Porcupine Lake Wilderness
During the ice age, glaciers covered this area, scouring it into rolling hills in the west and dropping to swampland in the east. Many lakes dot the area–six of them larger than five acres. Sugar maples, red maples, yellow birches white and red pine, and hemlock form a dense canopy overhead. Logged at the turn of the century, the area has recovered much of its appearance from the earlier forest. This is a small Wilderness, and outside sounds can sometimes be heard, but the area, now largely recovered from past uses, provides a glimpse of how the northern hardwood forests used to be. The North Country National Scenic Trail traverses the Wilderness from east to west for approximately eight miles and touches the northern tip of Porcupine Lake.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Wisconsin |
| Size | 4,074 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 46.29° N, 91.14° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 12) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
None of the 3 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 viewing Wildlife. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- under 1 miPorcupine Lake Wilderness ↗Viewing Wildlife
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
4 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 36 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| North Country National Scenic ↗ | 34.9 | |
| Two Lakes Branch | 0.4 | |
| Eighteen Mile Spring | 0.3 | |
| Porcupine Creek | 0.3 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedRx-West Church Windrows
19 mi from the center point · 81 acres
- WildfireRedhouse
28 mi from the center point · 22 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 7 miForest Lodge Library ↗Cable, WI
- 12.3 miMoody's Camp Lodge ↗Spider Lake, WI
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Wisconsin
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
- Explorer's Guide 50 Hikes on and Around the North Country Trail - Michigan and WisconsinThomas Funke, 2016Find at Bookshop.org
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Porcupine Lake Wilderness?
4,074 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Porcupine Lake Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Porcupine Lake Wilderness in?
Wisconsin.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Porcupine Lake Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Porcupine Lake Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Porcupine Lake Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 46.291° N, 91.137° W. North Country National Scenic Trail is 13 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Porcupine Lake Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx-West Church Windrows at 19 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Porcupine Lake Wilderness?
North Country National Scenic Trail (13 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Porcupine Lake Wilderness?
The National Register has 2 listings within 15 miles, including Forest Lodge Library and Moody's Camp Lodge.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.