Flambeau River State Forest

The Flambeau River State Forest was officially established in 1930. Beginning with 3,600 acres in public ownership, the forest has since grown to include 90,000 acres. Northern hardwood species such as sugar maple, red maple, yellow birch and white ash dominate the forest, which creates a spectacular fall display.

Rapids on the Flambeau River
WDNR Photo

The North and South Forks of the Flambeau River combine within the forest to provide over 75 miles of nearly uninterrupted natural beauty and whitewater excitement. The river is a major life force of the forest and along its tree-lined shores one can see deer, wolves, raccoon, black bear, otter, bald eagles and ospreys.

The forest offers a variety of recreational opportunities. Canoeing is the most popular activity on the forest. Different portions of the river offer varying degrees of difficulty. The North Fork is ideal for the novice, while South Fork is for the advanced paddler. Musky, sturgeon, trout, walleye, bass, and panfish can be caught from the river as well as the lakes in the forest. The forest is open to public hunting for bear, waterfowl, deer and grouse, just to name a few.

News & Info

To protect our parks and forests from firewood hitch-hikers, the Wisconsin DNR has created a permanent rule which prohibits bringing firewood onto any DNR property from more than 25 miles away or from outside of Wisconsin.

UTV Pilot Project

The Flambeau River State Forest is participating in the UTV pilot program which aims to test the feasibility of allowing utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) on ATV trails. The Pilot Program allows for UTV use on 40 miles of the summer ATV trail until June 30, 2012.

May 27, 2010 UTV Pilot Project [PDF, 229KB]