Great hikes await in eastern Washburn Cty

Namekagon River in Trego, Wis. Photo courtesy of St. Croix National
Scenic Riverway NPS.

Classic trout streams, a covered bridge, and trees that have been growing since the 1800s await day hikers on the east side of Wisconsin’s Washburn County.

Among the most popular of Wisconsin Northwoods counties to visit, the county can best be reached from either the west or east via U.S. Hwy. 63 while U.S. Hwy. 53 gives those traveling from the south or north an easy route.

Some of the great day hiking trails on the county’s east side include:
g Beaver Brook Wildlife Area East Trail – Visitors to the Spooner-Shell Lake, Wis., area can enjoy a pleasant hike along a classic trout stream in Beaver Brook Wildlife Area’s East Trail. Along the way, you may spot the impressive osprey or bald eagle. A number of loops run off the main trail so hikers can adjust the walk’s length to meet their time restrictions and energy levels.
g Red Oak East and West trails – Located northwest of town at the Hunt Hill Audubon Sanctuary, combine the two looping trails for a 1.8-mile hike. Despite the trails’ names, the highlight is a grove of large white pines that have been growing since the 1800s.
g Ridge Walking trails – A series of trails ramble through the 17.4-acre Stone Lake Wetland Park. The park also offers a 600-foot boardwalk and covered walking bridge.
g Totagatic River State Wildlife Area Jeep Trail – Park at the trailhead off the southeast side of Wozny Road about 800 feet north of the Totagatic River bridge. A jeep trail heads between a forested area and the Totagatic Flowage in the wildlife area’s northwest corner for about 1.1 miles one-way (2.2-miles round trip).
g Trego Nature Trail – A pleasant walk through a classic Northwoods forest along a wild river await hikers on this 2.8-miles round trip rail in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. Take Hwy. 63 north of Trego village' about 1.3 miles from the visitor center and after crossing the bridge over the Namekagon River, take the first right to the parking lot.
g Trego Lake Ski Touring Trails – A pretty hike through a Northwoods forest awaits hikers on the Trego Lake trails in the scenic riverway. Up to 3.5 miles of trails are groomed here for cross country skiing in winter but can be day hiked the other seasons.
g Tuscobia State Trail segment – In Birchwood, the trail heads both east and west with the former heading into Sawyer County. Pick up the trail at County Road D/Euclid Avenue just north of the Wis. Hwy. 48 intersection.
g Wild Rivers Trail segment – A tranquil stroll through the woods with a bridge view of the Namekagon River awaits day hikers on a segment of the Wild Rivers Trail in Trego. At a little under 2.2-miles round trip, the segment is just a small portion of a trail that runs for 104 miles across three counties on an old Omaha and Soo Line Railroads rail line. The trail connects Rice Lake, Wis., in the south with Superior, Wis., to the northwest.

Learn about nearby trails in Day Hiking Trails of Washburn County.

Great trails await hikers in Birchwood WI

Tuscobia Trail east of Birchwood, Wis.

Cabin-goers to the Birchwood, Wis., area will find that a couple of the state’s best hiking trails run in or near the village. Among them:
g Ice Age National Scenic Trail segment – Directly south of town, the Ice Age Trail cuts roughly north-south through the Cedar Lake Area County Forest. Take the forest’s eastern most jeep trail off Lemler Lane and pick up the Ice Age Trail for a 3.5-mile one way to Pigeon Creek.
g Red Oak East and West trails – Located northwest of town at the Hunt Hill Audubon Sanctuary, combine the two looping trails for a 1.8-mile hike. Despite the trails’ name, the highlight is a grove of large white pines that have been growing since the 1800s.
g Tuscobia Trail – Running on a former rail line, the trail runs through Birchwood on its way from Rice Lake to Park Falls. Heading northeast from downtown, the trail heads past Birchwood Lake, scenic farmland, and a bucolic woods for a 4-mile round trip to County Road F and back.

Learn more about these and nearby trails in Day Hiking Trails of Washburn County.