Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
Encyclopedia
The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest (icon; the q is silent)
is a 1,530,647 acre (6,194.3 km²) U.S. National Forest in northern Wisconsin
in the United States
. Much of the old growth forest
in this region was destroyed by logging
in the early part of the 20th century. Some of the trees that grow there today were planted by the Civilian Conservation Corps
in the 1930s.
Legally two separate national forests—the Chequamegon National Forest and the Nicolet National Forest—the areas were established by presidential proclamations in 1933 and have been managed as one unit since 1993.
The Chequamegon comprises three units in the north-central part of the state totaling 865825 acres (3,503.9 km²). In descending order of forestland area it is located in parts of Bayfield, Ashland, Price
, Sawyer
, Taylor
, and Vilas
counties. Forest headquarters are in Park Falls
. There are local ranger
district offices in Glidden
, Hayward
, Medford
, Park Falls
, and Washburn
.
The Nicolet covers 664822 acres (2,690.4 km²) of northeastern Wisconsin. It is located in parts of Forest
, Oconto
, Florence
, Vilas
, Langlade
, and Oneida
counties. Forest headquarters are in Rhinelander
. There are local ranger district offices in Eagle River
, Florence, Lakewood
, and Laona
.
s, wetlands, muskeg
s, rivers, streams, pine savannas, meadows and many glacial lakes are found throughout these forests. Native tree species include Acer saccharum (sugar maple), Acer rubrum (red maple), and Acer spicatum (mountain maple), white
, red, and black oak
s, aspen
, beech
, basswood, sumac
, and paper
, yellow
, and river birch
. Coniferous trees, including red
, white
,and jack pine
, white spruce
and balsam fir
are abundant due to a dense second growth. Eastern hemlock
are also present as this is the westernmost limit of its distribution. Tamarack/black spruce
bogs, cedar swamps and alder
thickets are common. Blueberries
, raspberries
, blackberries
, cranberries
, serviceberries
, fern
s, moss
es, cattails, and mushroom
s also grow here, as well as many more shrubs and wildflowers.
White-tailed Deer
are numerous and many are hit by motorists on roads in northern Wisconsin year-round. Black bears
, fox
es, raccoon
s, rabbit
s, beaver
s, otter
s, squirrel
s, chipmunk
s, pheasant
s, grouse
and wild turkey
s are popular game in these northwoods. Elk
have been reintroduced and there have been sightings of moose
, [marten]]. http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/publications/pdf/raremammal.pdf] Bird species include northern cardinal
, blue jay
, gray jay
, common raven
, boreal
and black-capped chickadee
s, black-backed
and pileated woodpecker
s, red-winged blackbird
s, owl
s, duck
s, common loons, bald eagles, evening grosbeak
s, red and white-winged crossbills and many species of thrushes, sparrows and warblers. Brook trout
, rainbow trout
, and brown trout
are found in many miles of excellent streams. Walleye
, small
and largemouth bass
, crappie
, northern pike
, and many species of panfish
make the area's lakes famous for freshwater fishing. A record muskellunge
, Wisconsin's state fish, was caught in these waters. The beauty, heritage, and opportunities of these majestic forests draw thousands of tourists to the Chequamegon-Nicolet annually.
These national forests are best known for recreation
, including camping
, hiking
, fishing
, cross country skiing and snowmobiling.
The Chequamegon National Forest was also home to one of the two extremely low frequency
antennae
in the United States.
is a 1,530,647 acre (6,194.3 km²) U.S. National Forest in northern Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Much of the old growth forest
Old growth forest
An old-growth forest is a forest that has attained great age , and thereby exhibits unique ecological features. An old growth forest has also usually reached a climax community...
in this region was destroyed by logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
in the early part of the 20th century. Some of the trees that grow there today were planted by the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
in the 1930s.
Price County, Wisconsin
Price County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 15,822. Its county seat is Phillips.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water...
, Sawyer
Sawyer County, Wisconsin
Sawyer County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 16,196. Its county seat is Hayward.-History:The county is named for Philetus Sawyer, who represented Wisconsin in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate in the 19th century.-Geography:According to...
, Taylor
Taylor County, Wisconsin
Taylor County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population was 20,689. Its county seat is Medford.-History:The earliest recorded event in Taylor county probably occurred in 1661, when Wisconsin was part of New France...
