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.