Northwoods: A Quiet Place for Camping, Fishing and Exploring Backroads

https://bit.ly/northwoodswisconsin

I knew very little about Northern Highland American Legion State Forest(NHAL) before heading up there. What I did know is it had multiple lakes sprawled out over 225,000 acres located in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. That was good enough for me.

After checking out the campsite availability on Wisconsin's DNR page I decided on Clear Lake. There were very few reservations and from the videos I saw on YouTube some of the sites were nestled right next to the lake making easy access for the kayak.

I arrived around 4 pm giving me time to set up camp and explore my surroundings. The campsite was perfect(site 710). No neighbors on either side and perfect access to the lake for fishing and kayaking. There were not a lot of campers around and the ones that were there were mostly trailers. It felt like I had the place to myself!

The weather was perfect. The days were about 70 and the nights were in the 50's. I slept like a baby except for the first night. Around two in the morning the wolves began to howl. One would howl and then another as if to answer. This went on for about a half hour. At first, the howls were oddly soothing but I noticed they were getting closer. And closer, as if outside my tent. It was loud. I didn't have any food around camp and the fire was still smoldering so I'm not sure what they were looking for. I could hear movement in the brush so I knew they were near. And just like that it stopped. The night became eerily quiet again. And it stayed that way for the rest of the night.

The next day I awoke early and headed to Minocqua to pick up a few supplies. I had never been there before but I was surprised how touristy it was. It was basically an island filled with little shops and bait stores. And they had a Walmart! I grabbed everything I needed and started to explore more of the island. I found this little shop called TJ's Butcher Block, which if you are a foodie had everything you could want. They also had fresh smoked fish which was ridiculously good! I bought some cherry smoked salmon which might have been some of the best smoked fish I have ever had.

I arrived back at camp and decided to get the kayak out and check out the lake. Clear Lake, just like most of the lakes in Oneida County, are a fisherman's paradise. It's filled with musky, panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, trout and walleye. The day was perfect except for the wind. I had to hug the shoreline to escape the wind and actually make any forward progress. It was definitely a workout!

Dinner that night was a perfectly cooked walleye with Fall squash I picked up in town and a HoneyCrisp apple slaw.

The next day I got in my Jeep and explored some of the State Forest roads that seemed to stretch out forever. While at WalMart the day before I found a guide called the Northern Wisconsin All Outdoors Atlas and Field Guide. It's amazing! It has all the ATV trails, State Forest Roads, dirt roads and just about anything else you would need to explore the Northwoods. If you plan on spending any time up there I would highly recommend it.

Though it was my first trip up to NHAL it won't be my last. It ranks up there with Twelve Foot Falls in Marinette County! I actually plan on heading back next week to camp at a place I accidently found.

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