Nicolet State Trail
About
Nicolet State Trail is a state park in northern Wisconsin, managed by the State Department of Natural Resources. It sits within the Lakewood-Laona Ranger District of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, about 1.8 miles from the town of Wabeno. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical July highs reach about 73°F with lows near 55°F, based on averages from a nearby weather station at Laona. Winters are cold, with January highs around 20°F. Richardson Lake campground is about 2.5 miles away. Within roughly six miles you'll find the Ludington Lake (Him-Rich) Hwt hike, the Colburn Creek Hwt hike and the Lakewood - Laona District lake fishing area.
Park size
1,458 acres
Inside this park
Location
Nicolet State Trail
Wisconsin
Data source: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (Protected Areas Database, public domain)
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: May–Sep. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 63–73°F and lows of 41–55°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Laona 6 Sw, WI weather station, 5.3 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan20° high4° low
- Feb24° high6° low
- Mar36° high16° low
- Apr49° high28° low
- May63° high41° low
- Jun70° high51° low
- Jul73° high55° low
- Aug71° high54° low
- Sep64° high46° low
- Oct52° high35° low
- Nov37° high23° low
- Dec25° high11° low
Where it is
- Lakewood-Laona Ranger District · Ranger district
- Nicolet State Trail · State park
- Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest · National forest
- Nearest town
- Wabeno, Wisconsin · 1.8 mi
- Managed by
- State Department of Natural Resources
Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS PAD-US 4.1; USGS GNIS populated places
Conditions
Active alerts for Lakewood-Laona Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:
Emergency Closure Order 09-13-04-26-04
critical · posted Oct 2, 2026
Source: USFS forest alerts
Nearby
- Richardson LakeCamping2.5 mi
- Ludington Lake (Him-Rich) HwtHiking5 mi
- Colburn Creek HwtHiking6.1 mi
- Bear Lake-Kufner Road HwtHiking6.4 mi
- Carter Fire Tower TrailHiking6.5 mi
- Lakewood - Laona DistrictLake fishing6.7 mi
- Bear LakeCamping7.8 mi
- Lily RiverCanoeing9.5 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Is Nicolet State Trail open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Lakewood-Laona Ranger District. It doesn't name Nicolet State 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.
Best time to visit Nicolet State 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, 5.3 mi away at 1,695 ft. We don't have this place's elevation, so higher spots nearby can run cooler. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
