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Bearskin State Trail
Tour and Mountain Biking
The Bearskin is perhaps the Lakeland area’s most popular trail. It begins at the scenic trestle bridge in downtown Minocqua and runs 18 miles south to Harshaw, where it meets up with the six-mile Hiawatha trail. The trail winds through thick hardwood and pine forests, near several lakes and follows the winding course of the Bearskin Creek, which is home to our native trout species.

The Department of Natural Resources purchased the old grade in 1973 for public hiking, biking, and snowmobile use. The 1888 train shack located on the southern half of the trail is an interesting remaining remnant of the trail’s past.

Development and designated access points along the trail have been kept to a minimum, preserving its aesthetic qualities and making it more likely that you will spot an eagle, osprey, deer or raccoon along the way.

If you’re looking for a ride with new scenic thrills around every corner, then the Bearskin State Trail is for you. The south trailhead of the 18 mile Bearskin Trail can be found at Highway K, just a mile east of Highway 51. The southern half of the trail follows the winding course of Bearskin Creek, a clean, cold creek that is home to Wisconsin’s native trout species, the brook trout. The northern half of the ride is through a landscape of lake and forest, thick with pines and hardwoods. Along the way, you’ll traverse at least a dozen old railroad trestles, remnants of a bygone age.

You may also choose to pack a lunch, as the trail offers several scenic spots for a picnic. that overlook local lakes. The Bearskin has a crushed red granite surface and is moderate in difficulty.