The Hiawatha Trail was opened for public use in the summer of 1990. It was built and is operated by Lincoln County. Funding for the trail was from county, state, and City of Tomahawk, as well as the Rails to Trails committee, fishing and snowmobile clubs.
The trail follows the abandoned Milwaukee Road railroad bed and goes north from Tomahawk to the Lincoln County line near Lake Nokomis, approximately 6.6 miles. The trail will join the Bearskin State Park Trail, which comes south from Minocqua on the same rail bed.
The trail was named Hiawatha in part because that was the name of the passenger train that brought visitors to the Northwoods in the 1940s and 1950s. The name also commemorates the famous poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "The Song of the Hiawatha." In the poem, Nokomis was the name of Hiawatha's grandmother. The name ties together the ancient Indian history of the region and the influence of the railroads.
The Hiawatha Trail is used by snowmobiles in the winter months, and is restricted to hikers and bikers the rest of the year. Except for snowmobiles, all motorized vehicular traffic and horses are prohibited to allow safe and enjoyable public use.
Users are asked to stay on the trail to protect the rights of adjacent landowners.
