Carter Fire Tower Trail
- 1.5 mi
- round trip
- 291 ft
- climb
- 1,725 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Is Carter Fire Tower Trail open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Lakewood-Laona Ranger District. It doesn't name Carter Fire Tower Trail, so check the source for the area it covers (3 listed).
Emergency Closure Order 09-13-04-26-04
Agency closure covering Lakewood-Laona Ranger District · Order 09-13-04-26-04 · USFS · Lakewood-Laona Ranger District
Trail work and picnic area improvements at Morgan Falls/St. Peter's Dome Recreation Area this fall
Agency closure covering Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest · USFS · Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
Forest Order 09-13-25-02 General Occupancy and Use Restrictions
Agency closure covering Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest · Order 09-13-25-02 · USFS · Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Lakewood-Laona Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Carter Fire Tower Trail is an easy hike of about 1.5 miles in the Lakewood-Laona Ranger District of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in northern Wisconsin. The route climbs about 260 feet one way to a high point of 1,725 feet, with the steepest stretch near the half-mile mark, and it is an out-and-back. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station run from highs around 70°F in June to about 73°F in July, while winter highs stay near 20°F. The trail is on natural surface and is open from May 1 through November 30. Bikes are allowed, and horses are not. Quartz Hill is just 0.2 miles away, and the Nicolet State Trail lies about a mile off. For an overnight, Richardson Lake campground is about 6 miles away, and Boot Lake is roughly 7 miles away.
- Quartz HillHiking0.2 mi
- NICOLET STATE TRAILHiking1 mi
- Richardson LakeCamping6.2 mi
- Jones Spring HwtHiking7.3 mi
- Boot LakeCamping7.4 mi
- Colburn Creek HwtHiking7.9 mi
- Knowles Creek Interpretive TraHiking7.9 mi
- Lily RiverCanoeing9.8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Quartz HillHiking · Next door
- Jones Spring HwtHiking · ~12 min drive
- Colburn Creek HwtHiking · ~14 min drive
- NICOLET STATE TRAILHiking · ~2 min drive
- MaranathaHiking · ~18 min drive
- Laura Lake Nature TrailHiking · ~40 min drive
- Bear Lake-Kufner Road HwtHiking · ~16 min drive
- Boulder Lake Mtb TrailHiking · ~23 min drive
- Hiles Tower HwtHiking · ~48 min drive
- Ludington Lake (Him-Rich) HwtHiking · ~17 min drive
Best time to visit Carter Fire Tower Trail
Best months: June–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
20° / 4°
12 wet
Feb
24° / 6°
10 wet
Mar
36° / 16°
11 wet
Apr
49° / 28°
12 wet
May
63° / 41°
13 wet
Jun
70° / 51°
12 wet
Jul
73° / 55°
12 wet
Aug
71° / 54°
12 wet
Sep
64° / 46°
12 wet
Oct
52° / 35°
13 wet
Nov
37° / 23°
11 wet
Dec
25° / 11°
12 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Laona 6 Sw, WI, 11.4 mi away at 1,695 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
