Washburn County towns offer great hikes

Trego Nature Trail.

Several great hiking trails crisscross Wisconsin’s Washburn County, with many of them centered on five major communities. Adding to the county’s charm is that no community has a population of more than 3000, and only one town even comes close to that.

The village of Birchwood sits tucked in the county’s southeast corner on Wis. Hwy. 48. The self-proclaimed Bluegill Capital of Wisconsin, it’s a former 1800s logging camp that became a town in its own right. The Tuscobia State Trail runs through it.

Washburn’s county seat, Shell Lake, is in the opposite corner along U.S. Hwy. 63. The town is centered on its namesake, popular Shell Lake, so named because shells of freshwater bivalves were common on its lakeshore. Several hiking trails can be found in or near town, including the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

Just north of Shell Lake where U.S. Hwys. 63 and 53 join and split, is Spooner, the county’s largest city. Nicknamed “Crossroads of the North,” at one time it was a hub of the Omaha Railroad Line. A former rail line, the Wild Rivers Trail, is now a hiking/bicycling path running south to Sarona and Rice Lake and north to Trego and Superior.

Unincorporated Trego can be found at the county’s center on the Namekagon River in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. Hwy. 63 goes east here to Hayward while Hwy. 53 goes north to Superior. The former heads to the scenic riverway’s visitor center and the picturesque Trego Nature Trail.

The village of Minong is in the northcentral portion of the county along Hwy. 53 at the edge of Wisconsin’s northern highlands. The Wild Rivers Trail runs through town while the Totagatic Ski Trail loops are nearby.

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

5 great day hikes in Shell Lake/Sarona, Wis.

View along Sawyer Brook Springs trails

Several excellent trails await cabin-goers in the Shell Lake and Sarona, Wis., area. Among the pickings:
g Bear Trail – Carnivorous plants and glacial lakes await hikers at the Hunt Hill Audubon Sanctuary near Sarona. Perhaps the best way to see the sanctuary’s wide variety of ecosystems is the Bear Trail, a 2.7-mile loop with a half-mile path to reach it.
g Ice Age National Scenic Trail-Grassy Lake Segment – This 7.2-mile section of the state-wide trail near Shell Lake can be accessed from Lehman Road. Part of the walk includes a ridge over a valley carved out by glacial meltwater.
g Sawyer Brook Springs trails – A set of three loops, primarily maintained as cross-country ski trails, begin behind the Shell Lake Arts Center in Shell Lake. The Yellow loop takes hikers twice across Sawyer Brook Springs.
g South Side Walking Trail – This comfortable path of wood chips works its way through meadows and wooded areas. The trail begins off of U.S. Hwy. 63 on Shell Lake’s south side.
g Wild River Trail, Sarona segment – This three-county trail runs along a former train route through Sarona on its way north from Barron County. Take the trail north to Spooner’s Railroad Memories Museum.

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

Quality day trails abound in Spooner, Wis.

The Wild River Trail passes the Railroad Memories Museum in Spooner.

A number of excellent trails await cabin-goers in the Spooner, Wis., area. Among them:
g Beaver Brook Wildlife Area East Trail – The wildlife area nicely preserves 1,964 acres of woods and wetlands between Shell Lake and Spooner. 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. Dogs also are allowed.
g College Street City Park Trail – Several loops run through Spooner City Park at the end of College Street. One route encircles the park.
g Nordic Woods A Loop – From County Board B at the north tip of Long Lake, follow the entry trail to the A Loop for a 2.7-mile excursion. Shadow Lake is a short walk away on another loop.
g Ridge Walking Trails – Nineteen miles east of town in Stone Lake, these trails ramble through the 17.4-acre Stone Lake Wetland Park. The park also offers a 600-foot boardwalk and covered walking bridge.
g Wild River Trail – This three-county trail runs through Spooner on its way from Sarona to Trego. Heading south is the prettier route; start at the city’s Railroad Memories Museum on Front Street for a 3.8-mile one way walk to the Beaver Brook Wildlife Area.

