Wooded day hiking trails abound in Clam Lake-Glidden, Wis., region

West Torch Trail

Cabin-goers will find a number of quality day hiking trails in the Clam Lake-Glidden, Wis., area. Trails include:
g Ashland County Forest hunter walking trails – Several walking trails for hunters as well as jeep trails crisscross the 40,000-acre Ashland County Forest near Glidden and Butternut. Wildlife is abundant in the forest; watch for signs of black bears.
g West Torch Trail – Three stacked cross country skiing loops make up this trail in the Chequamegon National Forest; try the middle loop for a 3.7-mile round trip hike. The trails are off of County Road GG east of Clam Lake.
g Little Pelican Lake Trail – In the Flambeau River State Forest south of these two communities, a short trail loops through the woods west of Little Pelican Lake. The trailhead is in a parking lot off of Snuss Boulevard immediately south of the State Hwy. 70 junction.

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.

West Torch Trail loops offer great forest day hike in Chequamegon N.F.

Towering pines on West Torch Trail.

Fairly flat trail offers
primitive hiking experience

Hikers can get escape into a thick, serene woods on the West Torch Trail south of Clam Lake in the Chequamegon National Forest.

Wild Torch is a stacked loop trail system with loop lengths of 0.8, 1.7, 3.7, and 5 miles. The longer two loops offer some hilly terrain, but combining the 0.8 and 1.7 loops makes for an easy 2.2-mile hike (the loops share a stretch of trail).

Trees and wildflowers
To reach the trailhead, from Clam Lake take County Road GG south for 2.5 miles. The parking lot is located on the road’s left/east side.

From the lot, go left/northeast to do the trail clockwise. This is opposite of the way cross country skiers would do the trail in winter. The terrain is mainly flat with a few gentle rolls.

About 0.15 miles in, you’ll reach a trail junction; keep going straight (Going left takes you on the longest of the four looping trails.). Trees nicely shade the entire walking path, which are narrower than jeep trails but wider than most backcountry trails. Species lining the trail are common to the Chequamegon and include pines, mixed hardwoods, aspens, oak, paper birch, and sugar maple.

Upon reaching the next trail junction, about 0.15 miles later, continue straight/northeast. From there, the trail curves south and then east. Watch the ground for a number of different wildflowers that blossom through the year. Common blooms in the region include the downy yellow violet, the large-flowered bellwort, the large-flowered trillium, and the wood anemone.

Woodland animals
Continue right/south at the next trail junction (If going straight, you’ll end up on the third longest of the loops.). Red squirrels particularly like this section of the forest, but don’t be surprised if you spot other woodland animals, including white-tailed deer, chipmunks and rabbits. A variety of small birds also fill the air with song through the day.

At the next trail junction, go right/west. You’ll pass one more junction, at which you go straight/left back to the parking lot.

The trail is primitive so during summer and early fall you'll want to wear jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. As you're close to a wetlands, be sure to don and carry bug spray as well.

A final note that while hiking the trail is free, a recreation pass is required for parking anywhere in the Chequamegon.

Read more about family friendly day hiking trails in my Headin' to the Cabin guidebooks.

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.