Thanks to hardy loggers, swaths were cut through the virgin timber of the Chequamegon National Forest to its pristine waters. Unmapped lakes were found. Rivers were dammed to form flowages, and shorelines were created for logging camps. Resorts sprang up on the abandoned camp sites. Though railroad lines to the area accelerated the inevitable depletion of virgin timber for the lumber industry, it also carried visitors for the burgeoning resort business.

Today Hayward is again a thriving community sharing with the world the beauty and seclusion of the 850,000 acres of forest and over 200 glaciated lakes and rivers.

Once again saws buzz on the Namakagon for the World Lumberjack Championships. Again the Namakagon is alive: with skiers for the American birkebeiner Race, with bikers in the Fat Tire Race, and with the snowmobilers of the Winterfest Races.

All tribes, including the white, celebrate life at Honor the Earth Pow Wow. A 4-1/2 story musky of the National Freshwater Hall of Fame and the Annual Musky Contest are dramatic reminders that Hayward is Home to World Record Muskies and the Muskies, Incorporated Fishing Contest promotes carefully returning muskies to the productive waters.

Fishing Has No Boundaries was started in Hayward and is a testimonial to the accessibility of the Hayward Area's magnificent Woods and Waters Playground offering a variety of protected lakes and riverways to choose from: Wisconsin's largest wilderness lake to almost privates lakes; natural, crystal-clear, spring-fed lakes and chains of lakes with miles of irregular shoreline; quiet lakes with a speed limit unique to the midwest; lakes created as a refuge for fish and wildlife and lakes on the Namakagon National Scenic Riverway for fishing, boating, sailing, canoeing, swimming, tubing, skating, skiing and island picnicking in unsurpassed beauty.

The Pathways Through Nature, begun by early loggers, are not cog-wheeled or virtual reality but nature's genuine sight-and-sound-surround which have long provided enjoyment for hikers, bikers, skiers, snowmobilers and snowshoers. Today more and more nature lovers and golfers are discovering the serene beauty of Hayward Lakes---offering a tradition of friendliness and all the amenities of today with the unhurried pace and uncrowded space of yesterday.