, and Vilas
Vilas County, Wisconsin
Vilas County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 21,033. Its county seat is Eagle River.-Settlement:Vilas County was set off from Oneida County on April 12, 1893 and named for William Freeman Vilas...
counties. Forest headquarters are in Park Falls
Park Falls, Wisconsin
Park Falls is a city in Price County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,793 at the 2000 census. Located in the woods of north central Wisconsin, primarily the Chequamegon National Forest, Park Falls is a small community divided by the North Fork of the Flambeau River, a popular...
. There are local ranger
National Park Ranger
National Park Service Rangers are among the uniformed employees charged with protecting and preserving areas set aside in the National Park System by the United States Congress and/or the President of the United States...
district offices in Glidden
Glidden, Wisconsin
Glidden is an unincorporated census-designated place in the town of Jacobs in Ashland County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located on County Highway N near Wisconsin Highway 13. As of the 2010 census, its population was 507....
, Hayward
Hayward, Wisconsin
Hayward is a city in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, United States, next to the Namekagon River. The population was 2,129 at the 2000 census. The city is surrounded by the Town of Hayward.-Transportation:U.S...
, Medford
Medford, Wisconsin
Medford is a city in Taylor County, in north-central Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,326 at the 2010 census. The city is located mostly within the boundaries of the Town of Medford.- Geography :Medford is located at Medford is a city in Taylor County, in north-central Wisconsin,...
, Park Falls
Park Falls, Wisconsin
Park Falls is a city in Price County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,793 at the 2000 census. Located in the woods of north central Wisconsin, primarily the Chequamegon National Forest, Park Falls is a small community divided by the North Fork of the Flambeau River, a popular...
, and Washburn
Washburn, Wisconsin
Washburn is a city in Bayfield County, in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 2,280 at the 2000 census. The city is just east of and adjacent to the Town of Washburn...
.
The Nicolet covers 664822 acres (2,690.4 km²) of northeastern Wisconsin. It is located in parts of Forest
Forest County, Wisconsin
Forest County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,304. Its county seat is Crandon.-Indian Reservations:...
, Oconto
Oconto County, Wisconsin
Oconto County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 35,634. Its county seat is Oconto.Oconto County is part of the Green Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was established in 1851.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, Florence
Florence County, Wisconsin
Florence County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 5,088. Its county seat is Florence.Florence County is part of the Iron Mountain, MI–WI Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, Vilas
Vilas County, Wisconsin
Vilas County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 21,033. Its county seat is Eagle River.-Settlement:Vilas County was set off from Oneida County on April 12, 1893 and named for William Freeman Vilas...
, Langlade
Langlade County, Wisconsin
Langlade County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 20,740. Its county seat is Antigo.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water...
, and Oneida
Oneida County, Wisconsin
Oneida County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 36,776. Its county seat is Rhinelander.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,236 square miles , of which 1,124 square miles is land and 111 square...
counties. Forest headquarters are in Rhinelander
Rhinelander, Wisconsin
Rhinelander is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, Wisconsin, United States. Its population was 7,735 at the 2000 census.-Claim to fame:...
. There are local ranger district offices in Eagle River
Eagle River, Wisconsin
Eagle River is a city in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,443 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Vilas County. The city is known for being a popular "Northwoods" vacation town...
, Florence, Lakewood
Lakewood, Wisconsin
Lakewood is a town in Oconto County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 875. The census-designated place of Lakewood is located in the town.-Geography:...
, and Laona
Laona, Wisconsin
Laona is a town in Forest County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,212 at the 2010 census. The census-designated place of Laona is located in the town...
.
Flora and Fauna
Remote areas of uplands, bogBog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s, wetlands, muskeg
Muskeg
Muskeg is an acidic soil type common in Arctic and boreal areas, although it is found in other northern climates as well. Muskeg is approximately synonymous with bogland but muskeg is the standard term in Western Canada and Alaska, while 'bog' is common elsewhere. The term is of Cree origin, maskek...
s, rivers, streams, pine savannas, meadows and many glacial lakes are found throughout these forests. Native tree species include Acer saccharum (sugar maple), Acer rubrum (red maple), and Acer spicatum (mountain maple), white
White Oak
White Oak may refer to:* Quercus alba, a species commonly known as the White Oak* any of various trees from the botanical section Quercus within the list of Quercus species* a 1921 silent western written/produced by and starring William S...
