The Southern Blue Hills Segment of the Ice Age Trail is a 7.3-mile footpath through the Rusk County Forest in Northwest Wisconsin just outside Weyerhaeuser. It is disconnected by a 1.2-mile connecting road route from the Northern Blue Hills Segment at its Northwest trailhead. It is separated by a 21.3-mile connecting road route to the Chippewa Moraine Segment at its Southeast trailhead.
The Southern Blue Hills segment features hummocky woodland scenery. It crosses several creeks, passes two small lakes, and meanders through a healthy hemlock and white pine stand.
Parking is available on the shoulder of Yuker Road at the North trailhead and along Bass Lake Road at the south trailhead.
Dispersed camping is allowed anywhere between Yuker Road and North Lake along this segment, with one established primitive campsite at North Lake. The nearest location for restrooms, potable water, and shelter can be found at public buildings in Weyerhaeuser.
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| North Lake Campsite on the Ice Age Trail Southern Blue Hills Segment |
I had hoped for better conditions to hike the Southern Blue Hills segment. Still, I made do with intermittent light rain and cold – an improvement over the downpours I endured on the Northern Blue Hills and Hemlock Creek segments.
Weather aside, I enjoyed a full day out and back on this trail, even taking a two-hour break at North Lake, where I slung a hammock between trees, took a nap, ate lunch, and found my strength to finish a 14 ½ mile out-and-back.
Pops of fall color burst out of the green hue of this dense woodland hike, which is well-shaded most of the way. The trail itself is primarily single-track but wide and easy to read.
The section south of North Lake is private land. There are a few places to peek at rolling farmlands and hilly landscape in the distance. You’ll also have to climb a short ladder over a fence and cross a railroad before completing the segment on Bass Lake Road.
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| A climb over a fence on the Ice Age Trail Southern Blue Hills Segment |
Ice Age National Scenic Trail Southern Blue Hills Segment
COUNTY
RUSK
COMMUNITIES
WEYERHAEUSER
TOTAL MILES
7.3-MILES POINT-TO-POINT
DIFFICULTY
MODERATE
LOWEST ELEVATION
1300AMSL
HIGHEST ELEVATION
1700 AMSL
CUMMULATIVE TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN
1000 FT
NEXT IAT SEGMENT EASTBOUND
IAT CHIPPEWA MORAINE SEGMENT
NEXT IAT SEGMENT WESTBOUND
IAT NORTHERN BLUE HILLS SEGMENT
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: Ice Age National Scenic Trail, Weyerhaeuser, WI 54895
| coordinates: 45.486097840191185, -91.4554742749467 |
| From Milwaukee | 5 Hours |
| From Madison | 4 Hours |
| From Green Bay | 3.5 Hours |
| From Wausau | 2 Hours |
| From Minneapolis | 2 Hours |
| From Chicago | 6 Hours |
Photos
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| Yuker Road. You can hike it or drive it. |
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| There's a few parking spots on Yuker Road on the shoulder near the trailhead |
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| The trail starts as a two-track troad |
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| Most of the trail is a wide single track like this |
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| The North Lake Campsite has a fire ring, picnic table, and someone left a row boat |
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| I spent some time here handing in my hammock |
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| Some of this segment on the southern end is private land, you can get a peek through the trees at some beautiful rolling farmland |