Backpack Trail Guide

Trails

Top Backpacking Trails in Wisconsin

9 routes. Each page shows when we last checked it. Updated October 2026.

Wisconsin backpacking on this site falls into three groups. On Lake Superior, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore has the mainland Lakeshore Trail, which passes sea cave overlooks on the way to a reservable campsite, and island camping on Stockton Island, reached only by boat. In the northern forests, the North Country Trail crosses the Rainbow Lake and Porcupine Lake Wildernesses in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, and Newport State Park in Door County has hike-in sites between Europe Lake and Lake Michigan. The Ice Age Trail runs from the reservable shelters of the Kettle Moraine State Forest to primitive camping on the Jerry Lake route and in the Harrison Hills, where Backpacker and Travel Wisconsin call Lookout Mountain the trail’s highest point.

Expect rolling glacial terrain of eskers, moraines, kettle lakes, and bogs, with many short, steep climbs. Camping rules change with the land manager: reservations in the national lakeshore and on DNR land, and dispersed camping with setbacks from water and the trail in the national forest wildernesses. Treat water, store food from northern black bears, and expect ticks and spring bugs.

Late spring through fall is the usual season. In 2026 the Stockton Island camping shuttle ran only through Aug. 30, the NPS marina at Little Sand Bay is closed to the public for rehabilitation, and logging continues through mid-November beside the Ice Age Trail north of Highway 28 in the Kettle Moraine Northern Unit, though the trail stays open. Gun deer season runs Nov. 21 to 29.

Quick picks

Ice Age Trail

Lake Superior

Northern Wisconsin

Backpacking in Wisconsin: common questions

Do you need a permit to backpack in Wisconsin?

It depends on who manages the land. Apostle Islands National Lakeshore requires a camping permit for all camping, reserved on Recreation.gov or by phone, and individual-site trips can be booked only within 30 days of the start date. Wisconsin DNR backpack sites, including those at Newport State Park and the Kettle Moraine shelters, are reserved through wisconsin.goingtocamp.com or 1-888-947-2757. The Forest Service pages for the Rainbow Lake and Porcupine Lake Wildernesses mention no permit, and the Ice Age Trail Alliance notes that some county forests require permits for primitive camping, so check with the managing agency before you go.

Can you camp anywhere on Wisconsin's long trails?

No. The Ice Age Trail Alliance says camping on the Ice Age Trail is allowed only in designated areas and that there is no primitive camping south of Langlade County, so the Kettle Moraine sections are shelter-only by reservation, one night per site and up to 10 people. Primitive camping is allowed on national forest land, but the Forest Service bans camping within 200 feet of water or the North Country Trail in the Rainbow Lake Wilderness and within 100 feet in the Porcupine Lake Wilderness, and the Alliance asks for 200 feet from water and the trail on Ice Age Trail primitive sites. A Chequamegon-Nicolet forest order also prohibits dispersed camping within a quarter mile of a developed recreation site.

Is it safe to backpack in Wisconsin during hunting season?

Hunting overlaps fall backpacking on most public land in the state. The Wisconsin DNR lists 2026 archery and crossbow deer season from Sept. 12 to Jan. 3, 2027, the nine-day gun deer season from Nov. 21 to 29, and muzzleloader season from Nov. 30 to Dec. 9. The Ice Age Trail Alliance says most public-land segments, including those in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest and state and county forests, stay open during hunting seasons, but it recommends blaze orange from November through March and notes that gun deer season often limits hiking options.

Are campfires allowed when backpacking in Wisconsin?

Often, at a fire ring, but check restrictions first. The Wisconsin DNR says small fires for warming or cooking don't need a DNR burning permit except during emergency burning restrictions, which it posts by county on its burning restrictions page. Firewood is regulated separately: a Chequamegon-Nicolet forest order restricts bringing firewood from more than 25 miles away, and Newport State Park allows only dead and down wood. The Ice Age Trail Alliance prohibits fires other than backpacking stoves at its dispersed camping areas.

Do you need to carry water and store food from bears in Wisconsin?

Plan to treat or carry all water. The Forest Service says potable water isn't available in the Rainbow Lake Wilderness, the DNR says all water must be carried to the Kettle Moraine Southern Unit shelters, and the NPS lists no water at Apostle Islands Mainland Campsite 1. Black bears live in the north, and the NPS says Stockton Island has a resident population. Apostle Islands individual and group sites and Newport's backpack sites have food lockers or lockboxes, but the national lakeshore's primitive zones do not.

When is the best time to backpack in Wisconsin?

Most trips on this site suit late spring through fall. Backpacker recommends May through October for the Harrison Hills and mid-September through October for the Jerry Lake route, while the Kettle Moraine shelters are open year-round and the Ice Age Trail Alliance says weekend shelter nights from April through October are often booked months ahead. Island trips depend on boats, and the 2026 Stockton Island camping shuttle ran only from June 20 to Aug. 30. In winter expect icy trails, and the NPS closes the Apostle Islands' Meyers Beach area during extreme cold.

Where this comes from