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| A common site in Brule River State Forest near Iron River, Wis. Photo courtesy of Wisconsin DNR. |
Consisting mainly of forestland and lakeshore, each Bayfield County village feels like a quaint throwback to years past. Only one of them boasts a population close to 3000 people.
Ten villages can be found there, with the majority of them hugging the lakeshore or a county line. Among them is Iron River and the nearby unincoporated communities of Port Wing and Herbster.
In the county’s southwestern corner is tucked Iron River, The county’s second largest city with more than a thousand residents, its main attractions are the Brule River State Forest in neighboring Douglas County and the Chequamegon National Forest to the east. The annual Blueberry Festival and Bayfield County Fair are held here each summer.
North of Iron River on the Bayfield Peninsula along the Lake Superior shoreline is Port Wing and to the northeast Herbster. Both villages are unincorporated. Each relies on tourism and to a lesser extent fishing, lumbering and agriculture as their mainstays.
Popular day hiking trails in the Iron River-Port Wing-Herbster area include:
g Iron River National Fish Hatchery
g Roundup of Iron River area trails
Read more about day hiking Bayfield County in my Hittin’ the Trail: Day Bayfield County, Wisconsin guidebook.
