Great trails await hikers in Washburn County

Wild River Trail north of Minong, Wis.

Located in Wisconsin’s northwest corner, Washburn County is an outdoor recreational paradise. During summers, bicyclists and off-road vehicle enthusiasts ply a number of wooded trails while fishermen and canoeists try their hand at their sport on freshwater lakes and a nationally protected riverway. Come autumn, the roads turn busy with drivers out to enjoy the colorful blaze of autumn leaves. Throughout winter, cross-country skiers, snowshoers and snowmobilers sail across white paths while ice fishing shacks pop up on frozen lakes. And, of course, day and backcountry hikers alike enjoy the county’s hundreds of miles of trails, some routes well-groomed and others primitive, but all rambling through fabulous scenery.

Three major attractions stand out for day and backcountry hikers in Washburn County. Across much of the county’s southern section, the 1200-mile Ice Age National Scenic Trail winds its way toward its western and northern terminus, loosely marking the edge of where glaciers once stood more than 10,000 years ago during the last ice age. Cutting north to south through the county is the Wild River Trail, which follows an abandoned rail line between the city of Rice Lake to the south and the port city of Superior to the north. Finally, splitting the county almost in half, the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway curves from the Namekagon’s headwaters to the northeast toward a meeting with the great St. Croix River to the west.

Among the best day hiking trails in Washburn County to hit include:
St. Croix National Scenic Riverway
• Trego Lake Trail
• Trego Nature Trail
Ice Age National Scenic Trail
• Cumberland segment
Wild River Trail
• Spooner segment
Others
• Tuscobia State Trail
• Bear Trail (Hunt Hill Audubon Sanctuary)

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

Old railbed turned trail passes farms, lakes

Tuscobia State Trail near Couderay. Photo courtesy TravelWisconsin.com

Tuscobia State Trail heads through Sawyer County

Among the premier hiking routes in Wisconsin’s Sawyer County is the Tuscobia State Trail.

Running past farmland, through quaint villages, and across thick forests, the trail begins southwest of Sawyer County in Rice Lake and runs 74 miles northeast to Park Falls. It follows an abandoned railroad grade converted to a hiking and multi-use trail.

Construction of the Omaha rail line that is now the Tuscobia begin in 1899 and lasted for some 15 years. By the 1940s when logging was no longer viable in the region, the rail line saw much less use and eventually ended operations altogether. Bridges over some waterways were removed in 1967, and the following year locals across the region began a long effort to convert it to a hiking trail.

Hiking the trail anytime in summer and autumn will prove enjoyable. Note that the trail closes Nov. 15-Dec. 15 for deer hunting season. Also, ATVs can use the trail from Birchwood to Park Falls April 15-Nov. 15.

The trail can be hiked in segments, with each one treated as an out-and-back trail. Among the Sawyer County trailheads (from west to east) are:

Couderay
East of town, the trail runs alongside the Couderay River. Access the trail where it crosses Valesh Road south of Wis. Hwy. 70.

Radisson
The trail passes the Radisson Flowage on the Chippewa River east of town; west of Radisson, it rambles alongside the Couderay River. The trail can be picked up where it crosses either Hwy. 40 or Ogden Avenue in the block south of Hwy. 70 (aka as Omaha Street).

Ojibwa Park
The Tuscobia runs through a forested area on either side of the park. Ojibwa Park is off of Hwy. 70 east of Radisson; from the parking lot, take the stem trail south to the Tuscobia.

Winter
Going east of town on the trail takes you close to the north shore of 676-acre Lake Winter and over the Brunet River. Pick up the trail in Winter where it crosses Park Street, Main Street, or Crawford Street within a block south of Hwy. 70.

Draper
East of town, the trail runs through a densely wooded area and enters the Flambeau River State Forest. Access the trail anywhere in Draper, as it runs alongside Hwy. 70 through town.

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