Beginner

The hiking in Vilas County is simply stunning. If you’re a new visitor to Vilas County’s trails, you’re in for a treat. Vilas County has over 240,000 acres of public land. Trails will lead you past sparkling undeveloped lakes and through forests filled with old-growth timber. What do you need to get started? You don’t need much – just a sense of wonder, a comfortable pair of shoes or hiking boots and some maps to help you explore this wild paradise. Vilas County publishes a free 23” x 38” map that includes a countywide map of trail locations as well as 55 individual trail maps. Click here to order the Vilas County Silent Sports Trail Map. Smartphone users: check out the free Map It Vilas County trails app. It will help you navigate 55 different Vilas County trails and works even without a cell signal. The app and map will help you navigate the wilds of Vilas County, as well as family-friendly trails like the Presque Isle Nature Trail, which has a wheelchair-accessible stretch, and the Spectacle Lake-Kentuck Lake Trail in Phelps, which follows a historic railroad bed.

Intermediate

Vilas County has been a land of trails for hundreds of years. Native Americans used well-established trails to navigate the forests, and early European settlers used trails as trade routes – the first European trader built a trading post in Vilas County near Lac du Flambeau in 1818. Today the trails navigate some wild and beautiful areas and offer an experience that’s connected to this deep tradition. If you’re looking for a hike that gives you a bit of wild forest experience without taking an entire day to navigate, you’re in luck. Vilas County has a lot of trail options that take 1-3 hours to explore. Perhaps the best time of day to embark on a summer hike is early in the morning when the sun is low and the forest is quiet. A couple of trails that offer nice half-day hiking options near lakes include the Madeline Lake Trail in the Minocqua area and the Catherine Wolter Wilderness Area in Presque Isle.

Advanced

If you’re the kind of hiker who likes to head deep into the woods and disappear for a while, welcome to Vilas County. We have plenty of forest for you to explore – more than 240,000 acres of public land, to be exact. Vilas County’s public lands include a large area of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, a forest created by presidential acts in 1905. The Civilian Conservation Corps began restoring heavily logged areas in the 1930s, creating the treasure we enjoy today. You can see evidence of their work in the now-massive pines they planted and in historic structures like the 120-foot Military Hill Fire Lookout Tower built by the corps in 1936. You can still see the tower north of Phelps on Tower Road. A couple of good places to find extensive trail networks include the Langley Lake Trails in Conover and the WinMan Trails between Winchester and Manitowish Waters.

 

Want more trails info?

Download the Map It Vilas County trails app or order the Vilas County Silent Sports Trail Map today.