Bearskin State Trail: Minocqua to Hazelhurst

The first five miles of the Bearskin State Trail takes bicyclists south from the tourist-friendly community of Minocqua to Hazelhurst, which claims to be the “quieter side of the Northwoods.” It is 5.1 miles between the two towns. The scenic route passes by sparkling lakes, boggy marshes, and through pine forests. The path’s surface is in good condition. It is composed of crushed stone and the gradient is fairly level.

The official starting place for the Bearskin State Trail in Minocqua is a park of the same name as the trail, on the shore of Minocqua Lake. Amenities include a paved parking lot, restrooms, running water and drinking fountain, self-registration station, park benches, and picnic tables. To reach the trailhead from U.S. Highway 51 in downtown Minocqua, turn west onto Front Street, drive one block, then turn right (north) into the parking lot.

For decades, Minocqua has been a popular vacation spot in Wisconsin’s Northwoods. The “Island City” has hotels, resorts, and campgrounds. The area’s population swells in the summer, and restaurants and shops fill with customers. In addition to mini-golf, boat cruises, and zip lining, an adult option is Northern Waters Distillery. With an indoor tasting room and outdoor space on Clawson Lake, the distillery produces small batch vodka, bourbon, and liqueur. They serve classic and creative cocktails; products may be purchased onsite. Their Black Currant Moonshine, Black Lab Berry Whiskey, and Maple Vanilla Moonshine are all unique and popular.

Minocqua was organized in 1889, but Native Americans from the Ojibwe nation have been living there for centuries. The name comes from “Ninocqua,” the Ojibwe phrase for “noon-day-rest.” Situated on a peninsula on Minocqua Lake, the town became a center in the logging industry in the late 1800s. While logging still thrives, tourism has become one of the primary industries. Visitors enjoy a variety of outdoor activities in a scenic, forested setting.

Back at Bearskin Trail Park, history-minded cyclists may want to read two interpretive markers. One conveys the story of Minocqua’s railway depot; the other discusses the 375-foot trestle that carries the trail over Minocqua Lake. The bridge provides a spectacular view of the lake and town. On summer weekends, pedestrian and bicycle traffic on the trestle is heavy, and cyclists should exercise caution.

A half mile after crossing the first trestle on Minocqua Lake, the trail crosses 98-foot Kawaga Trestle. It bridges a channel connecting Minocqua and Kawaguesaga Lakes. For nearly a mile after Kawaga Trestle, the trail moves away from the town and its vacation homes and cabins, as it traverses a low, boggy marsh.

This section includes a rest area. It has a picnic table on a small rise with a scenic view of the marshy bog. An interpretive marker describes a tragic incident that occurred there in 1887, when 3 teams of horses, 6 yoke of oxen, and 13 railroad cars sank into the marsh while the railroad was being built through the bog. The remains of the oxen, horses, and railcars remain underground today, submerged 90 feet down in the muck.

At the trail’s crossing with Kawaga Road is a small parking lot, making this spot a popular trailhead. After crossing the road, trail traffic is generally lighter. It is then 0.8 mile to Baker Lake Road. In this section, a narrow footpath leads from the trail to a scenic point on Baker Lake. Trail traffic diminishes even more after crossing Baker Lake Road.

The trail passes through quiet forests for 1.2 miles between Baker Lake and Blue Lake Roads. The Rantz trailhead is located at Blue Lakes Road, and has a gravel parking area. This is the site of a ghost town; an interpretive marker tells its story. In 1901, a community arose when a logging company built a spur rail line, heading several miles west. The line lasted a few decades; by 1931, it was abandoned and Rantz faded away.

^{Map of trailheads and addresses along this section of the trail.}

It is 2 miles in descending elevation from Blue Lake Road to Hazelhurst. Along the way, the trail crosses Timber Ridge Road where a trailhead parking lot is found. The intersection with Oneida Street and Leigh Road in Hazelhurst has another trailhead parking lot.

The trailhead at Oneida Street and Leigh Road is just a short distance from Hazelhurst. It is reached by car by turning west on either road west from U.S. Highway 51. There are no amenities, other than the parking lot. An interpretive marker near the trailhead provides the story of Hazelhurst, which developed during the logging era in the late 1800s.

Trail last ridden and documented in July, 2021.