Located about 70 miles southeast of Superior, Cable is a small Northwoods town that’s long been known as a winter destination for folks who love to ski and snowmobile. The starting line of the American Birkebeiner race, Cable can have the feel of a small ski town. But the same miles of open land that draw folks in the winter has become a big draw in the warmer months. Home to one of the best mountain biking trail systems in the country – in a state with no mountains, no less – and with miles and miles of hiking trails, tons of spots to canoe and kayak and a growing active community that’s chosen to settle here, this small town of fewer than 1,000 people is kind of an outdoors-person’s paradise. Here are eight different trails you can discover within a few miles of this wonderful Northwoods town:
This trail stretches for more than 100 kilometers from Cable to Hayward, but it's also nicely broken down into 17 different segments that are anywhere from two to nine kilometers long. The Birkebeiner Foundation maintains the trails and lets you know what's freshly mowed or cleaned in the summer. For information on each segment and up-to-date info on maintenance in the summer, head to their website here.
The highest point in Chequamegon, this area gives you stunning views down to the stream and on a clear day, you can see all the way to Lake Superior. It's a tough, 1.8 mile hike, but the payoff is worth it.
At the same spot you hike up to St. Peter's Dome, you can take a short, half-mile hike to Morgan Falls. There's a thin waterfall that comes down the rock and then it spreads across the wall face.
At the moment, both St. Peter's Dome and Morgan Falls trails are closed due to washouts, but the Park Service says they hope to get them open this year.
This trail is nearly 10 miles, but can be broken into segments and is a great overnight option, with a campsite under shelter along the river. There are numerous outlooks along the trail that are worth climbing up for. This is also a great trail for snowshoeing in the winter.
The Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association (CAMBRA) has created a network of more than 300 miles of mountain biking trails in this area. Though mountain biking isn't usually the first things people think to do, this awesome set of trails is a great reason to try it.
Part of the St. Croix National Riverway, the river has more than 100 miles of navigable water suitable for paddling, adding another dimension of outdoor activities and "trails" that can be found and enjoyed in the Cable area.
6. North Country Trail - Porcupine Lake Wilderness
The US Forest Service says this is one of the best interpretive trails in Northern Wisconsin. The trailhead is near Garmisch resort and the two-mile trail takes you through diverse forest and bog-land.
This is a four-mile trail that circles Black Lake and you have views of the water for at least half of it. There's interpretive signs about logging in the area along the way.
What’s your favorite trail in Cable? Let us know about it in the comments!
