Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest
The Wisconsin state authorities have counted 900 lakes in this 236,000-acre park, located just a few miles from downtown Minocqua. There are plentiful trails for you to meander on, sandy beach spots with picnic areas, and a nature center at Crystal Lake Campground that offers displays and educational talks. You’ll also find dozens of campsites, including a few primitive backcountry spots that require a canoe to get to. Keep in mind that you’ll need a state park admission sticker for your car.
Hanging out in the water
If you aren’t driving to Minocqua with your own boat in tow, never fear: There are a number of rental shops that will hook you up with everything you need to hang out on the water, from tubes and stand-up paddle boards to pontoons for slow cruises. You could set your canoe into the water and spend the day exploring the chain of Minocqua Lakes. Anglers here set their sights on walleye, bigmouth and smallmouth bass, bluegill, and muskie. If you visit in winter, the fishing doesn’t stop — it simply moves onto the ice.
Minocqua Winter Park
This nonprofit hub for snow sports, which combines a municipal park with trails through private lands, is a popular destination for all manner of winter fun. In addition to the 54 miles of trails dedicated to cross-country skiing, you’ll find groomed paths for fat-tire bikes and snowshoes, hills for tubing down, and a lake for ice-skating, as well as fire pits and refreshments.