Blackjack Springs Wilderness

The Blackjack Springs Wilderness was established by Congress in 1978 and lies in northeast Wisconsin, in the Eagle River Ranger District of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Much of the area was changed by logging and fire in the early 1900s, with subsequent reforestation, road building, and timber harvest under National Forest management; portions of abandoned logging roads and railroad grades are still visible. Glaciation from the last ice age produced the rolling and uneven terrain. Amid the Wilderness, four large crystal-clear springs, for which it is named, form the headwaters of Blackjack Creek, and three streams drain the area, producing occasional ponds and wetlands. In the northeastern section you will find the delightfully named Whispering Lake, surrounded by forest that provides habitat for black bears, deer, fishers, ruffed grouse, and a variety of sweet-throated songbirds. Much of the use here revolves around camping, hiking, fishing, bird watching, and hunting. Several trails enter the area, providing four miles of maintained trail, with many further opportunities for hiking on the abandoned road grades still evident. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.