Events

This hike is the last in a series of nine that will traverse the section of the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCNST) maintained by the NCTA Chequamegon Chapter. The Trail here was built by U.S. Forest Service personnel and Job Corp employees in 1967 and 1968. It is the original “North Country Trail.” These weekly hikes, on Wednesdays, from June 15 through August 17. (There is no hike scheduled for July 6.)

Please register for any hikes you plan to attend by sending the hike number(s), your name, and email address to che@northcountrytrail.org.

On August 17, the Chequamegon Chapter will host a hike from the NCNST trailhead on Kornstead Road to the Copper Falls State Park pavilion. We will meet at the Copper Falls Pavilion at 9:00 a.m. Most of the cars will stay at Copper Falls and a few cars will shuttle hikers to the beginning along the rustic Kornstead Road. We will follow Kornstead Road to the City of Mellen, the Chequamegon Chapter’s only official NCTA Trail Town (as of April 2013), and continue to the City of Mellen Hike & Bike Trail along the scenic Bad River. After crossing Highway 169, we will hike over a 370-foot-long raised wooden boardwalk, completed in October of 2016 by Chapter volunteers and the Wisconsin Roving Crew. From the boardwalk we will hike through a field and over two recently built bridges, and then into Copper Falls State Park and on the NCNST that will take us to the Copper Falls pavilion. We will be hiking at approximately a 2 mph pace with short rest stops and a midday lunch break along the way. This is a seven-mile hike with moderate to easy terrain and we will finish early afternoon.

A Vehicle Admission Sticker is required to park at the Copper Falls pavilion parking lot: $8-11 for a daily sticker or $13-38 for an annual sticker (depending on resident, senior, or out of state).

You will want to bring water, snacks or lunch, appropriate clothing for the weather conditions, bug repellent and other personal needs (and do not forget the camera). Average temperatures for the Mellen area in August range from 53° to 76° F. Public bathrooms and water are limited to the City of Mellen and Copper Falls State Park. This hike is limited to 18 participants.

Directions: Along Highway 13, look for the Copper Falls destination sign and turn on Highway 169. The entrance to Copper Falls State Park is located northeast of the city of Mellen on Highway 169.