The 100-mile trail system in Jackson County dodges in and out of the hardwoods and pines allowing glimpses of the open landscape. The lake drained suddenly and catastrophically carved the rock formations of the Wisconsin River, altering the course of the Mississippi River and creating the area’s buttes and sandstone hills. The area is on the edge of Glacial Lake Wisconsin, an enormous lake that formed 12,000 years ago when the last glacier melted. The 120,000-acre Jackson County Forest nearly surrounds the 67,000-acre Black River State Forest. But no matter where you start, the scenic beauty of the trails that roll through Jackson County and the Black River State Forest will dazzle you. Four trailheads are just off I-94, making them popular with day-trippers. Eight access points give you plenty of trailhead choices.
The rolling terrain, wide trails and towering trees make you feel like you’re miles from civilization. Not only are they proximal to Interstate 94, the trail system here is extensive, the scenery is lovely, and campgrounds are everywhere. Just a two-hour drive from the Twin Cities and Madison and three hours from Milwaukee, the ATV trails of the Jackson County Forest and the Black River State Forest are some of the most popular in the Midwest.
