Passport to Wellness

Passport to Wellness is brought to you by the Healthy CHANGE Coalition, a group of area organizations working together with the goal of helping motivate individuals and their families living in the Chequamegon Bay Area to increase physical activity in order to promote health and wellbeing. We live in a unique and beautiful part of the world and want to highlight the geography and history of it.

The Passport to Wellness highlights just a few of our local nature trails and encourages you and your families to walk and enjoy while on your path to wellness. Each trail page will have a question to answer about the trail. Record the answer in the designated spot. Once you have completed 80% or more of the routes in Passport to Wellness, you may return to one of our partnering agencies for a wellness prize for all of your hard effort!

You can get your own copy of the passport at one of our partnering agencies. For more information on how, go to our Participating Agencies page.

The following is a list of the trails that are part of Passport to Wellness. There are ten trails in all that are part of Passport to Wellness, but feel free to explore the many trails that Ashland and Bayfield Counties have to offer! Please be sure to wear the proper clothing and footwear. See our Environmental Considerations page for more information.

For directions to any of these trails, see our Directions to Trails page, which also has basic maps of the trails for you to use. Many of these trails have their own maps for you to pick-up on-site that have guided explanations.

We also wanted to provide some helpful health tips for those who are looking to increase their health and wellbeing while participating in the Passport to Wellness. See our Helpful Health Tips section for more.

Passport to Wellness Feature Trails

1. ASHLAND MURAL WALK

Distance: 1-mile round trip

View the work of local mural artists Kelly Meredith and Susan Prentice Martinsen in downtown Ashland. The 8-block Main Street business district is a background for a fascinating walk through Ashland’s history as you admire the multi-story color murals. The walk is handicap accessible and fully paved. You can start along the corner of Hwy. 2 & 13 at the Asaph Whittlesey Mural and work your way down Main Street to the corner of Chapple Avenue at the Lighthouse Mural.

Find out more about the Ashland Mural Walk and their various locations .

2. NORTHERN GREAT LAKES VISITOR CENTER BOARDWALK TRAIL

Distance: 1.7 miles

The Boardwalk Trail offers great wildlife viewing opportunities of birds, waterfowl, muskrat, frogs, and turtles. The trail is open year-round and visitors are welcome to walk, snowshoe or cross-country ski. The trail is relatively level with a firm surface allowing for easy access to people of all abilities. Benches are located periodically along the trail to allow you to rest and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The trail can be accessed from the Great Lakes Visitor Center from 9am-5pm; after hours the trail can be accessed from the Aldo Leopold trailhead located just 1/4 mile down Hwy G.

3. ASHLAND WATERFRONT TRAIL

Distance: 5.0 miles one-way

The Waterfront Trail is a paved trail along the shores of Lake Superior in beautiful Chequamegon Bay. You may walk or bike this trail. The Waterfront trail is wheelchair accessible. Benches are located periodically along the trail so that you may stop and enjoy the scenic view of Lake Superior. Access this trail from five Ashland City Parks: Maslowski Beach, 6th Avenue Beach, Kreher Park, the Oredock or Bayview Park. Feel free to bring the whole family along on this adventure!

4. WASHBURN LAKEFRONT TRAIL

Distance: 1.9 miles roundtrip

The Washburn Lakefront Walking trail offers stunning views of Chequamegon Bay and the sandstone cliffs notable along the south shore of Lake Superior. The trail extends from Washburn’s West End Park to the beautiful marina and coal dock. Enjoy learning more about the history of Washburn’s booming lumber industry from the informational signs along the trail. The first half of the trail beginning at West End Park is wheelchair accessible. The majority of the trail is flat, with two areas with wooden steps. Parking is available at West End Park and along various parts of the trail, with additional parking available at the marina.

Learn more about the Washburn Lakefront Trail.

5. HOUGHTON FALLS TRAIL

Distance: 2 miles round trip

Houghton Falls Trail has a dramatic display of sandstone gorges along the Lake Superior shore. The trail is surrounded by birch, cedar and large white pine, and cliffs are lined with hemlock. View woodland streams and small waterfalls cascading into Lake Superior from Houghton Falls Trail. The trail is well marked and fairly level. Please stay on the designated pathways as the land is privately-owned and the owners have graciously provided permission to access this scenic area. Pets are welcome if on a leash.

Find additional information on the Houghton Falls Nature Preserve.

6. MORGAN FALLS TRAIL

Distance: 1.2 miles roundtrip

Fee: $5.00 day pass

Morgan Falls Trail winds through the backwoods of northern Wisconsin to a tall, 70 foot, thin waterfall. An easier stroll, the trail is graveled and fairly level. The trail travels offers cool shade, even on hotter days, as it weaves through a beautiful pine forest. Flat wooden bridges cross many small creeks that weave along the pathway. If you wish to continue on after the waterfall, St. Peter’s Dome trail provides a more rugged climb for expert hikers up to a scenic view of Lake Superior some 20 miles to the north. St. Peter’s Dome Trail is 3.6 miles roundtrip, has exposed rocks and is a steep climb. Pets welcome on a leash.

7. COPPER FALLS-THREE BRIDGES TRAIL

Distance: 1.7 miles

Fee: $7 day pass for Wisconsin residents

This trail travels along the beautiful banks of the Bad and Tyler Forks Rivers and is made of packed dirt and cobblestone. It is wide and easily traveled. Enjoy splendid views of the falls where the Bad River and Tyler Forks River converge in a gorge with walls towering upwards of 60-100 feet. Beautiful scenic overlooks allow for breathtaking photographic opportunities of the falls. While handrails are present along trail, this trail winds along many cliffs, so please use caution while hiking these paths. Wheelchair access available to sections of the trail. Open 6 am - 11 pm daily.

Find out more about Copper Falls State Park.

8. BROWNSTONE TRAIL

Distance: 5.8 miles round trip

The Brownstone Trail is located along the beautiful shores of the Bayfield Peninsula. This trail begins at Manypenny Avenue and extends along the brownstone cliffs to Port Superior Marina just south of the Town of Bayfield. This trail is created along the old Chicago and North Western Railway. One section of this path does include steps. Take in the beautiful sites of Lake Superior, as well as the natural beauty of the birch and maple trees shading the trail. Numerous paths along the trail lead to private property; please be courteous and stay on the trail.

9. BAYFIELD FISH HATCHERY TRAIL

Distance: 2 miles round trip

This fairly level trail takes you on a small loop around the Pikes Creek area, beginning and ending at the Bayfield Fish Hatchery. The trail is paved or gravel and is wheelchair accessible. It is a simple hike which winds through a wooded area shaded by a mixed forest. It’s also a great trail to take children on to educate them on the wide variety of fish native to the region by visiting the outdoor tanks at the hatchery. Parents are advised to keep close watch over young children while visiting for their safety and the health of the fish. Pets are not allowed on the grounds. The Hatchery is open April-October from 8 am - 3 pm daily.

10. IRON RIVER NATIONAL FISH HATCHERY TRAIL

Distance: Approx. 1 mile

The Iron River Fish Hatchery Trail is open year-round and loops around the land surrounding the Iron River Fish Hatchery. There are two different loops to choose from. The shorter loop is the easier of the two and is handicap accessible. The trails are well-marked every 1/4 mile and a field guide is available to use to look up local plants, animals, and flowers.