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Eagle River, WI is the seat of Vilas County, and is a water and nature lover’s delight! Only 23 miles from the Michigan border, it’s adjacent to the lower 10 lakes of the 28 Eagle River-Three Lakes chain of lakes. It’s surrounded by two major forests, the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest to the west, and the Nicolet to the east, both containing abundant wild life, including; black bear, white tailed deer, red fox, and porcupine.     

 Here it’s all about water. With 1327 lakes, 73 rivers and streams in the area, and the largest contiguous chain of fresh water lakes in the world. Northern trees dominate the landscape with hundreds of thousands of them in as many acres of the nearby forests.

 The lower 10 lakes vary in size from the smallest, Lynx, only a few acres large, to Catfish, which has the longest stretches of lakeshore, and is 1,032 acres. You can spend hours channeling from one lake to another.  If you want to continue farther into the upper lakes your boat will be towed over a dam while you walk on foot to the other side of the dam. Two major rivers, the Wisconsin, flowing around the west end of town, and the Eagle, flowing through town, meet at a lake appropriately called “Waters Meet”.

Anglers are definitely welcome here.  Licenses can be purchased almost everywhere, even at some gas stations, and the Pamida Discount store on highway 45.  Tackle and live bait, along with licenses, can be obtained at the town’s sports shops.

Northern Pike seem to be the most prevalent fish, but it’s Musky, that formidable  looking fish, that’s the real challenge for avid fishermen, with a throw back policy ensuring that the Musky population isn’t decimated.  Crappies, Bluegills, Perch, and bass are also abundant. For the novice, and even for those who’ve fished frequently, Eagle River has capable guides for year round fishing, including ice fishing in the winter.

Multi-passenger Pontoons are popular here, plying the lakes as transportation and used for lake tours. Some guided tours concentrate on historic boathouses, beautiful homes, and scenery and wildlife. You can be taxied in them or you can rent one and go out on your own. They’re big enough for a family or small group.   

A variety of water sports like jet skiing, water skiing, sailing, kayaking, canoeing, and tubing, can be enjoyed on the lakes and rivers. If you don’t have your own water equipment much can be rented in the area. During warm weather you can golf on 18 holes, nine holes, or at mini golf, and horseback ride on wooded trails.

The lakes are great for spotting bald eagles, trumpeter swans, and loons, who are abundant in the area. The eerie wailing cries of the loons can be heard periodically throughout the day, along with the drumming of a year round resident, the ruffed grouse.

Cool birds to watch are ospreys, who rapidly plunge into the water, wings down, hitting it with huge splashes and emerging with fish in their talons. You might even see one devour its catch in a nearby tree. 

In the fall, you’ll see beavers at work as they chew down trees for their food supply. For hunters, September is the opening of the grouse and small game season, and the bow season for deer.  Hunting with guns begins around Thanksgiving.

Fall is the time for fantastic color in Eagle River and its adjacent forests. Vibrant multi-hued colors reach their peak between the end of September and early October. Hike or bike through hundreds of miles of groomed forest trails, under canopies of red sumacs, gold maples, and orange oak leaves, mixed with the green of fir trees.  The bright fall colors reflected in the smooth glassy lakes often shimmer like impressionist painting.

Winter is calm and beautiful here with the softness of pure white snow and the special peace that comes with being amongst a multitude of trees.

The area is a great place to zoom around in a snow mobile. Eagle River is officially known as The Snowmobile Capital of the World. For a more serene atmosphere, and to commune with nature, try cross country skiing and snow shoeing in the forests.

The town itself is small, with a downtown of basically two intersecting blocks, Railroad and Wall, but some of the town is spread along highways 45-70. Don’t worry about paying an arm and a leg for parking--meter parking is only 10 cents an hour!

You can go back in time here at places like Soda Pops, a 50’s themed eatery, in a 19th century building, where diners can order any of 120 different sodas, phosphates, and old fashioned ice creams or try the Dinky Diner with eight stools and four booths, where a hamburger can be ordered for a couple of dollars; and a store where children of any age can stuff teddy bears and choose their outfits. The town’s eclectically decorated gourmet restaurant, with a river view, Riverstone, has earned a Wine Spectator Magazine award. For movie goers there’s a multi-plex theater. Gift shops abound for avid shoppers. Fifteen miles from Eagle River, the Three Lakes Winery, housed in an old railroad depot, offers tours and sampling of its fruit wines, selling food made with its wine.

A fun place to visit is the interactive Northwoods Children’s Museum, where among other activities, kids can sit inside a hollowed out tree, play doctor and nurse at a medical station, and explore a pioneer cabin. It’s open year round. 

Special events in the area include: in September, the Annual World Championship Vintage Snowmobile Show at the Eagle River Derby Track with grass drag races, vintage and classic snowmobile displays and a swap meet, and the final tournament of the Wisconsin Musky Tour; and The Eagle River Farmer’s Market, every Wednesday, June through October.  In October the biggest festival is the Cranberry Fest and Fitness Weekend, offering a variety of events with hundreds of baked goods and foods made with cranberries; packages of raw berries for sale; a Friday night dance; a Bog Bridge Tournament; antique, flea, and farmers’ markets; arts and crafts and weaver’s shows and sales; cranberry fitness events; and a craft auction.  Taste a piece of the World’s Largest

Cranberry Cheesecake.  Two hour tours of cranberry marshes and the Winery are also offered.

According to a source at the Eagle River Chamber of Commerce, “lake homes can be found as low as the $200,000 range for about a 1,000 to 1,900 square foot home, with the average for lake homes between $450,000 and $500,000. There are about a dozen homes for sale now that are in the million dollar range and the most expensive is an 8,000 square foot home selling for $6,000,000 with 3,000 square foot of frontage.”

Upscale area condominiums include Wild Eagle Lodge homes, “with one, two, and three bedroom units from $269,000 to $403,000, and Voyager Crossing condominiums starting in the mid $400,000s.” Wilde Eagle is also a resort and units can be rented for a vacation stay, which is a great way to check out the area.

Arlene Becker is a freelance writer based out of Shorewood, WI.