Most folks come to this corner of Wisconsin for the lakes — fair enough, we did too. But some of our favorite hours up here are spent on foot, and the hiking near Eagle River is quietly wonderful: flat rail-trail miles, national-forest loops, even groves of old-growth hemlock. Here are the trails we send our guests to first.
Start here
Where should a first-time hiker start?
Easy: the Three Eagle Trail, a flat, crushed-granite path that runs roughly a dozen miles between Eagle River and Three Lakes. It rolls through pine and hardwood forest with boardwalk stretches over the wetlands, and because it's an out-and-back from the Eagle River trailhead, you can make it any length you like — a half-hour leg stretch or a full morning. It's friendly to strollers and leashed dogs, you'll share it with a few cyclists, and it's the rare trail that works for every age at the cabin.
Into the forest
Which hikes feel the most like the Northwoods?
Head east of town into the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest and the woods get deeper, quieter, and older. Three favorites:
Anvil Lake trails
A network of wooded loops off Highway 70 east of Eagle River. Link short segments or make a long morning of it; in winter these same trails groom for skiing.
Franklin Nature Trail
A short interpretive loop near Franklin and Butternut lakes beneath hemlocks that have stood for centuries. Cathedral-quiet — our pick for a slow walk.
Blackjack Springs
A designated wilderness northeast of town with primitive paths and clear, cold springs. Bring a map and a sense of direction; solitude is the whole point.
Worth the drive
Is anything worth a longer drive?
If you don't mind a scenic half-hour in the car, the Fallison Lake Nature Trail near Sayner, in the Northern Highland–American Legion State Forest, loops a couple of quiet miles around a no-motor lake where the loudest thing you'll hear is a loon. It pairs beautifully with a wander through Boulder Junction, and in autumn the whole route doubles as a color tour — see our fall color guide for timing.
Trail smarts
What should we pack for a Northwoods hike?
Water and bug spray are non-negotiable in early summer, and a quick tick check afterward is smart any time the weather's warm. Wear real shoes — these trails are laced with roots and glacial rock. Cell service gets thin in the forest, so screenshot your map before you leave town. In fall, add a piece of blaze orange during hunting seasons; in winter, most of these routes become ski and snowshoe country. The area guide has more on how the seasons shift up here.
Where to stay between hikes
Both of our cabins make an easy basecamp — The O.G. on Lake Arbutus and The Grandy Dandy on the Sugar Camp Chain, each with a hot tub for post-trail legs, kayaks for the afternoon, and a firepit for the evening debrief. Trail day, lake day, repeat.
Good to know