, red, and black oak
Black oak
Quercus velutina, the eastern black oak or more commonly known as simply black oak, is an oak in the red oak group of oaks. It is native to eastern North America from southern Ontario south to northern Florida and southern Maine west to northeastern Texas...
s, aspen
Aspen
Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by...
, beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
, basswood, sumac
Sumac
Sumac is any one of approximately 250 species of flowering plants in the genus Rhus and related genera, in the family Anacardiaceae. Sumacs grow in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, especially in Africa and North America....
, and paper
Paper Birch
Betula papyrifera is a species of birch native to northern North America.-Description:...
, yellow
Yellow Birch
Betula alleghaniensis , is a species of birch native to eastern North America, from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, southern Quebec and Ontario, and the southeast corner of Manitoba in Canada, west to Minnesota, and south in the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia.It is a...
, and river birch
River Birch
Betula nigra is a species of birch native to the eastern United States from New Hampshire west to southern Minnesota, and south to northern Florida and east Texas...
. Coniferous trees, including red
Red Pine
Pinus resinosa, commonly known as the red pine or Norway pine, is pine native to North America. The Red Pine occurs from Newfoundland west to Manitoba, and south to Pennsylvania, with several smaller, disjunct populations occurring in the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia and West Virginia, as well...
, white
Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the northern edge of Georgia.It is occasionally known as simply white pine,...
,and jack pine
Jack Pine
Jack pine is a North American pine with its native range in Canada east of the Rocky Mountains from Northwest Territories to Nova Scotia, and the northeast of the United States from Minnesota to Maine, with the southernmost part of the range just into northwest Indiana...
, white spruce
White Spruce
Picea glauca is a species of spruce native to boreal forests in the north of North America, from central Alaska east to Newfoundland, and south to northern Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine; there is also an isolated population in the...
and balsam fir
Balsam Fir
The balsam fir is a North American fir, native to most of eastern and central Canada and the northeastern United States .-Growth:It is a small to medium-size evergreen tree typically tall, rarely to tall, with a narrow conic crown...
are abundant due to a dense second growth. Eastern hemlock
Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis, also known as eastern or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as pruche du Canada, is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It ranges from northeastern Minnesota eastward through southern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and south in the Appalachian...
are also present as this is the westernmost limit of its distribution. Tamarack/black spruce
Black Spruce
Picea mariana is a species of spruce native to northern North America, from Newfoundland west to Alaska, and south to northern New York, Minnesota and central British Columbia...
bogs, cedar swamps and alder
Alder
Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
thickets are common. Blueberries
Blueberry
Blueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium with dark-blue berries and are perennial...
, raspberries
Raspberry
The raspberry or hindberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus Rubus, most of which are in the subgenus Idaeobatus; the name also applies to these plants themselves...
, blackberries
Blackberry
The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by any of several species in the Rubus genus of the Rosaceae family. The fruit is not a true berry; botanically it is termed an aggregate fruit, composed of small drupelets. The plants typically have biennial canes and perennial roots. Blackberries and...
, cranberries
Cranberry
Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus Oxycoccus of the genus Vaccinium. In some methods of classification, Oxycoccus is regarded as a genus in its own right...
, serviceberries
Serviceberry
Amelanchier , also known as shadbush, shadwood or shadblow, serviceberry or sarvisberry, wild pear, juneberry, saskatoon, sugarplum or wild-plum, and chuckley pear is a genus of about 20 species of deciduous-leaved shrubs and small trees in the Rose family .Amelanchier is native to temperate regions...
, fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s, moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
es, cattails, and mushroom
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
s also grow here, as well as many more shrubs and wildflowers.
