Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
715/588-3143,
www.dillmans.com
)
is synonymous with North Woods Wisconsin. The
lodge offers condo efficiencies in addition to comfortable cabins perfect for families. And
there's always something to do at Dillman's—the lodge often sponsors bike tours, and the
Dillman's Creative Arts Foundation sponsors wonderful arts workshops and exhibits. All
the amenities would take a page to list; over its 250 acres is everything one could want to
do. There's also a sports program for children come summer. Rates run $115-400 daily, up
to $2,900 weekly. Baby Face Nelson once holed up in Cabin 5 here.
Bookending the western side of the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest is
the “Crown Jewel of the North”—also called Wisconsin's version of the Boundary Waters
Canoe Area of northern Minnesota. Of all Wisconsin's numerous flowages, reservoirs on
major river chains, the Turtle-Flambeau is perhaps the wildest and most primitive. The ma-
jority of its shoreline is in state hands and thus off-limits to development—in fact, many of
the lakes in the flowage have only one (or no) resorts or cottages on them.
The area was originally dammed in 1926 by endless public and private endeavors to
regulate water supply and secondarily supply power. With the Turtle backed up behind
the “Hoover Dam of Iron County,” the waterways of the Bear, Manitowish, Turtle, and
FlambeauRiversbecameenmeshed.Theresulting20,000-plusacres,oneofthelargerbod-
ies of water in the state, has never gotten the same attention as other regions of Wiscon-
sin—thankfullyso,saymany.Tokeepitasclosetowildernessaspossible,in1990thestate
of Wisconsin bought the whole mess, lock, stock, and barrel. Nine lakes, numerous creeks,
three rivers—backcountry lovers find it all orgasmic. Virtually all flora and fauna native to
the state are here in spades, with the granddaddy sportfish, the lake sturgeon, also prowling
thewaters.Thehighestnumbersinthestateofnestingpairsofeagles,loons,andospreyare
on the property.
TheflowageisbroachedprimarilyviaMercerandManitowishWatersonthenorthside,
Springstead in the east, and Butternut/Park Falls on the west.
Note: Highway FF is a grand bicycle route stretching between Butternut and Mercer.
Winding,rustic,andnottooheavilyladenwithtraffic,ithassomeweariedsectionsofroad,
but overall isn't too bad.
