This trail gets my vote for the best off-the-grid, way-out-there remote path. Tucked partly in the Plum Lake Hemlock Forest SNA, this route is part of a wonderfully squiggly maze of a trail system that wanders the woods along the southern shore of Star Lake.
The path mixes it up with get-your-feet-wet close to the water, rugged sections of roots and rocks on punchy little hills, and stretches of calm in the trees. This is yet another of my all-time favorite trails, in large part due to its remote vibe, old-growth forest lineage, and silent invitation to just go out there and connect.
With every step of this hike, know that you are traveling through a near-virgin stand of old-growth forest packed with the likes of relict hemlock, yellow and paper birch, sugar maple, and basswood. Forestry experts tell us that the presence of large, aged white birch means this stand likely was born of a fire event around 1810 with a natural succession of species from aspen to hemlock. Shrub species in attendance include mountain maple, honeysuckle, and elderberry; and below you’ll see mayflower, plentiful emerald-green moss, snowberry, and lots more. Flitting about this paradise are dozens of songbird species, merrily singing away the praises of calling this place home.
We can join in their song, simultaneously content and proud to be in such good company and treasured legacy. SNAs like this one are Wisconsin’s last refuges for rare plant and animal species. More than 90 percent of plants and 75 percent of endangered and threatened species in our state are protected within SNAs. Many of these places provide critical living laboratories for scientific research due to their visible evidence of natural processes evolving with very little human muddling. And that is the most priceless of heirlooms to share with generations to come.
The entire first half of the loop traces very close to Star Lake’s shoreline with the expected gorgeous views, and the trail is a blast; full of personality in the form of scattered boulders of various girth and of course the resplendent hemlock forest. At the top side of the western loop, the trail skirts around a little pond and it is here where, if you’re ambitious, you can keep right on hiking for the rest of the day.
Why this place matters
The Plum Lake Hemlock Forest SNA was assigned as such in 1953 and boasts rare and humbling examples of big hemlocks, supported with accoutrements such as balsam fir, wood fern, white birch, tamarack, white pine and many moss species. The red-eyed vireo nests here, as does the blackburnian warbler, northern parula, winter wren and hermit thrush.
This AllTrails.com map shows the trail’s general location. Go to https://vilaswi.com/maps/Trampers-Trails.pdf?x18247 for more detail.