Birchleggings Club Hike to Mount Ashwabay/Big Top Chautauqua (and back) from the Bayfield Fish Hatchery

When/where: We meet at 10 am, and leave soon thereafter on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at the Les Voigt Fish Hatchery parking lot at 83875 State Hwy 13, Bayfield. We aim to return by ~3 pm.

Free event: There is no charge for this Birchleggings Club event! We do ask you to register using the sign-up link so we can plan for the number of particpants.

What to expect: The trail up is around 2 miles, so round-trip will be around 4 miles. The trail is fairly steep and curved in places (not a ski trail), and it parallels Pikes Creek for part of the way up (and back). You will pass through some wetlands along the creek, with sizeable ferns and wildflowers, then hike through a variety of woods and end in a sandy opening adjacent to the Big Top Chautauqua. If you’d like at the top, you can hike up to the top of Mt Ashwabay from there. We can also plan to have lunch there before heading down. There will be quite a number of birds (migration season for us) – warblers, thrushes, woodpeckers and much more, along with a variety of spring wildflowers.

What to bring: Lunch and water/beverage, sunglasses, sun and insect protection.  Binoculars would help if you like to look at birds more closely. You may wear hiking boots or whatever footwear you think appropriate. If it is rainy or overly wet, we may need to re-schedule, as the trail along the creek can get quite muddy, and the DNR has asked us to close the trail when it is muddy.

Questions: Please contact Ted May by text at 715-209-6719 – or email if you have a longer question.

Ready to test your limits? The Birchleggings Club Hike to Mount Ashwabay/Big Top Chautauqua (and back) from the Bayfield Fish Hatchery brings a highly anticipated 6.4K to Bayfield on June 3, 2026. Expect a fantastic route right in the heart of Wisconsin.