The New Wood Trail is a 6.5-mile point-to-point segment of the Ice Age National Trail. It courses through the New Wood State Wildlife Area. A wilderness setting embraces the trail route which is closed in by thick forest and vegetation. The trail surface is an uneven footpath that may be difficult to read in seasons when the vegetation is thick. Primitive camping is permitted in the Lincoln County Forest which you will find when the trail is closest to the New Wood River.
The New Wood Segment connects directly to the Camp 27 Segment to the West, and is a short road walk from the Averill-Kelly Creek Segment to the East.
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| Ice Age Trail New Wood Segment |
The New Wood Segment is a lush forest-lover's delight. I enjoyed this trail immensely. The fair weather my have had much to do with my happy mood. It was an early September weekend, 80 degrees, sunny, and no biting bugs to mention. I camped at Council Grounds State Park in nearby Merrill. From there, I parked at the County E lot and headed westbound towards Camp 27.
The trail is scrappy, and I had to thrash my way through a few areas, especially around the New Wood River area. But, as the trail progressed it joined wide forest roads and then a well defined single-track footpath after crossing Conservation Ave.
The New Wood River is easily accessible from the trail, and there are even a few picturesque benches on its banks. If I was more of a fisherman I would have liked to linger at one of these spots to cast in a line.
As for wildlife, I disturbed a great blue heron, and as it spread its wings I realized why it is called the great blue. I also encountered a couple of deer. Luckily, I did not sight any of the famous wolves who call this wildlife preserve home. I'm sure they and the black bears were nearby, but ignorance is bliss.
There is a good mix of tree species and forest cover. Clusters of pines mixed in with the more mature stands of hardwoods. The young woods were the thickest. It was apparent that some areas had been logged, but not too recently.
If you'd like to camp on this trail you can find a few small clear spaces along the New Wood River. When the trail is closest to the river you are in the Lincoln County Forest. Technically, you are supposed to camp at least 100ft from the trail, however, you would hard-pressed to find a good clearing that far off the trail. If you do camp here, I'd suggest keeping a good strong fire going through the night, and then keep your ears open for the ghostly howl of the wolves.
True nature lovers will find a lot to love about the New Wood Segment.
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| Ice Age Trail New Wood Segment |
Ice Age Trail New Wood Segment
COUNTYLINCOLN
COMMUNITIES
HARDING, MERRILL
TOTAL MILES
6.5-MILE POINT-TO-POINT
DIFFICULTY
MODERATE-DIFFICULT
LOWEST ELEVATION
1395 AMSL
HIGHEST ELEVATION
1496 AMSL
TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN
656 FT
TOTAL ELEVATION LOST
727 FT
CAMPING
PRIMITIVE CAMPING IN LINCOLN COUNTY FOREST
NEXT IAT SEGMENT HEADING EASTBOUND
AVERILL-KELLY CREEK SEGMENT
NEXT IAT SEGMENT HEADING WESTBOUND
CAMP 27 SEGMENT
Directions and Trail Map
DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE PDF USGS TOPOGRAPHIC MAPNATZKE CAMP QUADRANGLE 2018
Click Map Image to load the full interactive map.
If viewing on a mobile device, open the trail map above to load into Google Maps App by touching the expand rectangle in the upper right corner.
Address for your GPS: Conservation Ave Harding, WI 54452
| coordinates: 45.296755, -89.889233 |
| From Milwaukee | 3.5 Hours |
| From Madison | 3 Hour |
| From Green Bay | 2.5 Hours |
| From Wausau | 1 Hour |
| From Minneapolis | 3.5 Hours |
| From Chicago | 4.5 Hours |
Photos
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| Ice Age Trail New Wood Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail New Wood Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail New Wood Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail New Wood Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail New Wood Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail New Wood Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail New Wood Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail New Wood Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail New Wood Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail New Wood Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail New Wood Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail New Wood Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail New Wood Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail New Wood Segment |
Links
New Wood State Wildlife AreaIce Age National Trail Alliance
Ice Age National Trail - National Parks Service