NEWS |
NEWS | Bayfield Area Trails |
 Photos & narrative provided by Neil Howk. On Sunday May 11, Ted May from the Chequamegon Audubon Society led a group of ten hikers and birdwatchers on a beautiful walk through the Frog Bay Tribal National Park. The 175-acre park features a large tract of boreal forest, the mouth of Frog Creek, and almost 4000 feet of Lake Superior shoreline.
We heard white-throated sparrows, black-capped chickadees, blue-headed vireos, black-throated green warblers, black-and-white warblers, a Magnolia warbler, and a special treat, a black-throated blue warbler.
Lake Superior forms a barrier to hawks flying north on their spring migration. Upon reaching the lake, hawks follow the shoreline to the west end of the lake before continuing their journey to the north.
0 Comments
 Shore view at the end of the Salmo trail. As you stroll the easy 1-mile walk to and from the Lake’s edge, enjoy a few poems from present and past poets laureate along the way. Trailhead/parking located 2.5 miles south of Bayfield on the east side of Hwy 13, opposite the Fish Hatchery. Poems will be posted May 30–June 7, 2025.  A Blue Heron approaching the rookery behind the Les Voigt Fish Hatchery building. Blue Heron, Warblers, Kinglets, Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers, Winter Wren, Greater Yellowlegs and American White Pelicans were among the birds a group of northwoods bird and trail enthusiasts observed on May 3, while enjoying Bayfield Area Trails’ and Chequamegon Audubon Society’s first co-sponsored nature and bird walk of the year.
For the next 90 minutes, while the group explored the trail through and behind the hatchery, herons came and went overhead while working on their nests. Once the nests are complete, the heron will lay 3-6 eggs, which hatch in about a month. After birth, the chicks usually stay in the nest for about 60 days.
Another highlight of the day’s walk came on the Salmo Trail, across Highway 13 from the hatchery that follows Pike Creek out to a Lake Superior beach. There, the group was lucky to spot a flock of American White Pelicans. Flying north towards the lake, the flock flew almost directly overhead, providing great viewing for the group.  White Pelicans flying over Lake Superior.
 This May, Bayfield Area Trails and Chequamegon Audubon Society are co-sponsoring a series of free nature/bird walks to highlight the importance of the Bayfield area as resting habitat for migratory birds. The series of guided walks will help celebrate World Migratory Bird Day. Early May is the time when the pace of migration in northern Wisconsin begins to accelerate. A variety of kinglets, sparrows, thrushes, flycatchers, waterfowl, and warblers reappear in forests and along waterways in the area. The trails will also feature spring wildflowers bursting into bloom.
The theme of this year’s event is “Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-friendly Cities and Communities.” Chequamegon Audubon members and local birders Neil Howk and Ted May will take turns leading the following walks:
 Lots to see at Frog Bay! April 29, 2025 UPDATE: These trails have reopened for hiking. If you encounter wet or muddy sections, please follow Mud Season Principles:
 What a year!!! In 2024 the Bayfield Area Trails volunteer workforce of more than 60 individuals logged over 3300 hours planning and implementing projects in 16 trail locations between early May and mid-November. THANK YOU ALL!
Read all about it in the Annual Report where you will see photos and information about:
 Keeping the crew happy with snacks! The Town of Bayview, Landmark Conservancy, and Bayfield Area Trails send a BIG THANK YOU to all volunteers who helped with trail work at Houghton Falls Nature Preserve on Saturday November 9th!
 Gil Larsen Trailhead Sluiceway Cleanout If you head out on the Big Ravine’s Gil Larsen Trail on Washington Ave. across from the library in Bayfield, you will see excavation and dirt work. The City’s Public Works Department has cleaned out the drainage and catchment structure in front of the sluiceway that directs water through a culvert down to the lake. This maintenance work was required after several high runoff events deposited woody debris, rocks, and sediment that threaten to obstruct the stormwater system.
