Brule-St. Croix Chapter, Northwest Wisconsin

South Shore Grade

Wills Road-Samples Road

Length of Segment: 3.9 miles

East Trailhead:  Wills Rd. at the intersection of Troy Pit Rd.  The trail crosses this intersection southeast to northwest.  Park along the road.

West Trailhead: Samples Rd. trailhead, off Wisconsin 27 2 miles south of Brule.  Follow the North Country Trail parking signs to the trailhead parking area.

Alternate Access: South Shore Grade Rd., about 3/4 mi. north of the intersection with Troy Pit Rd.   Park along the road or turn off on the track just south of the trail crossing, on the east side, to park in a small field.

The first half of the segment, between Wills Rd. and South Shore Grade Rd., crosses the Ahmeek Lake moraine and features knob-and-kettle terrain.  The trail passes through a spruce plantation, turns northwest, follows a narrow hogback, then descends west and joins a woods road through fairly level terrain for most of the way to South Shore Grade Rd.  Just before reaching the road, the trail leaves the Ahmeek Lake moraine and re-enters the Bayfield Sand Plains.  It  passes through this sandy glacial outwash terrain for the next 40 miles to near Gordon Dam County Park.

West of South Shore Grade Rd., the trail descends through a red pine plantation through a hollow which contains a swampy, lily-covered pond about 1/4 mile north of the trail.  It climbs onto level, sandy wooded terrain as it approaches the Brule Valley and starts to turn south.   About 1 1/4 mile west of South Shore Grade or 1/2 mile north of Troy Pit Rd, a spur trail leads 1 1/2 miles west to the Bois Brule Campground.  Continuing on the NCT, Troy Pit Rd. is crossed in a glacial outwash channel, then the trail climbs up a substantial hill to cross Samples Rd. and reach the trailhead.

Note that the trail does not cross the actual South Shore Grade, a historic railroad bed which once carried rail traffic through the Lake Superior South Shore area.  Two good places to see the grade are at the north end of South Shore Grade Rd., about 3/4 mile north of the trail crossing, and on the Winneboujou Bluff water spur trail, which follows the old grade at the base of the bluff to the Little Brule River.

Next Trail Segment West: Brule Valley Overlooks

Next Trail Segment East: Morris Pond

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