Race and Training Trails
Bayfield County Forestry Department
Northern Wisconsin Dog Mushers Association
Apostle Islands Sled Dog Race (Bayfield Chamber
of Commerce)
Bayfield County has 4 dogsled trail systems and over 100 miles of trails. These trails are sparsely signed, usually packed, and not guaranteed to be always clear of fallen branches, etc. There are thousands of miles of unplowed roads and logging roads that are available for dog sled use in the Bayfield County Forest and Chequamagon National Forest which can be accessed from the four trailheads and trail systems. The main trailhead is the gravel pit between Cornucopia and Bayfield on State Highway 13. It is the site of the Apostle Islands Sled Dog Race. The race trails can be used and other trails on the race map. Additional trailheads are the Little Souix Trail System on Kjarvick Road, north of Washburn; The Flag River System between Port Wing and Iron River near Sorenson Road and the Muskeg Trail, just west of Iron River on Hollander Road or Old U.S. 2, just north of U.S. 2.
Warning: Plowed forest roads usually mean logging traffic. None of the trails are normally plowed. If part of the trail is plowed, it is being logged and can be extremely dangerous as logging trucks are wide and may not be able to stop quickly. Please avoid plowed roads. For conditions on the Sand River and Little Souix Trail Systems, please email wolfsong@wolfsongadventures.com or call 715-779-5561. For other trail systems, please email redpaw@redpawfeed.com
Trail Maps:
Currently, we have a pdf of the Apostle Islands Sled Dog Race map. Click here. Detailed Bayfield County Maps are also available here.
Trail Conditions
Watch for trail conditions updates. Runnable snow conditions expected by mid-December on the trails systems, late November in the Chequamagon National Forest "Barrons" area..
Early Season/ATV or sled.
ATVs are allowed on most of the numbered Chequamagon National Forest Roads, which make endless loops in and area called "The Barrons" which can be accessed north of Ino or between Cornucopia and Washburn on County C. Many of the roads are sandy. This area gets a fair amount of snowmobile traffic after Christmas, but is quiet and has good snow by a few days after Thanksgiving (Deer Season ends on that Sunday) from Lake effect snows. Any cold snap with NW winds will produce snow there, even when it is no where else in the Midwest.
Trail Safety