7. Hayward Home to great Birkebeiner cross-country ski race every winter, Hayward also offers summer fun. The area boasts 200 lakes and rivers, so fishing and water enthusiasts won't be bored. The nearby Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest has miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Take a cruise on Wilderness Queen or Denum Lacey and watch for bald eagles, loons, deer and black bear. Visit Scheer's Lumberjack Shows and National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame.

8. Marinette/Peshtigo Marinette County bills itself as "Waterfalls Capital of Wisconsin" and publishes a helpful map listing fourteen falls on a scenic route. If you yearn for adventure, try whitewater rafting on Peshtigo and Menominee Rivers. Visit Peshtigo Fire Museum to learn more about Peshtigo Fire, a much more deadly fire than Great Chicago Fire, which coincidentally happened same day – Oct. 8, 1871.

9. Superior There's plenty to see and do in Wisconsin's sister city to Duluth. For outdoor enthusiasts, canoe on Bois Brule and hike in Amnicon Falls State Park or Pattison State Park. (Both have beautiful waterfalls.) In Superior, visit Fairlawn Mansion & Museum, Old Fire House & Police Museum, S.S. Meteor & Maritime Museum, and Superior Entry Lighthouse.

10. Waupaca Host to this year's Farm Technology Days, July 15-17. Canoe Crystal River or tour Chain O' Lakes aboard Chief Waupaca sternwheeler on a narrated cruise. Within Hartman Creek State Park, let kids play at sandy beach of Hartman Lake or fish in one of four lakes off limits to motorized boats. Bike Ice Age Trail and view Farmington Drumlins, teardrop-shaped hills created by glaciers.

For more information about above locations, use our powerful search engine to find recreation, lodging, dining, attractions, events, and shopping. Our database of over 40,000 listings is searchable by region, county, city, keyword, date, and category.

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Perrot State Park, just west of Trempealeau, would be a great place to hike when Grand Excursion 2004 flotilla of steamboats and other watercraft fills neighboring Mississippi River shortly before Independence Day. (For more about that event, go to www.grandexcursion.com.)

There are 12 miles of hiking trails that follow river or rise above it to provide panoramic views. Visitors can meander atop bluffs or disappear into wooded areas. There are both steep upgrades and easy places to stroll. For more, call 608-534-6409.

I’ll remember Perrot for a long time, not just for gorgeous scenery, but because of park ranger who roused us from our tent on a summer night after a tornado watch was issued. While being pelted with rain, most of our group hoofed it to an indoor shelter and laid in wait. Others refused to budge, optimistic that a shield of mere canvas or nylon would be enough to weather storm.

It was a little test of will, yet another thing that hikers can assess, if and whenever they choose. ------------------------------------------------------------------------

More Info Here are resources for Wisconsin hikers, both casual and hard-core varieties:

> The state Department of Natural Resources has 37 state trails (many multi-purpose) that total 1,607 miles. There are 2,730 miles of hiking trails on state-owned property, which includes parks and wildlife areas. To learn more, go to www.dnr.wi.gov and select ”outdoor recreation.”

> Wisconsin’s Ice Age Trail is one of nation’s eight national scenic trails. About 600 of its intended 1,000 miles are ready to use. A project goal is to help hikers experience and understand effect that glaciers have had on state.

Call 800-227-5712 or go to www.iceagetrail.org for more about this massive undertaking and trail location.

> The Wisconsin Go Hiking Club has been around for 80 years, with about 400 members ranging in age from 25 to more than 80. Most hiking is done in Milwaukee area, but there also are hiking events and camping weekends farther away.

Hike length ranges from 4 miles to more than 20; hiking routes are described as “leisurely” to “bushwhacking.” Club membership is $15 per year, or $20 per couple; call 414-299-9285 or go to www.homestead.com/wisconsingohiking for details.

> Helpful guidebooks for hikers include Great Wisconsin Walks by William Chad McGrath ($16.95, Trails Books), Madison Walks by Harriet Brown and Jamie Young ($15.95, Jones Books) and Wisconsin’s Outdoor Treasures by Tim Bewer ($18.95, Trails Books).