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Aboard!There is some symbolism in the restored railroad. Like the train ride, a trip to Spooner is a unique blend of history and scenery, comfort and authentic Northwoods charm. And it may just be that Spooner and the surrounding area is the train that will take you to your dream vacation spot for years to come.
Shirley Rausch has been in Spooner since the 1970s. “Just driving through, it doesn't seem like a vacation area. But when you hang around, you find out what a great place this is.” Rausch has in the real estate business there for twenty-five years. In her opinion, Spooner was only “discovered” by Twin Cities vacationers in the early 1990s. “There are a lot of lakes and a lot of woods,” she says. She's right. Washburn county is still almost two-thirds forested. “And so you have a feeling, so to speak, of being in the wilderness. Much more so than in a place like the Brainerd area. This area is not that touristy. It has maintained a lot of its wild and rural atmosphere.”
Spooner and Washburn County have also been good about helping folks to access that wild and beautiful atmosphere. Again, making use of the steam-and-steel past, 96 miles of old railroad bed has been converted into the Wild Rivers Trail, a glorious boon for hikers, mountain bikers, horse-riders, ATV-ers and snowmobilers. And of course there are the lakes. Spooner Lake, just outside of the town, is worth a visit. Shell and Long lakes are also worthwhile. But these are just the big ones. In fact, six percent of the county surface is water, and there are 257 lakes with names, as well as 659 other unnamed bodies. If you want to water ski, you can do it somewhere near Spooner. The same goes for sailing. Ditto for fishing. You get the picture.
With the area so rich in terrific lakes, what is not commonly known is that there are great thrills to be had near Spooner on moving water. One of the best-kept secrets of Northwest Wisconsin is the Namekagon River, and one of the best places to begin your exploration of it, is from Spooner. The Namekagon is part of the Upper St. Croix National Scenic River System. Much of it runs through a protected corridor, where a large swath of forest on either side keeps it remote from farmland and towns, and road access is limited. The river is beautiful along its entire length, but the most remote and pristine stretch begins just below the dam, a mere seven miles north of downtown Spooner. The fishing here is incredible; the stream is packed with big pike, hungry walleye, muscular smallmouth and even the occasional trout.
Speaking of trout, that is another little known fact. Ninety-seven miles of trout streams run through Washburn County. These aren't hill-type streams like you find further south in Wisconsin. For the most part they are quite narrow and remote, running through marshy areas; but if you have patience with snags and thickets, the reward is finding gorgeous brown and brook trout where only a few people fish in a given year. Watch out though, bear and coyote frequent the same streams.
With more than 2600 people, Spooner is the largest town in Washburn county. It's big enough to have the things you need, but not too big to have lost that good Midwestern hometown feel. One of the most heralded town events is the Heart of the North Rodeo in July. They even have a Cowboy Church Service in the arena the weekend of the Rodeo.
Like in a lot of tourist towns, things have slowed down a bit when it comes to Real Estate. Shirley Rausch's company is Wilderness Lakes Real Estate. “At the end of last year it was kind of like standing in an empty room and hearing echoes,” she says. However, she feels it has begun to pick up a little bit recently. For many, the best chance to get into the market might be now, while things are slow. Some vacation homes are being priced tens of thousands of dollars lower than they were in the recent past.
Maybe the echoes Rausch heard were the distant sounds of the last train leaving the station in Spooner many decades ago. If so, that is good news, because Spooner has navigated the waters of change before, and will undoubtedly rebound as one of the premium places to own your lakeshore dream.
