Welcome to Washburn County's Official Visitor Website!
While Washburn County is well known for its incredible trail systems and nearly 1,000 lakes, there are tons of other great things to experience when you visit the area. Have fun exploring our Northwoods in Every Direction!
Popular Attractions:
Museums: When visiting Washburn County, you'll want to check out some of the cool museums in the area. The Railroad Memories Museum and the Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Museum, both located in Spooner, are popular stops. In addition, the Museum of Woodcarving, located in Shell Lake, offers over 100 life size carvings all done by one man.
Washburn County is home to several historical museums including the Washburn County Historical Museum located in Shell Lake. Other historical museums include the Stone Lake Historical Museum, Birchwood Area Log Museum, and the Howard Morey Homestead.
Spooner Fish Hatchery: Spooner is home to the World's largest musky fish hatchery. The Governor Tommy G. Thompson State Fish Hatchery offers a great visitor center to learn how Wisconsin's lakes are stocked. They even offer tours during the peak season. Find out more...
Spooner Train Ride: Located just north of Spooner, the WI Great Northern Railroad offers a variety of train rides for those looking to have some fun. Enjoy a family pizza train, sightseeing train ride, elegant dinner train or even stay overnight on the bed and breakfast train! Find out more...
The Potters Shed Build your own mosaics, paint your own pottery, fairy garden door hunt, and the Music at the Shed Concert series make The Potters Shed a must see attraction in Shell Lake. Find out more...
Clover Meadow Winery The only certified organic winery in the Midwest! Clover Meadow, located just West of Shell Lake, specializes in Wisconsin Wines made from Wisconsin grown fruit, grapes and botanicals. Tours and wine tastings are available. Find out more...
Hunt Hill Audubon Sanctuary A nature sanctuary covering over 600 acres of forests, meadows and glacial lakes, Hunt Hill is home to wildlife and rare Wisconsin plant life. A variety of hands-on programs teach visitors about geology, plant life, and wildlife. Over 13 miles of hiking trails, including the incredible "Bog Trail". Find out more...
Washburn County is home to so many great attractions. For a full list of area attractions, visit our "Attractions" page.
Popular Activities:
Canoeing/Kayaking/Tubing Washburn County is home to the Namekagon River, part of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, and offers a great paddling or tubing experience for beginners and experts. Other river paddline opportunities exist on the Yellow and Totogatic Rivers. Find out more...
ATVing Washburn County's ATV Trails offer over 100 miles of leisure riding, connecting to the Hayward and Sawyer County area to the East, Douglas County to the North, Burnett County to the West and Barron County to the South. Be sure to check out the ATV Scenic Tour which highlights over 35 points of interest along the trail system. Find out more...
Horseback Riding Located between Spooner and Stone Lake, Dugan Run Horse Trails offer over 30 miles of horseback riding loops for those who want to bring their own horse. If you are new to horseback riding, be sure to check out our horseback riding stables. Find out more...
Bicycling Whether you are looking for a challenging mountain bike trail or a quiet, country road to spend the afternoon on, Washburn County has a biking experience for you. Mountain bike and fat bike enthusiasts will be particularly drawn to the Wildcat Mountain Bike Trail, located just East of Spooner. Find out more...
Hiking & Wildlife Viewing Over 100 miles of scenic hiking trails wind through the pristine forests and along the beautiful lakes and rivers of Washburn County. Trails vary from short, beginner trails to longer more difficult trails for the more experienced hiker. Find out more...
Water Recreation With over 1,000 lakes within a few minutes' drive, Washburn County offers the best in water activities year 'round. Popular lake activities include waterskiing, kayaking, fishing, sailing, paddleboarding, swimming and more. Find out more...
Fishing Washburn County offers excellent fishing whether your looking for Bass, Musky, Northern Pike, Walleye, Panfish or Trout. Located in Washburn County, Long Lake is known as the Walleye Capital of Wisconsin and Birchwood is known as the Bluegill Capital of Wisconsin. Find our more...
There's so much fun to be had when you visit Washburn County! For a full list of fun things to do, visit our "What to DO" page.
Washburn County Tourism Association welcomes you to our area. If you have any questions while you're planning your trip, please call our visitor information center at 1-800-367-3306. We hope you enjoy your time in our area!
Our toll-free 800 number is sponsored by Community Bank of Northern Wisconsin and Indianhead Credit Union. Please let our advertisers know you saw them on this website.