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

Spot carnivorous plants on Bear Trail

Carnivorous plants and glacial lakes await hikers at the Hunt Hill Audubon Sanctuary in Washburn County, Wis.

Perhaps the best way to see the sanctuary’s wide variety of ecosystems is the Bear Trail, a 2.7-mile loop to which this recommended hike adds a half-mile.Owned by the National Audubon Society, the nonprofit Friends of Hunt Hill Audubon Sanctuary operates the facility, where they offer several quality educational programs.

Trails are open from dusk to dawn. Unlike state parks, entry is free for hiking. If able, though, help fill the donation boxes on the information kiosks. Late June marks a good time to visit because of the blooming orchids, but days can get humid and insect repellent is suggested.

To reach the sanctuary, from U.S. Hwy. 53 between Sarona/Shell Lake and Spooner take County Road B east. Turn right/south on County Road M then turn left/northwest onto Audubon Road. In about a mile, turn right/north on Hunt Hill Road. Go right/east at first intersection and park at the cluster of buildings.

Continue walking east on the road that you parked your vehicle. At the end is the Vole Trail loop; go left on the loop. To the south is a prairie where wildflowers abound in summer. You’ll find the fairly even trail remains flat the rest of the way.

Sphagnum bog
Next you’ll pass a sphagnum bog that borders Upper and Lower Twin Lakes. Unlike swamps, sphagnum bogs don’t stink because of the water’s high acidity.

In about a quarter of a mile, will come to the Bog Boardwalk, a 0.1-mile loop that takes you into the wetlands where you can see two carnivorous plants – the pitcher and the sundew. Such plants usually can be found in bogs and rock outcroppings, where the soil is nutrient poor, and make up the difference by eating insects.

A number of plants live in the sphagnum bog; most notably, in late June showy orchids bloom. Other plants you’ll find here include the arethusa, grass pink, pink lady’s slipper, rose pogonia, sphagnum moss, and tamarack.

Continuing on the Vole Trail, you’ll parallel Lower Twin Lake. From here on out, the trail is heavily forested with mixed hardwoods and pines, providing pleasant shade on hot days.

The Twin Lakes formed some 10,000 years ago when a retreating glacier’s chunk broke off. As sediment deposited around the melting ice, the lakes formed. Upper Twin Lake reaches an impressive depth of 53 feet.

Upon reaching Heron Point, the trail turns south. At the T-intersection, go left/northeast onto Bear Trail. You’ll cross an old WCC footbridge over a beaver pond.

Watch for 240 birds
The trail then curves past Lower Twin Lake’s southern-most edge and another bog. As you turn northeast, a small quarter mile loop – the Log Road Trail – comes off and rejoins Bear Trail. This loop can be skipped.

As nearing Reed Lake, the trail curves northwest. Keep an eye out for osprey; a platform for the hunting bird sits on opposite shore.

If a bird watcher, Hunt Hill is the place to be. Up to 240 species of birds have been spotted here. They include bald eagles, bluebirds, bobolinks, chickadees, the common loon, the Eastern meadowlark, the great egret, the green-backed heron, pheasant, the pileated woodpecker, the red owl, the red-shouldered hawk, the rose-breasted grosbeak, ruffed grouse, the sandhill crane, tree swallows, the veery, warblers, wild turkey, wood ducks, and wrens.

Leaving Reed Lake, you’ll pass a bog between it and Big Devil’s Lake. The trail then curves back toward Upper Twin Lake. The rise of land in the middle of the wetlands next to Lower Twin Lake is Osprey Isle, where there’s another osprey platform.

Mammals and footbridge
The trail then jags in the opposite direction toward Big Devil’s Lake. The 0.1-mile Big Devil’s Lake Trail loops off the main route for a close up of the waterbody and also can be skipped.