White-tailed Deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
are numerous and many are hit by motorists on roads in northern Wisconsin year-round. Black bears
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es, raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
s, rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
s, beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
s, otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
s, squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
s, chipmunk
Chipmunk
Chipmunks are small striped squirrels native to North America and Asia. They are usually classed either as a single genus with three subgenera, or as three genera.-Etymology and taxonomy:...
s, pheasant
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
s, grouse
Grouse
Grouse are a group of birds from the order Galliformes. They are sometimes considered a family Tetraonidae, though the American Ornithologists' Union and many others include grouse as a subfamily Tetraoninae in the family Phasianidae...
and wild turkey
Wild Turkey
The Wild Turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which derives from the South Mexican subspecies of wild turkey .Adult wild turkeys have long reddish-yellow to grayish-green...
s are popular game in these northwoods. Elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
have been reintroduced and there have been sightings of moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
, [marten]]. http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/publications/pdf/raremammal.pdf] Bird species include northern cardinal
Northern Cardinal
The Northern Cardinal or Redbird or Common Cardinal is a North American bird in the genus Cardinalis. It can be found in southern Canada, through the eastern United States from Maine to Texas and south through Mexico...
, blue jay
Blue Jay
The Blue Jay is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae, native to North America. It is resident through most of eastern and central United States and southern Canada, although western populations may be migratory. It breeds in both deciduous and coniferous forests, and is common near and in...
, gray jay
Gray Jay
The Gray Jay , also Grey Jay, Canada Jay, or Whiskey Jack, is a member of the crow and jay family found in the boreal forests across North America north to the tree-line and in subalpine forests of the Rocky Mountains south to New Mexico and Arizona...
, common raven
Common Raven
The Common Raven , also known as the Northern Raven, is a large, all-black passerine bird. Found across the northern hemisphere, it is the most widely distributed of all corvids...
, boreal
Boreal Chickadee
The Boreal Chickadee is a small passerine bird in the tit family Paridae.-Description:...
and black-capped chickadee
Black-capped Chickadee
The Black-capped Chickadee is a small, North American songbird, a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is the state bird of both Maine and Massachusetts in the United States, and the provincial bird of New Brunswick in Canada...
s, black-backed
Black-backed Woodpecker
The Black-backed Woodpecker also known as the Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker inhabiting the forests of North America. It is a medium sized woodpecker ....
and pileated woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
The Pileated Woodpecker is a very large North American woodpecker, almost crow-sized, inhabiting deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific coast. It is also the largest woodpecker in America.Adults are long, and weigh...
s, red-winged blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird
The Red-winged Blackbird is a passerine bird of the family Icteridae found in most of North and much of Central America. It breeds from Alaska and Newfoundland south to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, and Guatemala, with isolated populations in western El Salvador, northwestern Honduras, and...
s, owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s, duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s, common loons, bald eagles, evening grosbeak
Evening Grosbeak
The Evening Grosbeak is a large finch. In the past, it was treated in a genus of its own as Hesperiphona vespertina, but is now usually placed in the same genus as the Hawfinch of Eurasia....
s, red and white-winged crossbills and many species of thrushes, sparrows and warblers. Brook trout
Brook trout
The brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, is a species of fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. In many parts of its range, it is known as the speckled trout or squaretail. A potamodromous population in Lake Superior are known as coaster trout or, simply, as coasters...
, rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
, and brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
are found in many miles of excellent streams. Walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
, small
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
and largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
, crappie
Crappie
Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...
, northern pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
, and many species of panfish
Panfish
A panfish, also spelled pan-fish or pan fish, is an edible game fish that usually doesn't outgrow the size of a frying pan. The term is also commonly used by anglers to refer to any small catch that will fit in a pan, but is large enough to be legal. However its definition and usage varies with...
make the area's lakes famous for freshwater fishing. A record muskellunge
Muskellunge
A muskellunge , also known as a muskelunge, muscallonge, milliganong, or maskinonge , is a large, relatively uncommon freshwater fish of North America. Muskellunge are the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae...
, Wisconsin's state fish, was caught in these waters. The beauty, heritage, and opportunities of these majestic forests draw thousands of tourists to the Chequamegon-Nicolet annually.
These national forests are best known for recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
, including camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
, hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, cross country skiing and snowmobiling.
The Chequamegon National Forest was also home to one of the two extremely low frequency
Extremely low frequency
Extremely low frequency is a term used to describe radiation frequencies from 3 to 300 Hz. In atmosphere science, an alternative definition is usually given, from 3 Hz to 3 kHz...
antennae
Antenna (radio)
An antenna is an electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver...
in the United States.