Bayfield County Forest
Managed by Bayfield County
41,146 acres72.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
–Not graded
Outdoors in Barnes
More than half of Barnes’ land is conserved: 55%
55% of Barnes’ land is conserved, about 41,717 acres. The biggest trail networks: Bayfield County Forest (72.7 mi). 39,172 acres are parks and preserves, 45,869 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
55%
41,717 acres · of 118.1 sq mi of land
Trails
129 mi
1.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
39,172 ac
45,869 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
27%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.7 mi
5.7 mi paths
Highest peak
1,499 ft
Smoky Hill
Lakes & rivers
37
1 beach · 4 boat launches
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Bayfield County Forest, with 72.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Mid Eau Claire Lake Public Access
Park
51 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Douglas County Forest
Nature preserve
25 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Barnes Town Park
Park
6 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Who protects it
41,717 conserved acres
55% of Barnes’ land. Water is left out: Barnes has 118.1 square miles of land and 6.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Barnes’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County38,658 ac
State natural resources2,844 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits224 ac
U.S. Forest Service18 ac
Local Conservation Area · 38,658 acForest Stewardship Easement · 2,721 acConservation Easement · 224 acState Recreation Area · 91 acNational Forest · 18 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,941 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bayfield County Forest Local Conservation Area | County | 38,616 | Open |
| Mid Eau Claire Lake Public Access State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 57 | Restricted |
| Rem-Lower Eau Claire Lake State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 28 | Restricted |
| Sawyer County Forest Local Conservation Area | County | 21 | Open |
| Douglas County Forest Local Conservation Area | County | 20 | Open |
| Chequamegon National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 18 | Open |
| State Owned Islands State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 16 | Open |
| State Owned Islands - Nw State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 16 | Open |
| Pickerel Lake Fishery Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 5 | Restricted |
Things to do
10 places to go in Barnes
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Barnes
Traut's Resort LLC
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Barnes
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Barnes
Middle Eau Claire Boat LandingIn Mid Eau Claire Lake Public Access
DirectionsPickerel Lake Boat Landing
DirectionsRobinson Lake Boat Landing
DirectionsUpper Eau Claire Boat Landing
DirectionsPeaks in Barnes
Smoky Hill1,499 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Barnes
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Barnes
Crosswinds Resort and Campground
DirectionsThe Enchanted Inn Campgrounds
DirectionsTrails & water
37 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Barnes LakeBass LakelakeBirch LakelakeBlue LakelakeBony LakelakeBreakfast LakelakeConnor LakeCranberry LakelakeDevils LakelakeDucetts LakesEast Eightmile LakeEllison LakelakeGeorge LakelakeHay LakelakeHenderson LakeIdlewild LakeIsland LakelakeKelly LakelakeLittle Island LakelakeMiddle Eau Claire LakelakeMimi LakelakeOle LakelakePickerel LakelakeRobinson LakelakeSand Bar LakelakeShunenberg LakelakeSmith LakelakeSweet LakelakeTars PondTomahawk LakelakeTurtle LakelakeTwin LakeUpper Eau Claire LakelakeWest Eightmile LakeOunce RiverTotagatic RiverWest Fork Totagatic River
Biking & sports
5.7 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.7 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
3Tennis
3Pickleball
2Baseball
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Island Lake CampBuilding · listed 1982
About itWhen to get out
The walking year in Barnes
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.0 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.4 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°F) | 20 | 26 | 38 | 52 | 66 | 75 | 79 | 77 | 68 | 54 | 38 | 25 |
| Rain (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 1.4 |
January is the driest month (1.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 4.4 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Barnes →
Next door
Barnes and its neighbors
Barnes has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Highland | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Drummond | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Delta | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Cable | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Hughes | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lenroot | 55% | 1.0 | 18,107 | 69% | A+ |
| Gordon | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Barnes
Where can I hike in Barnes?
The longest trail networks: Bayfield County Forest, 72.7 miles; Barnes Town Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Barnes’ trails?
Bayfield County Forest and Mid Eau Claire Lake Public Access don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Barnes?
5.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.7 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Barnes?
297,034 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Barnes or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 39,214 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Barnes neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →