2025 Burnett County Guide

ATTRACTIONS 19 BurnettCountyFun.com NAMEKAGON BARRENS WILDLIFE AREA T he Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area consists of more than 6,000 acres in northern Burnett and Washburn counties, and is part of the Northwest Sands Ecological Landscape. Its two units lie on either side of the Nameka- gon River where it flows westward toward the St. Croix Riv- er. The jack pine-scrub oak barrens habitat is a fire-loving community that is globally rare and rich with diverse prairie flora and fauna. Home to one of the largest remaining pop- ulations of sharp-tailed grouse and many other animals and plants, the barrens environment is shaped by its very sandy, droughty soils. The Wisconsin Department of Nat- ural Resources uses controlled burning to mimic the nat- ural fires that were common pre-European settlement that helped to maintain the area as barrens. It is a haven for wildlife enthusiasts, photographers, hikers and folks that love wild blueberry picking. AMSTERDAM SLOUGHS & FISH LAKE WILDLIFE AREAS T he Amsterdam Sloughs, another 6,000 acre property, features a diverse mix of marshes, flowages, swamp land and forests. Birding enthusiasts will most likely catch glimpses of the great blue herons, osprey and eagles here. Fish Lake Wildlife Area is 14,000 acres, and contains large sedge marshes - remnants of the 1,200 year old “Glacial Lake Grantsburg,” as well as vast brush prairie and native red pine forests. Down a dirt road in the rolling pines of the bashaw valley is one of the one of the best kept secrets in the northwoods. 23396 Thompson Rd Shell Lake, WI 54871 715-468-4224 clovermeadow.com Blueberry Liqueur for Cordials & Liqueurs Blackberry Cordial for Cordials & Liqueurs Coffee Liqueur for Cordials & Liqueurs Cranberry & Blueberry Liqueur Rhubarb Moonshine Frontenac Brandy GOVERNOR KNOWLES STATE FOREST G overnor Knowles State Forest is a 55-mile-long forest in northwestern Wisconsin that parallels the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. It offers camping, paddling, hik- ing, horseback riding, biking, hunting, fishing, cross-coun- try skiing and snowmobiling opportunities. Three camp- grounds (St. Croix, Trade River Equestrian and Sioux Portage Group) and nine primitive backpack campsites are found within 32,500 wooded acres. The Brant Pines ski trail offers groomed trails for cross country skiing. Hunters will find whitetail deer, turkey, black bear, squirrel, ruffed grouse and woodcock throughout the forest. It also en- compasses several trout streams, of which, the Trade River and Wolf Creek are most popular for anglers.