Oconto River State Trail
The Oconto River State Trail is a rugged path through beautiful land in northeastern Wisconsin, running east from Stiles Junction to Oconto. The trail gradient is fairly level, as the trail cuts through the forests and farms of Oconto County. The Oconto River parallels the trail, but is not within view.
The surface of the 8-mile trail is largely mown grass and weeds. In some sections, a narrow line of compacted earth appears. Due to these rugged conditions the ride may be bumpy, challenging, and slow. The trail best serves hikers, horseback riders, and cyclists with mountain bikes. Caution should be exercised with biking this trail. Bicycles with large tires may ease the journey, but the trail is not recommended for street or cruise bicycles.
In some places, a ride on the Oconto River State Trail immerses trail-goers in nature. Wildflowers are a common sight in warmer months. Songbirds may be heard singing in nearby trees and bushes, and wildlife is often spotted from the trail, especially white-tailed deer. At times the scent of wildflowers and other fragrant forest plants envelope riders, creating an enthralling experience. Among this abundance of wildlife, insect repellant is recommended as stopping along the way attracts mosquitos, gnats, or biting flies.
A state trail pass is not required to use the Oconto River State Trail. The route follows a section of the former line of the Chicago Northwestern Railroad that ran from Oconto to Clintonville. A north-south line of the Milwaukee and Northern Railway Company intersected the C&NW corridor at what became known as Stiles Junction. In 1890, the Milwaukee and Northern Railway Company was acquired by the Chicago, Milwaukee, and Saint Paul Railroad, also known as the “Milwaukee Road.”
In Stiles Junction, a depot and other structures were built in the early 1880s when tracks for the two railroad lines were laid. The population grew, and the town was named after the community of Stiles two miles south. That mill town had been established decades earlier on the Oconto River, named for the Stiles family who moved there from Stilesville, Indiana.
Today Stiles Junction is a ghost town, a crossroads on U.S. Highway 141 and Wisconsin State Highway 22. The Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad now operates the north-south line. The old depot is gone. Near the trailhead, one building from 1881 still stands.
The Stiles Junction trailhead is on Military Road. At the intersection of U.S. Highway 141 and Wisconsin State Highway 22, drive west on the state highway for about 350 yards. Turn right (south) on Military Road. Drive 0.3 mile to the end of the road where the trailhead parking lot is located. There are no other amenities at the trailhead; the nearby highway intersection has a gas station and convenience store.
Once on the Oconto River State Trail, the route progresses east on a bed of mown grass and weeds. Remnants of crushed limestone occasionally are seen on the trail’s surface. The path moves through forests, pastures, and farm fields for the duration of the route. After 0.8 mile, the trail crosses Watercrest Road. Metal gates are found at each road intersection.
The next intersection, Funk Road, is 1.1 miles east of Watercrest Road. In that section, the trail crosses Little River as it makes its way south to join the Oconto River. From Funk Road, it’s 1.7 miles to County Highway J and a trailhead parking lot. About 0.7 miles afterward, the path crosses Cream City Road.
The next section is the longest uninterrupted stretch of the trail: 2.7 miles from Cream City Road to Wisconsin State Highway 22. At this intersection, trail-goers have two route choices.
One choice is to follow the trail north toward two trailheads. This route runs across the state highway and adjacent to U.S. Highway 41 for a half mile. There, the trail further divides. One path turns right (east), heading under the 4-lane highway 0.3 mile to a trailhead parking lot on Van Hecke Avenue. The other trail continues 0.3 mile alongside the highway to the north side of Van Hecke Avenue, where parking is available at a cul-de-sac turnaround. No other amenities are found at these two trailheads.
The second option is to turn right (south) to Copper Culture State Park. This route follows Copper Culture Way, which turns left (east) after half a mile, then goes right (south), and turns right (west) again. The state park works well as a trailhead. It has parking lots, a bike rack, restrooms, pavilions with picnic tables, cooking grills, trails and a small museum.
By car, Copper Culture State Park is accessed from Wisconsin State Highway 22. The roundabout intersection of the state highway and Copper Culture Way is only 350 yards west of the exit ramp from U.S. Highway 41.
Copper Culture State Park conveys the prehistoric history of Native Americans from the Archaic period, who buried family members at this site long ago. Visitors may walk throughout the 42-acre property park on the Oconto River, and respectfully view the site of a prehistoric cemetery of the Old Copper Complex people, circa 4000–2000 BC. The park is home to a small museum operated by the Oconto County Historical Society. The unique history of this sacred place, archaeological site, and time period is presented there.
Thousands of years later, French missionaries came to Wisconsin. In 1669, Father Claude-Jean Allouez, a Jesuit priest, held mass in what would become the city of Oconto. A mission was established there to convert members of the Menominee nation to Christianity.
150 years later, white American settlers began harvesting lumber and building sawmills in the area. Settlement on the Oconto River grew, and the city was incorporated in 1869. The name Oconto is derived from the Menominee word Okāqtow, meaning “the place of the pike.”
Map of trailheads and addresses along this section of the trail.
Today the small city of Oconto has several restaurants and food establishments to serve visiting trail-goers. A favorite stop is Shake-a Burger, located alongside the river in Oconto. This local grill and ice cream shop offers tasty soft serve treats including traditional malts, sundaes, coffee shakes, and cones. They also serve diner-style sandwiches: the Louisiana Hot and Spicy burger and Mushroom and Swiss burger are both recommended.
Trail last ridden and documented in June, 2023.