In the near-term the grassy slope at the trailhead will be reseeded and the gravel trail in front of the interpretive signs will be cleaned up. The City is consulting with restoration specialists to determine the best steps to reestablish desirable vegetation and stave off invasive species in the floodplain. The large dirt pile will stay until the access trail is refurbished into a gently-sloping path next year. For the long-term, the City is requesting funding from the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program to conduct an integrated analysis and plan for the recreational and public works infrastructure in the lower Big Ravine. The analysis would evaluate current structures and strategies for capturing debris and managing water flow into the sluiceway. The entire project would take into consideration climate change, changing flow regimes and creek morphology, diversified trail users, universal accessibility, and low-cost maintenance approaches for the trail and water management. If funded, the assessment and planning project would begin in 2025, with the goal of starting implementation in 2026.  During September and October, Bayfield Area Trails Committee partners contributed lots of time, equipment, and energy to prepare the Upper Pileated Woodpecker Trail for hikers and snowshoers this fall and winter. And now it’s ready for YOU to enjoy! The trail can be accessed at the start of the nordic ski trails at Mount Ashwabay. A trail sign marks the start of the trail and provides information about distances to trail intersections and the Pikes Creek bridge. Although the trail between the bridge and the fish hatchery is still closed to public use due to a land ownership dispute, it is a nice 1.8-mile hike to Chickadee Point and 2.2-mile hike to the bridge, making it about 4.5 miles round trip from Mount Ashwabay. The fall colors may be starting to fade, but the grouse are still drumming and the woods are peaceful.
Status Update on the Hatchery Access
Reestablishing public access behind the Les Voigt State Fish Hatchery remains a priority for the Wisconsin DNR. The DNR and Bayfield County are working on a land sale that would transfer three small parcels of property from the County to the DNR. This will be the first step toward reestablishing trail access. DNR continues to research the legal status of the old access road that had been used for many years for public access. The findings of this research will be pivotal in reestablishing access. The DNR recently met with the private landowner to convey their intent to reestablish public access.
Please continue to respect the trail closure until legal public access is reestablished. Thank you for your cooperation!
Ted May, Gene Lemmenes, John Ipsen, Kris Wegerson, Tracy May, Mike Kinnee and Jeff Martin put in the finishing touches by hand, clipping overhanging branches; digging out exposed trippy roots and stumps; cleaning up or fixing water diversions; and adding a couple small water diversions.
In addition to leading to Chickadee Point and Pikes Creek, the Upper PWT connects to the Jolly Long Loop and ultimately to the Jerry Jolly Trails. Follow the signs and discover the adventure out there!  A total of 18 volunteers turned out for two beautiful autumn mornings to work on repairing the Brownstone trail below the Wild Rice Retreat on October 17th & 18th. The three amigas, Kris Wegerson, Cami Smalley, and Suz Thomson also worked on a segment near the Waterford Condos. Thanks to everyone who made it happen! Crew Leaders Extraordinaire: John Ipsen & Kris Wegerson. Track Loader Operator, the magnificent Mark Frazer. Hard working hand crew members who did it ALL: leaf raking & blowing, weed trimming, branch lopping, ditch digging, gravel raking, trail tamping, and culvert installing -
Thank you, donors! This would not have happened without donations of time and funding from Rex Dollinger, Mark Frazer, David Sonstegard, Viking Motors, Wild Rice Retreat, and two anonymous donors.
Crew leader John Ipsen remarked, “This was a pretty complicated project with lots of moving parts and players. But I’m always impressed at how advance planning, the right tools and equipment, and enthusiasm about the trails enables us to accomplish so much in just a few hours.” I think we will call this “the year of Blue Brule” said Kate Kitchell. “We added 31 yards of this gravel in key locations on the west and east sides of the Big Ravine in late September; and now Dan Maki from Viking Motors brought us another 13 yards for the Brownstone Trail.” It’s amazing how the Bayfield Area Trails volunteers rally together to continuously improve the trails. |
