Explore Timberland Hills Mountain Bike Trails
The dirt at Timberland Hills mountain bike trails smells like possibility. Not the synthetic possibility of marketing brochures, but the kind that comes from actual work—the loam still bearing tool marks from last week’s trail crew, the fresh cut of a new berm settling into the grade. This is northern Wisconsin forest turned inside out, reimagined from the ground up.
For thirty years, this 2,000-acre tract near Cumberland, Wisconsin belonged to cross-country skiers. The Cumberland Area Ski Touring Association groomed these trails with religious devotion, creating a network of Nordic perfection that drew families from across the region. Weekend races, wax clinics, the ritualistic scraping of skis in warming huts—this was winter culture distilled to its essence.
But winter culture, like winter itself, has become less predictable. Participation dropped. The next generation looked elsewhere. Climate patterns shifted just enough to make snow a less reliable partner. The association faced a choice: adapt or fade quietly into the woods.
They chose adaptation. Not the halfhearted kind that adds a few summer hiking trails and calls it diversification, but the thorough kind that tears up the playbook and starts over. The Cumberland Area Ski Touring Association partnered with the Timberland Hills Foundation, brought in One Track Mind Foundation, and set about building something entirely new: a 25-mile mountain bike trail system that would rival anything in northern Wisconsin.
The mathematics of this transformation are precise. The completed Timberland Hills system will feature 4 miles of green trails, 13 miles of blue, and 8 miles of black diamond mountain bike trails. A skills area near the trailhead. Gravity zones for those who prefer their fun measured in vertical feet per second. Construction began in 2023, with trails opening to the public in July 2024.
But the real story isn’t in the mileage. It’s in the methodology.
Wisconsin Mountain Bike Trail Building: The Geology of Community
Mountain bike trail building is geology in fast-forward. You read the contours, follow the fall lines, work with the natural drainage patterns that have been carving these hills since the glaciers retreated. At Timberland Hills, the builders also had to work with something more complex: a community in transition.
The project became a master class in inclusive development. Retired ski trail groomers learned to shape berms instead of corduroy. Weekend volunteers showed up with hand tools and the patience to move dirt one wheelbarrow at a time. Most remarkably, teenagers weren’t just recruited—they were embedded in the design process.
Working under One Track Mind’s guidance, local high school students joined summer trail crews as full participants. They walked potential lines with professional builders, sketched ideas for flow segments, learned the physics of sustainable trail grades. These weren’t token youth involvement photo opportunities. They were legitimate apprenticeships in the craft of shaping terrain.
“The kids aren’t just riding these trails,” according to one longtime volunteer. “They’re building them. That kind of ownership changes everything.”
This approach reflects a broader trend across the upper Midwest. WinMan Trails near Manitowish Waters has successfully operated as a multi-season system for years, offering 23+ miles of machine-built mountain bike trails alongside its Nordic ski network. The model works because it acknowledges a fundamental truth: trails are infrastructure, and infrastructure requires maintenance regardless of the season.
The Art of Sustainable Flow
Dirt Candy Designs and Kay-Linn Enterprises brought their reputations for sustainable trail construction to the project. Their philosophy centers on working with terrain rather than against it, creating trails that shed water naturally and age gracefully. Every climb is paired with a descent. Every corner is banked according to the physics of momentum and friction. Every feature serves a purpose beyond mere difficulty.
The green trails here aren’t afterthoughts. They offer genuine flow experiences with gentle grade reversals and sweeping berms that teach fundamental cornering technique. A beginning rider can experience the sensation of speed without the consequences of poor line choice. This is pedagogical trail design—teaching through riding rather than lecturing.
The blue trails increase complexity gradually. Punchy climbs reward riders with swooping descents. Optional rock features allow skill progression without forcing confrontation. The corners are progressive, teaching riders to lean into turns rather than fighting them. It’s challenge without sadism.
The black diamond trails earn their designation through precision rather than punishment. Narrow bench cuts follow natural contours. Rock gardens test line choice and bike handling. Technical climbs demand momentum management and commitment. The forthcoming Gravity Zone promises dedicated descent trails and jump lines for those who measure satisfaction in airtime.