Common Northwoods mammals are likely to be seen on the Bear Trail. Whitetail deer, raccoons, squirrels and chipmunks abound. There’s a bear’s den nearby. Watch the trees for bite marks and girdling, a sign of porcupines.

Following the Big Devil’s Lake shoreline for a while, the trail soon reaches Nordskog Footbridge at Wet Crossing. Take the new footbridge over a channel that connects Big Devil’s Lake to Upper Twin Lake; before the bridge, hikers had to wade through the knee-deep stream.

The trail then skirts another bog next to Upper Twin Lake until coming to the Francis Andrews Trail. Go left onto the Francis Andrews back to the main cluster of buildings and your vehicle.

Learn nearby trails in Day Hiking Trails of Washburn County.

Watch osprey along Class I trout stream

North American osprey

Day hikers in the Spooner-Shell Lake, Wis., area can enjoy a pleasant walk along a classic trout stream on Beaver Brook Wildlife Area’s East Trail. Along the way, you may spot the impressive osprey or bald eagle.

The wildlife area nicely preserves 1,964 acres of woods and wetlands between Shell Lake and Spooner. A number of loops run off the main trail so hikers can adjust the trail’s length to meet their time restrictions and energy levels. Dogs also are allowed on the trail.

The wildlife area boasts multiple access points. To reach the East Trail, from Spooner head south on U.S. Hwy. 53. Turn south onto Cranberry Drive. After about a mile, just before road curves SE away from Beaver Brook, turn right into the parking lot. This places you at about the wildlife area’s center.

Spring-pond fed stream
From the parking lot’s northeast corner, head north paralleling Cranberry Drive then veer away from the road for a half mile to trail junction B. A 0.8-mile trail loops off here; it rejoins the main trail at junction C.

Most of the trail runs beneath mixed hardwoods, such as maple, oak and aspen. There’s some conifer, pine and tamarack as well with a few red oak stands.

Continuing ahead on the main trail, you’ll follow Beaver Brook for a half mile to trail junction D. There, you can get a close look at the stream in a 0.4-mile loop that rejoins the main trail at junction E. Beaver Brook stands out as a Class I brook and brown trout stream. Well-shaded - the brook doesn’t show up on satellite photos - 10 spring ponds and a number of bank seeps feed it as it heads north into the Yellow River Flowage.

If you skip this loop, the distance between trail junctions D and E is 0.2 miles. At trail junction E, you’ll pass the brook’s largest spring pond on the trail’s left side.

Dive fishing
Keep an eye out for a number of birds, who either appreciate the wooded cover or the brook’s fish. Among the former are the American woodcock, ruffed grouse, and various waterfowl. Among the latter are bald eagles and the North American osprey.

Osprey can reach up to two feet in length with a wingspan of more than five feet. They feed on pan and sucker fish, and if lucky, you may see it dive for one. Osprey typically fly their search patterns some 30-100 feet above the stream and upon spotting prey dive feet first into the water. Once a fish is caught, their feet juggle it around until the prey’s head faces the wind. They then take it to their perch and feed.

Beyond birds, white-tailed deer, squirrels and chipmunks are ubiquitous here.

After walking 0.75 miles, you’ll come to trail junction G and another loop with a variety of options. Going right means you’ll walk roughly northeast back toward Hwy. 53 for 0.68 miles. You’ll hear a small amount of freeway noise, but it’s momentary, as you curve away from it.

At trail junction I, you can either:
g Go left for 0.43 miles to trail junction H; from there, go left for 0.06 miles back to trail junction G and return the way you came.
g Continue straight, looping about 1.12 miles to trail junction G (you’ll pass trail junction H along the way), and then return the parking lot the way you came.

In the winter, these are ski trails with specific rules about which direction you should go on each loop. These directions aren’t particularly relevant for day hikers, though.

Before heading onto the trail, you may want to stop at a local bookstore and pick up Spooner author Peter Hubin’s “A Brook Runs Through It.” His novel is set along Beaver Brook.

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