Summer seems to come and go so quickly - be sure you’re making the most of your summer in Washburn County! One of my all time favorite summer activities is a picnic lunch. With well over twenty parks in our county, you can find a perfect spot in any of our communities. Whether you want a quiet spot with stunning views of an area lake or river, a picnic table with a playground to wear out the kiddos, or a true summer picnic spot with a swimming area, you’ll find some absolute treasures on this list. Here are a few of my favorites broken down by community, but keep in mind you can find a full list of parks at https://www.washburncounty.org/what-to-do/parks
Birchwood: This was a hard one for me to pick! The Birchwood area offers such a great variety of parks, but if you’re looking for the perfect little picnic spot, Doolittle Park located on Birch Lake, right on the edge of town is ideal. The park offers a little swimming area, playground and picnic pavilion. It’s perfect if you want to get away, but not too far from amenities like the delicious ice cream served at Ed’s Pit Stop.
Minong: Okay, I’m finding out that I am really bad at picking a favorite. Minong is an absolute toss up for me. If you haven’t been out to Bass Lake Park on Old Bass Lake Rd., it’s quite the little treasure! The park offers a boat landing if you want to spend some time on the water, a great swimming area and picnic tables. Another great option for a picnic is the Minong Play Park right in town. Not only does it offer a covered pavilion, but you can also challenge your family to a game of volleyball or basketball on the courts. For the smaller kiddos, the playground is located right near the pavilion as well.
Shell Lake: Alright, so this one was easy. How can I not send you to Memorial Park aka Shell Lake Beach for a picnic? This is by far one of my favorite beaches in northern Wisconsin and there’s tons of amenities like swim rafts, pavilion, playground, not to mention downtown Shell Lake across the street with some delicious ice cream options at Matt’s Ice Cream Stand and the Scoop ‘N Brew.
Spooner: There are tons of great picnic spots in Spooner! Hands down my favorite spot for a quiet picnic though is at the Veterans Memorial Waterfront Park on the Yellow River. With a covered picnic pavilion, fishing pier, short hiking trail to the state fish hatchery, it offers all you need for the perfect picnic. But, it isn’t the picnic amenities that draw me to this park. Spooner Veterans’ Waterfront Park is home to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier replica and a stunning memorial to our local veterans. It is an absolute must see if you haven’t been there before.
Stone Lake: When visiting Stone Lake, you’ll want to take a hike at Stone Lake Wetland Park. The park offers picnic tables near the parking area and a hike down the trail will lead you to a pavilion nestled in the woods near the lake and the nearby railroad tracks. If you time it right, you might just catch a train passing by. As you take the trail towards town, you’ll find an old fashioned wagon bridge at the end of the trail welcoming you to the quaint community of Stone Lake. A wander through town and you’ll find great little retail stores, an awesome coffee & beer bar, and even a wine shoppe.
Trego: Have you ever heard of the Namekagon River: Wisconsin’s Moving National Park? If not, you should definitely plan a picnic in Trego. Both Trego Town Park and Earl Landing Park (technically in Earl) offer great views of the Namekagon. A picnic at either of these parks just wouldn’t be complete without a trip down the river. Nearby outfitters, Jack’s Canoe Rental, Log Cabin & Flatwaters Saloon can get you all set up with tubes, kayaks or canoes to spend some time on the water.
As you can tell, there are a ton of great options for not only a picnic, but many other adventures as well! For more great ideas on what to do in Washburn County, visit our blog page.
