Nicolet State Trail
- Status
- Status not posted
- Entrance fee
- Statewide rule — see below
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Statewide rule — see below
- Camping
- None listed
- Official site
- dnr.wisconsin.gov(920) 834-6995
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
Covering about 1,458 acres, Nicolet State Trail lies in Forest County, about 19 miles southeast of Crandon.
Popular activities here are off-highway vehicle riding, horseback riding, and biking.
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| The park’s wording doesn’t give clock times — see the official wording below. | |||
Official wording
The trail is open year-round.
Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/Chicago).
Pets
Pets allowed on a physical leash no longer than 8 feet at all times and under control; loose pets may be seized. Property-specific pet areas/restrictions appear on park pages.
Statewide rule from Wisconsin's park system (source). This park’s page doesn’t state its own pet rules, so check for local restrictions.
Fees and passes
Per vehicle, resident vs nonresident pricing: a vehicle admission pass is required on all motor vehicles stopping in state parks, forests and recreation areas (daily $13 WI / $16 out-of-state; annual $28 / $50; rates effective Aug. 19, 2025). State trails use a per-person trail pass for certain uses. Heritage Hill SP charges a per-person admission instead.
Statewide fee rule from Wisconsin's park system; this park’s page doesn’t list its own fees.
Wisconsin park passes
- 12-month vehicle admission pass (Wisconsin plates) — $28. All Wisconsin state parks, forests and recreation areas for 12 months Details
- 12-month vehicle admission pass (out-of-state plates) — $50. Same, nonresident vehicles Details
- 12-month pass, Wisconsin residents 65+ — $13. Resident senior vehicles Details
- 12-month reduced-rate pass (additional household vehicle) — $15.50 resident / $32.50 nonresident. Additional vehicles at the same household address; bought with a full-price pass Details
- Daily vehicle admission pass — $13 resident / $3 resident 65+ / $16 nonresident Details
From the Wisconsin state guide. Confirm which passes this park accepts.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- Wisconsin State Park System reservations (Camis 'Going to Camp')
- Phone
- 1-888-947-2757
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Things to do
Off-highway vehiclesHorseback ridingBiking
Trails
| Trail | Length | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicolet State Trail | 89 mi | — | Rail trail: YesCompacted gravel surface |
Trail descriptions from the park
- Rail Trail: Yes
- Length: 89 miles
- Surface: Compacted gravel
- Counties: Florence, Forest, Oconto
- Communities: Tipler, Long Lake, Newald, Cavour, Laona, Wabeno, Townsend, Mountain, Suring, Gillett
Amenities
Recreation
- Horse trails
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Getting there
- Nearest town
- Crandon — about 19 mi southeast (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 45.4178, -88.5711 (from PAD-US)
- Phone
- (920) 834-6995
Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)
Directions from the park
Florence County: The Nicolet State Trail in Florence County runs north for more than 15 miles from the Florence/Forest county line near Long Lake past the town of Tipler to the Michigan state line. Access to the trail is available in Long Lake and Tipler. Long Lake is on State Highway 139 and Tipler is on State Highway 70, about one mile east of the highway 139/70 intersection. About halfway between the two communities, the Nicolet Trail crosses the Pine River, a state-designated wild river. Forest County: The Nicolet State Trail stretches 35 miles through Forest County passing through the communities of Carter, Wabeno, Blackwell, Laona, Cavour and Newald. In the town of Laona, the trail is near the intersection of U.S. Highway 8 and State Highway 32. Just south of the Forest/Florence county line the trail crosses the Popple River, a state-designated wild river. There are two parking areas available; 1) In Wabeno between the town park and the Logging Museum and 2) off of County Highway G, about one mile west of U.S. Highway 8 - follow the directional signs on County Highway G. Oconto County: The Nicolet State Trail in Oconto County begins in the town of Gillett near the Oconto/Shawano county line. Gillett is located on State Highway 22, about 18 miles northeast of the city of Shawano. The trail runs for about 30 miles north of Gillett in Oconto County and passes through the communities of Suring, Mountain, Lakewood and Townsend. In Suring, a parking area with access to the trail is available next to the Village Hall near State Highway 32. Beginning around Mountain, the trail parallels Highway 32 the rest of the way north into Forest County.
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- Wisconsin State Park System — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- Wisconsin DNR 'Find a Park' directory (server-rendered Drupal view, ?page=0..5), filtered to /topic/parks/ property pages
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology