Price County: Nature, Trails and Culture
Accommodation in Price County
Price County combines expansive nature with unusual discoveries: At 1,951.5 feet, Timm's Hill is the highest point in the state of Wisconsin, while rivers, wetlands, lakes and historic sites open up very different travel ideas. Those looking for a vacation rental or vacation home can therefore choose their location based on whether hiking, water activities, winter sports, wildlife observation or culture should be the focus of their stay.
Landscapes Between Wetlands, Forest and Water
One distinctive natural area is the Kimberly Clark Wildlife Area. In Price County, it covers 8,700 acres of grassland, hardwood forests, conifer swamps and wetlands. Depending on the season, different activities take center stage: turkey hunting is possible in spring, foraging in summer, ruffed grouse hunting in fall and snowshoeing in winter. Three pairs of ospreys also breed there; an active eagle nest is part of the area as well.
The open wetland area of Bass Lake Peatlands also shows a special side of the landscape. Sphagnum mosses, low-growing black spruce, tamaracks and bog shrubs characterize this habitat. The Spring Creek Wildlife Area contains four water impoundments with a combined water surface of 220 acres at full capacity. Solberg Lake County Park & Campground, by contrast, is located on a 35-acre peninsula extending into Solberg Lake. Fishing, water skiing and swimming are possible on the lake.
Trails for Active Vacation Days
The Tuscobia State Trail is a 74-mile former railway line. It runs from Park Falls to the Wild Rivers State Trail north of Rice Lake. The trail offers year-round opportunities for ATVs, snowmobiles, horseback riding, off-road bicycling and walking. Two parking areas at Tuscobia Trailhead County Park provide access to the Tuscobia State Trail. This range is interesting when planning a vacation rental if you want to combine different activities during the same trip.
The Flambeau River State Forest extends across Sawyer, Price and Rusk County and includes 75 miles of the North and South Forks of the Flambeau River. A 15-mile section of the South Fork features Class I to V whitewater. In the same forest area, the Flambeau River State Forest has 14 miles of groomed trails for classic and skate cross-country skiing. The 16-mile Flambeau Hills Trail is designated for hiking, bicycling, horseback riding and cross-country skiing.
The trail along the northern shore of Round Lake and its northwestern loops offer further contrasts. The scenic trail passes through hilly terrain, is lined with hardwoods and hemlocks, and also includes wetland sections. At Smith Lake in Smith Lake County Park & Campground, there are two canoe campsites that are accessible only by canoe and can be used free of charge. The Solberg Trail also provides ATV and UTV access to the Flambeau Trail System from Solberg Lake County Park & Campground. This system is 70 miles long and can be used by ATVs, UTVs, off-road motorcycles, mountain bikes, horses and other non-motorized means of transportation.
Culture and History as a Second Layer of Travel
The Wisconsin Concrete Park features more than 200 folk art figures by Price County native artist Fred Smith. The Old Town Hall Museum, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, offers historical insights. Exhibits cover Price County's logging history from 1879 through the 1930s, as well as railroad and other historic transportation memorabilia. The adjacent one-room Greenfield School preserves the history of rural schools.
On the South Fork of the Flambeau River, the reconstructed Round Lake Logging Dam from 1896 recalls how millions of logs were floated to the mills in Fifield and onward to the Chippewa and Mississippi Rivers. The Smith Rapids Covered Bridge was the first covered bridge built in Wisconsin in more than 100 years. The Jump River Valley Museum is housed in the former Catawba Town Hall, a single-story brick building constructed in 1920. A short walking trail along the Jump River offers views of the cascades at Big Falls. The Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Trail comprises 13 markers at various parks and monuments, representing the 13 years of service and sacrifice during the war.
Which Stay Fits Your Plans?
If you are traveling with different interests, it is worth defining a clear focus: Water activities and canoe experiences favor planning a trip around the lakes and river sections mentioned above, while trails such as the Tuscobia State Trail, the Flambeau Hills Trail or the route around Round Lake allow for different daily itineraries. For nature observation, the Kimberly Clark Wildlife Area and Bass Lake Peatlands are the main attractions; those who want to include history and art can consider museums, bridges, dams and the Wisconsin Concrete Park. Choose your vacation rental or vacation home based on the type of trip you want and the attractions you actually plan to visit.
As additional places to include in your travel planning, you can also visit the pages for Phillips and Park Falls.
For the higher-level travel overview: Wisconsin.
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