Ice Age Trail: Harrison Hills Segment

Lincoln County Forest (between Tomahawk and Merrill)

The Harrison Hills Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail climbs over Lookout Mountain, at 1,920 feet the highest point on the entire trail, according to Backpacker and Travel Wisconsin. Between the hills, the route strings together kettle lakes and glacial pools in the Lincoln County Forest.

Melanie Radzicki McManus laid it out for Backpacker in 2018 as a three-day trip with two lakeside camps.

The hike

McManus’s Backpacker route starts at the 1st Lake Road trailhead and ends at a shuttle car on County Road J, about 17 miles northeast of Merrill; she says the trailhead is a 24-minute drive from there. Day one is short: 2.4 miles south and west to Chain Lake. Day two covers 7.4 miles past “a dozen glacial pools” and over Lookout Mountain to Bus Lake at mile 9.8. Day three is 5.8 miles southwest to County Road J. She estimates about 3,000 feet of total gain and loss.

In a longer write-up of the same hike on her blog, McManus measures the segment at 14.5 miles and adds detail. Chain Lake is a five-acre lake popular with anglers for catfish, walleye, and northern pike. Around mile 4.5 there’s an ATV shelter with restrooms. The big climb is Lookout Mountain, around mile 6.3, where tree cover blocks most of the view; Travel Wisconsin mentions the old fire tower stairs at the top. The trail also crosses Turtle Lake, and a natural spring runs beside the trail near County Highway J at the end.

McManus’s main warnings are about following the route. She says navigation can be tricky because of ATV trails, timber harvests, and overgrown brush, and that raspberry canes, grasses, and shrubs crowd the trail after the descent from Lookout Mountain. Travel Wisconsin’s 2021 winter backpacking story calls the trail “strenuous.”

Backpacker lists a six-member wolf pack, black bears, white-tailed deer, grouse, and beavers in the area, and McManus suggests watching for beavers at dusk on Bus Lake and listening for drumming grouse in spring. Backpacker recommends May through October.

Go To Tomahawk says there’s also trail access where the trail crosses Highway B at the “ATV Trail & Parking” sign, and the Town of Harrison lists a parking area on County Highway B. The Ice Age Trail Alliance includes Harrison Hills in its 33-mile Lincoln and Langlade Counties backpacking trip, which also covers the Underdown, Alta Junction, and Parrish Hills areas.

For a longer Ice Age Trail trip in national forest, see Jerry Lake to Mondeaux Dam.

Tips

Carry navigation. ATV trails and logging can make the route hard to follow.
Wear long pants for the raspberry and brush after Lookout Mountain.
Arrive early for Chain Lake. Its two sites hold only a few tents each.
Treat water from the lakes or the spring.
Confirm camping rules with Lincoln County Forestry.

Camping

Backpacker says no permit is required and that both campsites are first come, first served. Go To Tomahawk says camping is available along this part of the trail on county forest land. The Ice Age Trail Alliance’s general guidance for primitive camping on county and national forest land is to camp 200 feet from water and 200 feet from the trail, and it notes that some county forests require permits. Travel Wisconsin describes the Chain Lake and Bus Lake sites as primitive, with log seating.

Inside Intel: McManus describes two primitive sites a few paces apart on Chain Lake’s southern shore, each holding only a few tents, and warns the first may be soggy in high water; the oaks and ash there suit hammocks. Bus Lake’s site is a spacious lakeside clearing that holds at least a dozen tents, and she suggests waking early for sunrise over the water. Backpacker calls Bus Lake the last campable pool on the route.

Trail facts

Distance: 15.6 miles (Backpacker); 14 to 16 miles in other sources
Route type: Point-to-point
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
Campsites: Chain Lake (mile 2.4), Bus Lake (mile 9.8); first come, first served
Water: Lakes and pools; spring near County Highway J; treat
Permits: None, per Backpacker; confirm with the county
High point: Lookout Mountain, 1,920 feet
Trailheads: 1st Lake Road; Highway B; County Road J
Last verified: October 12, 2026

The Lowdown

Wet brush below Lookout Mountain:

McManus warns of raspberry, grasses, and shrubs crowding the trail below Lookout Mountain. If you'll be pushing through wet brush, see whether a premium shell is worth the price. We compared three.

See what testers found →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.