Ride safely - Wisconsin Department of Tourism

eauty the area has to offer. Along the
trail, you might see a variety of wildlife
including turkeys, deer, bear and even timber
wolves.
Ten miles east of Superior, the trail
travels just south of Amnicon Falls State
Park (715/398-3000, www.wiparks.net).
While not accessible from the trail on an
ATV, the park is a sanctuary well worth a
short hike. It holds many clues to the history
of northern Wisconsin. In addition, the
Amnicon River cascades over the spectacular
rock formations at the park’s upper and
lower falls. The park has 36 campsites.
Fees apply for parking and camping.
Heading east, the tree-lined trail
opens up just west of Poplar, where you
can catch a glimpse of the area’s several
farms. Food and fuel are available in
Poplar, the hometown of Major Richard
Bong, the most decorated pilot of World
War II. Bong downed 40 enemy planes in
the Pacific and earned the Congressional
Medal of Honor. The Richard I. Bong WWII
Heritage Center in Superior includes a
replica of his P-38 fighter, named for his
wife “Marge.”
After rolling through farmland, the
trail dives into the forest west of Maple, a
pleasant crossroads hamlet. From here, the
trail parallels the northern edge of Hwy. 2
all the way to Brule, where you’re surrounded
by the Brule River State Forest
(715/372-5678, www.wiparks.net). This
40,000-acre forest protects the Boise Brule
River, famous for its whitewater canoeing
and trout fishing. The Brule is known as
the “River of Presidents,” having been
fished by Ulysses Grant, Grover Cleveland,
Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover and
Dwight Eisenhower.
Just to the east, you cross into
Bayfield County and head into Iron River.
The former logging town welcomes ATV
riders with a full slate of services including
lodging, dining, and ATV rental and repair.
From here you can connect to the expansive
Valhalla Trail system (see pages 8-9).
On the last leg of the Tri-County, from
Iron River to Ashland, you’ll traverse 25
miles of varied terrain. The first half is
heavily wooded, especially through a fourmile
lobe of the Chequamegon-Nicolet
National Forest. As the trail clears the forest,
it doglegs north, then east again
through more open farmland to Ashland.
In Ashland, you’ll find all the amenities
and plenty to do. A series of seven
giant murals painted on downtown buildings
depicts the city’s history. The South
Shore Brewery on Main Street offers tours
year-round (715/682-9199,
www.southshorebrewery.com). Just west
of town the Northern Great Lakes Visitor
Center (715/685-9983, www.northerngreatlakescenter.org)
offers interpretive and
historic exhibits, visitor information and trip
planning.
Best of all, from the trailhead on
Sanborn Avenue it’s a short walk to
Chequamegon Bay on Lake Superior. The
views of the big lake are a great way to
start or end a day’s ride.
13
DOUGLAS CO
BAYFIELD CO
Iron
Washburn
Bois
River
A
13
Brule
aple
Lake
Nebagamon
Brule
River
27
H
2
A
Iron
River
H
To Vallhala Trail
2
G
Ino
Moquah
Northern
Great Lakes
Visitor Center
G
63
Ashland
137
13
BAYFIELD CO
ASHLAND CO
2
Wisconsin ATV Guide 11