Iron County: Lakes, Coast and Forest Trails
Accommodation in Iron County
Iron County combines an extensive lake landscape with the Lake Superior coast, forest areas, waterfalls and a variety of trails for active days on vacation. There are 228 lakes in total across an area of more than 34,000 acres. Those looking for a vacation rental or vacation home can therefore first determine the character of their trip based on their preferred landscapes and activities: water, nature, motorized tours, winter sports or regional culture.
Lakes, Coast and Waterfalls
Saxon Harbor brings sandy beaches on the Lake Superior coast of Iron County into your travel plans. The Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area offers a completely different aquatic environment. It covers 40,000 acres and has 66 remote campsites accessible only by water. The 24-mile Auto Tour is self-guided and leads to 15 stops, offering another way to explore this area.
Waterfalls also shape the county's landscape. Saxon Falls plunges 90 feet into the Montreal River at the border between Wisconsin and Michigan. Potato River Falls lies southwest of Gurney and drops 90 feet into the Potato River. At this waterfall, 131 steps lead to the Upper Falls and 204 steps lead to the Lower Falls. You should take these specific trail sections into account when planning your day. North of Wren Falls, there is also a basic campground on Iron County Forest land.
Forest Trails and Winter Experiences
The Iron County Forest offers 120 miles of well-maintained ATV/UTV trails. These trails connect to hundreds of additional miles of routes in the neighboring Wisconsin counties of Vilas, Price and Ashland, as well as on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. For travelers who want to experience Iron County by ATV or UTV, this interconnected network of routes is an important consideration when planning a vacation.
Several clearly distinct options are available in winter. The Iron County Forest has more than 50 km, or 33 miles, of groomed cross-country ski trails. The Mecca Trails supplement this with more than 15 km of groomed trails and a 1.1 km loop for snowshoeing or hiking. The Uller Trails offer 18 km of cross-country ski trails through remote, rolling and hilly terrain in Pence and Iron Belt.
The Montreal Ski Trails form an 11 km trail system in Montreal and Pence, Wisconsin. The route passes through the Montreal River Watergap in Iron County and the remains of the former Montreal iron ore mine. For snowmobiling, Iron County has 308 miles of groomed trails connecting to Michigan's Upper Peninsula and the counties of Vilas, Price and Ashland. Those who prefer a shorter snowshoe route will find two loops totaling 1.7 miles in easy terrain at Schomberg Park.
Culture and Local Orientation
The Iron County Farmers Market provides regional growers and artisans with a sales platform for locally grown and handmade products. The Iron County Historical Museum is located in a building constructed in 1893 as the town hall of the now-vanished Town of Vaughn and sold the following April to serve as the Iron County courthouse. This allows a nature-focused trip to be complemented by an insight into regional history and local products.
For further orientation in the area, you can also visit Hurley. When choosing your accommodation, it is worth deciding on your preferred travel focus in advance: sandy beaches and water landscapes lead to different daily plans than cross-country skiing, snowshoeing or ATV/UTV tours. A vacation rental in Iron County can serve as a base for a vacation that combines nature, activity and cultural discoveries.
For the broader travel overview: Wisconsin.
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