The Hiawatha-Bearskin Trail system between Tomahawk and Minocqua crosses 32 miles of the lake-filled Northern Highlands region of Wisconsin. The two-trails share an abandoned right of way of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railway Company (CMSTP&P), extended to Minocqua in 1887, and carried freight to and lumber from the forests of northern Wisconsin.
The 6.5-mile Hiawatha Trail originates in Tomahawk, and the 25.5-mile Bearskin State Park Trail originates in Minocqua. The trails connect at Heafford Junction. The trail surface is compacted crushed granite and features numerous wood-plank surfaced trestle crossings.
There is a five-mile segment of the Bearskin Trail on town roads with low volume vehicular traffic. It includes a 0.8-mile segment on County highway L between Rocky Road and Lakewood Road. County highway L has sufficient paved shoulder width for bicyclists. Some caution is necessary for bicyclists and drivers when sharing this roadway with motor vehicle speed limits set at 55 mph.
The Hiawatha-Bearskin is open to bicycling and hiking, and (except for the on-road segment) snowmobiling as winter weather allows. The trails traverse forests and wetlands, several lakes and streams, and offer numerous fishing opportunities.
The bookend communities of Tomahawk and Minocqua share a pre-railroading history, too. Minocqua is along the headwaters of the Tomahawk River which reaches the Wisconsin River in Tomahawk west of the Hiawatha trailhead. The Tomahawk River was once known as the “Little Wisconsin” and was a vital waterway during the early logging years and a span of 200 years of fur trade. Tomahawk is situated at “The Forks”, and Minocqua overlooks the paddle and portage routes which stemmed from the strategically-positionted Ojibwe community and trading center of Lac du Flambeau.