For fall enjoyment, the Eagle River Area of northeast Wisconsin offers road tours weaving around her Chain of 28 Lakes close into town; a historic boathouses and buildings waterway tour; and maps to beautiful trails in the nearby Nicolet National Forest.
Eagle River’s “Road Trips” map indicates points of historical and general interest; parks for picnics and shore lunches; marked public boat landings, canoe portages, camping/trailer sites; marinas; and the map also keys to wildlife, fun stuff to do along the way, and places to eat.
Another favorite of fall leaf-lookers to the Eagle River area is a visit to the Heritage Drive Scenic Byway just 8 miles east of Eagle River. The byway offers outstanding fall foliage of mixed hardwood and pines, indicates historic points including Indian archaeological sites, and military routes from the Civil war; plus hiking, picnicking, giant hemlock trees, nature trail, and an interpretive center.
More adventurous fall visitors, may wish to take the mapped, self-guided waterway tours on Eagle River’s Chain of 28 Inland Lakes, which encompass dozens of magnificent turn-of-the-century boathouses brimming with history and unique architecture. (Includes boathouse featured in the movie, Omen II; a boathouse that served as a chapel for Our Sisters of Mercy, Sunset Point; boathouses that still harbor antique boats and artifacts; and boathouses significant in Eagle River’s tourism & industrial development).
For the waterway tours, Eagle River offers a fold-out locator map with photos, descriptive, and historical information about the boathouses.
Best Ways to Take in Fall
Wonderful museums, unique, special shopping and antiquing, picnics, watchable wildlife, forests and flowers, restaurants of every description, and a mind boggling litany of special events featuring the rich multi-cultural heritage and history of the area, including the, voyageur/trading, logging and mining heydays, and events like the Annual Cranberry Festival that draw people of all ages from all over the world, year-after-year.
Fish for walleye, northern, muskies and panfish on the chain of 28 Lakes. Every type of lunker gamefish, fowl, and seasonally hunted animal. The finest you’ll ever experience. Guides, equipment, advice. . .all there, all the time, especially in the glory of fall!
Hiking, biking and nature: Nicolet National Forest, Sylvania Wilderness; Trees For Tomorrow Environmental Center; Canoeing on the Wisconsin and Deerskin Rivers; Fish Hatchery and walleye rearing ponds.
Tour cranberry bogs and the winery.
Unique, quaint, special shopping, antiques, and food products. Cranberry Specialties; Original Cranberry Glassware; candles, cookbooks, potpourris, etc.
Fine gifts and collectible items; galleries and gifts, from wildlife art to cookbooks to wood accessories. Eagle River’s range includes major bakery, small bakeries, specialty candy stores, and a local cheesecake enterprise that serves national markets!
[Image: Courtesy of Flickr user kla4067]