The Drummond Ski Trails hike is an easy 3.5-mile section of the North Country National. This section connects directly to the Drummond Woods Section heading westbound at Highway 63 and directly to the Lake Owen Section heading eastbound at the Lake Owen Picnic Grounds. As the name implies, this hike tracks along with and intersects many ski trails. The northern portion of the Drummond Ski Trails section is single track footpath, the southern is wide two-track with a grass trail tread.
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| Along the North Country Trail Drummond Ski Trails Section |
I completed the Drummond Ski Trail section of the NCT as an out-and-back while I was car-camping for a long weekend at Two Lakes Campground. I used the Lake Owen Picnic Grounds as my start and return point. The Picnic Grounds has the usual national forest amenities including paved parking, vault toilets, a water pump, changing rooms, a picnic shelter, and a beautiful beach on Lake Owen.
A spur trail leads up the hill from the back of the Lake Owen Picnic Grounds parking lot and connects to the North Country Trail at a pond. From there head north and cross N. Lake Owen Drive to reach the section trailhead. The first leg of this hike climbs gently uphill along easy trail. The forest in this southern portion of the ski area is regenerating from a prior timber harvest.
After crossing one of the main ski trails the North Country Trail departs into deeper forest on footpath. The trail is es easy and gentle with a few easy rollers. The further north you travel the denser the forest cover. The trail dips into forest-covered wetlands but the trail tread remains dry. Before long the trail pops out at Highway 63 and across the highway there is a paved parking area for a dozen vehicles at the Drummond Woods Trailhead.
This is where I turned back and retraced the trail back to the Picnic Grounds and eventually back to my gorgeous lakeside campsite at Two Lakes Campground. If you’d like to make an easy-going camp-and-hike weekend there are plenty of camping options in the immediate area. Two Lakes and Perch Lake are my favorites. Drummond also has an RV campground in town. As far as primitive camping, there aren’t any established sites in the Drummond Ski Area, but you are permitted to dispersed camp near the trail along the length of this section according to Chequamegon National Forest rules and guidelines.
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| Along the North Country Trail Drummond Ski Trails Section |
North Country National Trail - Drummond Ski Trails
COUNTY
BAYFIELD
COMMUNITIES
DRUMMOND
TOTAL MILES
3.5-MILES POINT-TO-POINT
DIFFICULTY
EASY
LOWEST ELEVATION
1300AMSL
HIGHEST ELEVATION
1500 AMSL
TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN
600 FT
NEXT NCT SECTION WESTBOUND
DRUMMOND WOODS SECTION
NEXT NCT SECTION EASTBOUND
LAKE OWEN SECTION
Directions and Trail 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: Drummond Woods Trailhead Old 63 N, Drummond, WI 54832
| coordinates: 46.34055115571312, -91.23820071838573 |
| From Milwaukee | 5.5 Hours |
| From Madison | 5 Hours |
| From Green Bay | 4.5 Hours |
| From Wausau | 3 Hours |
| From Minneapolis | 3 Hours |
| From Chicago | 7 Hours |
Photos
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| The Lake Owen Picnic Area is a great starting point for this section of the trail. There is paved parking, a picnic shelter, beach, water pump, and pit toilets |
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| The water pump at the Lake Owen Picnic Area |
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| The beach at the Lake Owen Picnic Area |
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| Parking at the Lake Owen Picnic Area |
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| Along the North Country Trail Drummond Ski Trails Section |
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| The side trail from the Lake Owen Picnic Area diverging off the NCT |
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| The side trail from the Lake Owen Picnic Area diverging off the NCT |
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| Along the North Country Trail Drummond Ski Trails Section |
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| Along the North Country Trail Drummond Ski Trails Section |
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| Along the North Country Trail Drummond Ski Trails Section |
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| Along the North Country Trail Drummond Ski Trails Section |
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| Along the North Country Trail Drummond Ski Trails Section |
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| Along the North Country Trail Drummond Ski Trails Section |
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| Along the North Country Trail Drummond Ski Trails Section |