Regional Context: The Wisconsin Triangle
Northern Wisconsin’s singletrack landscape forms a rough triangle of excellence. To the north, the CAMBA system sprawls across 130 miles of the Chequamegon National Forest—a network so extensive that most riders never see all of it. To the west, Duluth’s skyline trails throw serious elevation at riders who want their cardio workout with a side of Lake Superior views. To the east, systems like WinMan demonstrate how multi-season trail networks can serve different user groups without conflict.
Timberland Hills occupies the space between these established systems, offering something each of them lacks: intimacy with scale. The trail network is large enough to provide hours of varied riding but small enough that locals know every root, every rock, every subtle grade change that makes the difference between a good ride and a great one.
The location provides strategic access to multiple riding demographics. Twin Cities riders can reach Cumberland in two hours. Duluth and Hayward locals can day-trip easily. The system becomes a logical link in multi-day riding tours that might include CAMBA, WinMan, and the Duluth networks.
The Mechanics of Trail Tourism
Cumberland understands that trail systems need more than just trails. The town’s response to its emerging mountain bike identity has been measured but enthusiastic. Louie’s on the Lake serves breakfast burritos with enough calories to fuel serious riding. Peter & Annie’s provides locally roasted coffee and the kind of informal intelligence network that helps visitors navigate local trail conditions.
Accommodation options range from rustic to refined. The Burnett County camper cabin sits directly on the trail network—a simple structure with wood heat, bunk beds, and no electricity. Wake up, stretch, clip in, ride. For those who prefer running water and reliable WiFi, Cumberland offers lake cabins and bed-and-breakfasts with secure bike storage.
The broader region provides additional amenities for riders planning longer stays. Hayward and Spooner feature resort-style lodging with full-service restaurants and craft breweries. The infrastructure supports extended riding vacations that might combine Timberland Hills with visits to CAMBA, WinMan, and the Duluth area systems.
The Economics of Transformation
What happened at Timberland Hills reflects a broader economic evolution in rural Wisconsin. Traditional winter tourism models face increasing uncertainty. Snow seasons grow shorter and less predictable. The next generation of outdoor enthusiasts tends toward activities that don’t require perfect weather windows.
Mountain biking offers year-round economic potential. The season runs from April through October, sometimes November. Riders travel in groups, stay multiple nights, and spend money on food, lodging, and equipment. Trail maintenance creates local employment. Special events generate tourism revenue during otherwise quiet periods.
The transformation also preserves the existing winter infrastructure. The Cumberland Area Ski Touring Association continues to groom trails for Nordic skiing, fat biking, and other winter activities. The investment in summer trails enhances rather than replaces the existing winter operation.
Other communities are watching closely. The nordic-to-mountain bike conversion model offers a template for rural areas seeking to diversify their outdoor recreation economies. Systems like Rim Nordic in Wisconsin have pioneered dual-season operations, demonstrating that the same terrain can serve different user groups with proper management.
The Long View
Timberland Hills represents more than a successful trail conversion project. It demonstrates how rural communities can reimagine their relationship with public land and outdoor recreation. The project preserved the community values that made the original ski system successful while adapting to changing demographics and climate realities.
The teenagers who helped build these trails will inherit them. They’ll teach their own children to ride these corners, navigate these climbs, appreciate these views. They’ll also inherit the knowledge of how trails are made—the patient work of reading terrain, moving dirt, and creating experiences that last.
This is the real transformation at Timberland Hills: not just from skis to bikes, but from consumers to creators. In a world of increasingly digital experiences, there’s something profound about young people learning to shape physical terrain with hand tools and careful observation. They’re not just building trails. They’re building the future of outdoor recreation in northern Wisconsin.
The dirt here still smells like possibility. But now it’s the kind that comes with calloused hands and the satisfaction of work well done. That’s a conversion worth celebrating.
For more on Wisconsin mountain biking see: Wisconsin Mountain Biking: La Crosse Community Trail Farm Project Guide
