The North Country Trail cuts a more than 200-mile route through Wisconsin between the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the North Shore of Minnesota. The Porcupine Hill Segment connects between Wisconsin’s Foster Falls to Wren Falls Segments at its East trailhead and the Copper Falls Segment at its West Trailhead.
The Porcupine Hill Segment is a 5-mile long moderately difficult single-track footpath. This segment crosses the Taylor Forks of the Bad River twice and climbs 150 feet to Porcupine Hill which has long views of the Iron County Forest. The trail is easily accessed by parking lots at both its East and West trailheads. There are two primitive campsites along this segment. Dispersed camping is allowed anywhere along this segment in the Iron County Forest.
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| Fording the Taylor Forks River on the NCT Porcupine Hill Segment. A bridge is planned for this crossing to be built in 2024. |
This crucial connection has been many years in the making. Finally, it is here. Now backpackers can hike on continuous footpath between Foster Falls and the City of Mellen before they encounter a roadway connecting route.
I hiked this segment in May of 2023, the year after it was commissioned. At that time the bridge over the Taylor Forks near Highway 169 was not yet in place, but the river was easily forded at this location.
I completed this hike as a 10-mile out-and-back from the Highway-169 Trailhead. The path started out gradual and easy in swampy terrain where the mosquito swarms were oppressive. These bugs nagged me to hike faster, and I was pushing for higher and drier ground. It wasn’t long before the trail began to ascend - I practically jogged up the incline. Near the top of Porcupine Hill, I found a narrow cut in the canopy and a patch of bare ground to sit on. Finally, I could rest without being driven off by bugs. A slight breeze swayed the tops of trees in the Iron County Forest below and I took a long break to relax on that peaceful and quiet overlook.
Back on the trail the hill continued its climb and then leveled out before reaching a new primitive campsite next to a running stream. The campsite is a bit scrappy and doesn’t offer a feeling of protection or a scenic overlook, but it suffices as a place for tired hikers to rest after climbing the hill. Like most sites along the NCT this site features an abbreviated table, bench, fire ring, access to water for filtering and a thunder box a short distance into the woods.
From the site the trail rapidly descends towards Wren Falls. Before crossing the bridge over to Wren Falls there is another new campsite on the banks of the Taylor Forks River within earshot of Wren Falls. This is a prime spot for backpack camping.
Viewing the picturesque Wren Falls is a highlight in this neck of the woods. The road to Wren Falls has been improved and is now accessible by vehicles of all types and there is a large parking lot near the falls.
You’ll enjoy this hike as an ambitious day hike as well as a connection to the popular Copper Falls segment.
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| The Taylor Forks River at the North Country Trail footbridge near Wren Falls |
North Country National Trail - Porcupine Hill Segment
COUNTY
IRON
COMMUNITIES
ANDERSON, GURNEY, UPSON
TOTAL MILES
5-MILES POINT-TO-POINT
DIFFICULTY
DIFFICULT
LOWEST ELEVATION
1130AMSL HWY169 TRAILHEAD
HIGHEST ELEVATION
1260 AMSL PORCUPINE HILL
CUMMULATIVE TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN
850 FT
NEXT NCT SECTION WESTBOUND
COPPER FALLS SEGMENT
NEXT NCT SECTION EASTBOUND
FOSTER FALLS TO WREN FALLS
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: 40723 WI-169, Mellen, WI 54546
| coordinates: 46.407309264701524, -90.56929015935474 |
| From Milwaukee | 5.5 Hours |
| From Madison | 5 Hours |
| From Green Bay | 4 Hours |
| From Wausau | 2.5 Hours |
| From Minneapolis | 4 Hours |
| From Chicago | 7 Hours |
Photos
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| The trail starts in low and swampy land. Misquitos thive here. |
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| Fresh boardwalk over mudpits |
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| The Taylor Forks River at the NCT ford on the Porcupine Hill Segment |
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| The trail begins with a gradual climb but still can't shake the biting bugs |
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| wetlands are abundant on the west side of Porcupine Hill. Boardwalks provide some relief from the bugs. |
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| Finally, a challenging and long hill climbs steeply. I began to get summer breeze and left the swarms of mosquito behind. |
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| This small crack of a long view is the only view from ontop Porcupine Hill, but I spent a very long break resting here. I was so glad to be able to have some peace from the biting bugs and the sounds of the forest up here are sublime. It really was a perfect summer day to be above the forest. |
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| A closer look at that long view from Porcupine Hill on the North Country Trail |
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| A mysterious ruins of a structure on top Porcupine hill. Just a pile of rocks as far as I can tell. |
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| Really just bizarre. Looks like a constructed crib for holding a pile of rocks. Not sure what to make of it. |
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| A stream crossing just northeast of Porcupine Hill summit. This stream is the water source for the new primitive campsite nearby. |
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| A brand new bridge on a brand new segment of the North Country Trail |
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| The Primitive Campsite on the northeast side of Porcupine Hill. It looks like a really scrappy site. At least its a place to stay with a bench, table, fire ring, thunder box, and a stream for filtering water from. |
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| Another view of the campsite on Porcupine Hill |
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| Wren Falls from the North Country Trail |
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| This is the new NCT campsite beside the Taylor Forks River. Bench, table, fire ring, thunderbox and not much room for a tent. |
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| View of the Taylor Forks River from the new NCT campsite near Wren Falls. |