Great trails crisscross Douglas County, Wis.

Wild Rivers Trail, southeast of Superior, Wis.

Wisconsin’s Douglas County, tucked into the state’s northwest corner, offer a variety of excellent day hiking options.

With the exception of the city of Superior, Douglas County is sparsely populated, dotted by small villages and several four-corner towns.

Though sporting a population of just under 30,000, Superior is an international harbor on the largest of the Great Lakes. The city might have been far larger and even more important if not for a pre-Civil War economic downturn. Though the first log cabin here was erected in 1853, within four years the population had risen to 2500 as excitement rose over a Lake Superior to Pacific Coast railroad, but the Panic of 1857 dashed those plans for a quarter century.

Today, a number of multi-county trails that used to be rail lines start (or terminate, depending on your perspective) at the county’s northwestern limit. In addition, the city’s municipal forest offers a number of wooded hiking trails. Among the Superior area’s top trails are:
•Big Manitou Falls Trail
•Millennium Trail
•Osaugie Trail
•Tri-County Trail
•Wild Rivers Trail
•Wisconsin Point Trail

The hamlets of Brule, Maple and Poplar sit in the county’s northeast corner. Each village sports a population of around 600 people. Brule is the gateway to the Brule River State Forest, a kayaking, fishing and hiking destination. Some popular trails near those communities include:
•Amnicon Falls Island Trails
•Stoney Hill Nature Trail

In the southeast, visitors to Douglas County first come across the villages of Gordon and then Solon Springs. Both towns have a population of about 600 and offer access to the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and the St. Croix River’s headwaters. Popular trails include:
•Brule Bog Boardwalk Trail
•Bois Brule-St. Croix River Historic Portage Trail

Read more about Douglas County day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of Douglas County guidebook.

Superb trails abound in Poplar-Brule, Wis.

The ancient Douglas Fault cuts through Amnicon Falls State
Park. Photo courtesy of UW-Green Bay.

A variety of impressive hiking trails await visitors to the Popular-Brule, Wis., area this summer. Among them:
g Amnicon Falls island trails – Hikers can view the results of an earthquake from 500 million years ago while walking the island trails past waterfalls at Amnicon Falls State Park. Known as the Douglas Fault, this split in the earth stretches from Ashland to near the Twin Cities and is readily visible at the state park.
g Bayfield Road Trail – The 2.25-mile loop trail in the Brule River State Forest passes through red oak stands that recently came under attack by the two-lined chestnut borer, offering insights into woodlands and a tree species man is trying to rescue. A connecting trail leads to the Copper Range Campground.
g North Country National Scenic Trail – The scenic trail runs roughly north-south through the lower half of the Brule River State Forest. A peaceful segment to walk is from State Hwy. 27 (north of Radio Station Road) south to County Road S for a 6-mile round trip.
g Stoney Hill Nature Trail – The 1.7-mile loop offers fantastic views of the Brule River Valley. Sections can be steep, but there is a rest stop and overlook at the hill’s top.
g Tri-County Corridor Trail – Connecting Superior to Ashland, the trail heads through Poplar. To get away from the highway noise, try the roughly 2.25-mile one-way segment between Midway Road and County Road F.

Read more about Douglas County day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of Douglas County guidebook.