The leaves started turning a couple weeks ago in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. There are few more spectacular places in the country, perhaps even the world, to go fall color watching.

Maples, oaks and other hardwoods are accentuated by the dark green of the pines in the Forest. But, you don't only have to gaze at the trees in the CNNF. You can enjoy a variety of recreational activities and take in the rich history of the region.

CNNF has 47 campgrounds, picnic areas and cabins. Many are classified as primitive, which puts the camper right into nature.

Hiking trails are plentiful. One of the most spectacular is the Michigan Rapids Trail. GORP, a respected on-line travel site, writes this about the trail: "This trail is known for its scenery and spectacular view of Michigan Rapids. It is well marked and travels for a couple of miles through sometimes-rocky terrain, while picturesque rock formations scatter the edges of the shoreline. The rich wildlife of the Peshtigo River wildlife is sometimes visible during this hike." This writer, who has a sister in the area, has hiked parts of the trail and highly recommends taking in the rapids view.

If you don't hike, there are 284 miles of ATV trails and great snowmobile and cross-country ski trails in the winter. You also can take designated scenic drive routes via automobile.

You still have a few weeks of fishing season. There are 2,000 miles of streams (1,400 miles which are classified as trout streams), 607 lakes 10 acres or larger, 400 spring ponds and 324,000 acres of wetlands. This writer has fly fished in the area. It is a spectacular experience.

Nicolet includes over 50 species of fish. Walleye, brook trout, brown trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, yellow perch, northern pike, suckers and muskies are plentiful.

The Peshtigo River is one of Nicolet's most trustworthy fishing sites and it is stocked with both rainbow and brown trout. Many Class I and II tributaries enter the river along its way.

If you're into bird watching, this writer recommends the Halley Creek area. Here's what GORP has to say about it: "Nicolet offers an exciting trail specifically intended for the purpose of viewing northeastern birds in the wild. The Halley Creek Bird Trail runs a one-mile loop in the Laona Ranger District, encompassing four different bird habitats, providing visitors the unusual opportunity to see many different varieties of birds in one trip."

GORP also recommends you "Paddle the Brule River": "Known for having reliably good canoe water levels throughout the season, the Brule River provides canoe routes even through dry periods during the hot summer. The Brule River is reputed for its scenic shorelines and is punctuated by pines, hardwoods, and northeastern wildlife. Other canoe rivers include the Popple, Oconto and the Pine. Some of the forest's other rivers, especially the Wolf River, are suited for rafting.

Bikers can always tackle the Anvil. This National Recreation Trail is a popular mountain biking site. A moderate-level, 12-mile trail passes through some designated wildlife areas. It connects to several campgrounds and the North Trail System, which is also a great biking destination.

CNNF History

The CNNF covers more than a million and a half acres. The Chequamegon side of the forest covers about 858,400 acres in Ashland, Bayfield, Sawyer, Price, Taylor, and Vilas counties while the Nicolet side covers nearly 661,400 acres in Florence, Forest, Langlade, Oconto, Oneida and Vilas counties.

Since 1993, these two national forests have been managed as one, with headquarters offices in both Park Falls and Rhinelander. Each national forest has retained its individual identity.

The Nicolet side of the forest comprises two ranger districts. The Eagle River and Florence ranger districts have been combined into a single unit - the Eagle River-Florence Ranger District, with ranger stations located in each of those towns. The Lakewood and Laona ranger districts have also been combined into a single unit, called the Lakewood-Laona Ranger District. District headquarters offices are located in both Lakewood and Laona at the old ranger office sites.

The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest also hosts the Blackwell Job Corps Center, located near the town of Blackwell. Job Corps is a public-private partnership, administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, whose mission is to provide comprehensive residential education and job training program for at-risk youth, ages 16 through 24. Blackwell is administered by the Job Corps field office in Lakewood, Colo.

Both the Chequamegon and the Nicolet National Forests were established by presidential proclamations in 1933, but that was not the beginning. The land, its wildlife, and its people were already there. The cultures, the traditions and life ways of the past have created Wisconsin's national forests, as we know them today.

Archeologists have traced the cultural history to 10,000 years ago when the area was inhabited by the original people. The era of the Paleo-Indians was followed by the Archaic Indians, and finally, the Woodland Tradition Indians.

In the 1600s, European missionaries and fur traders arrived in what is now Wisconsin. The Nicolet are named for Jean Nicolet, a French explorer who came to the Great Lakes Region in the 1600s to promote fur trading with the American Indians. The name Chequamegon is derived from an Ojibwa word meaning "place of shallow water," and refers to Lake Superior's Chequamegon Bay.

Following close behind the fur traders were the lumbermen who established the timber industry. Early loggers used rivers to move pine logs to the sawmills. When the old-growth pinery dwindled, lumbermen used railroads to move the heavier hardwood logs to mills. Lumbering reached its peak on the forest in the 1920s.

When the timber ran out, much of the cut over land was sold to immigrants for farms and homesteads. The soils of the Northwoods proved better suited for growing trees, however, and many of the farms were abandoned. During that time it was not uncommon for fires to burn uncontrolled across the land.

In 1928, the Federal Government, under the authority of the Weeks Law of 1911, began buying abandoned and tax delinquent land in the Northwoods with the idea of establishing a national forest. In 1929, a Forest Service office was established in Park Falls to oversee land acquisitions.

In March 1933, shortly before he left office, President Herbert Hoover issued a proclamation establishing the Nicolet National Forest. The headquarters was located in Park Falls. A second office was opened in Rhinelander to handle land acquisition in the eastern part of the state.

The Chequamegon was established as a separate national forest in November 1933, by President Franklin Roosevelt, from the Nicolet's westernmost lands. At that time, Park Falls became the headquarters for the Chequamegon and Rhinelander the headquarters for the Nicolet.

During the Great Depression, thousands of young, unemployed men joined the Civilian Conservation Corps. CCC camps were established in the newly formed national forests. During the 10 years the Civilian Conservation Corps was active, Corpsmen planted thousands of acres of jack pine and red pine, built fire lanes, and constructed recreational facilities across the national forests. Much of their work is still evident.

The residents and users of CNNF have fought to keep it as pristine as possible. Most recently, they fought against mining interests that would have possibly damaged the Wolf River.

If you go to CNNF to take in the fall colors, or any other time of the year, you'll see why they have done so.

This is the 100th anniversary of the National Forest system. President Teddy Roosevelt established it in 1905. So, you might even catch some special programs at the CNNF. The CNNF and GORP Web sites are fs.fed.us/r9/cnnf and gorp.away.com.