Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest

The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest (; the q is silent) is a 1,530,647-acre (6,194.31 km2) U.S. National Forest in northern Wisconsin in the United States. Legally two separate national forests-the Chequamegon National Forest and the Nicolet National Forest-the areas were established by presidential proclamations in 1933 and have been managed as one unit since 1998. The national forest's land, trees and vegetation are part of the North Woods ecoregion that prevails throughout the upper Great Lakes region. Little old-growth forest remains due to logging in the early part of the 20th century, and some of the second-growth forest was planted by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The Chequamegon National Forest comprises three units in the north-central part of the state totaling 865,825 acres (3,503.87 km2). In descending order of forestland area, it is located in parts of Bayfield, Ashland, Price, Sawyer, Taylor, and Vilas counties. Forest headquarters are in Park Falls. There are local ranger district offices in Glidden, Hayward, Medford, Park Falls, and Washburn. Moquah Barrens Research Natural Area is located with the Chequamegon. Lying within the Chequamegon are two officially designated wilderness areas of the National Wilderness Preservation System. These are the Porcupine Lake Wilderness and the Rainbow Lake Wilderness. The Nicolet National Forest covers 664,822 acres (2,690.44 km2) of northeastern Wisconsin.