, Wis.

There’s good reason that the American Hiking Society named the Cable, Wis., area a charter “Trail Town USA.” Several excellent trials can be found in the region:
g Birkebeiner Trail – Known primarily for the annual ski race held on the trail, the Birkie also makes a great hiking route in summer and can be accessed at either the Telemark Resort or the North End Cabin. A pass is needed to use the trail.
g Forest Lodge Nature Trail – The trail established by the Cable Natural History Museum runs 1.5 miles but can be extended to 2 miles. Pick up the excellent interpretive booklet to learn about the forest and its past.
g Namekagon Trail East Loop – Located northeast of town in the Chequamegon National Forest, the 1-mile East Loop of this three-loop trail can be hiked in summer. You’re very likely to hear and possibly even spot Northwoods wildlife along the walk.
g North End Trail – South of town, this ski trail in winter is often day hiked the other seasons. Consisting of several crisscrossing routes, combine the Ridge and Bear Paw loops for a 1.6-mile walk.
g Rock Lake Trail – Narrow loops of varying lengths run through the Chequamegon around Rock, Frels and Hildebrand lakes. Hiking is best on the segments running from Forest Road 207 to any of these waterbodies.

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