Named for the Bearskin Creek the trail follows, this former railroad corridor is an opportunity to experience the Northwoods of Wisconsin. The railroad line was built to export white pine logs from the forests of northern Wisconsin to the cities of the Midwest. Today the trail is a recreation corridor, surfaced with compacted granite suitable for walking and bicycling in summer and snowmobiling in winter.

Few places in the world have more lakes per square mile than Oneida and Vilas counties. The lakes were formed by glaciers that melted and retreated north during the last Ice Age. Thirteen trestles cross the lakes and streams along the trail. The lakes of the Minocqua area are well known for their fishing.

The Northern Highland-American Legion (NH-AL) State Forest is nearby and offers a wide variety of recreation opportunities, including camping, hiking, bicycling, snowmobiling, canoeing, bird watching, fishing and hunting. The 6-mile Hiawatha Trail in Lincoln County is also nearby. The Hiawatha Trail, on another segment of the same rail bed as the Bearskin State Trail, travels south from Heafford Junction to Tomahawk.