Northern Highland - American Legion State Forest - Canoeing

• General Information
• Trips
• Rules and Regulations
• Helpful Hints

General Information

The Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest offers canoeists the opportunity to camp along rivers and lakes at designated canoe campsites. There are currently over 70 sites on the State Forest. The majority of sites are on the Manitowish River and Manitowish Chain of Lakes. A variety of lake sites also exist. All campsites have a picnic table and fire ring. Sites are numbered and marked with yellow signs displaying a tepee. Portages are designated by yellow signs with crossed paddles.

Accessible site - Boulder Lake just west of Boulder Junction has an accessible, barrier free campsite. There is a small boarding dock and crushed granite pathways which lead to a tent pad, picnic table, fire ring and latrine which are all wheel chair accessible.

The Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest may occasionally close or remove a site due to bald eagle nesting, black bear problems or proximity to private ownership.

There are many places to explore on day trips. For quiet recreation seek out lakes with “No Motor” or “Electric Motor Only” designation.

Trips

To help you enjoy the forest’s canoe routes, we have suggested six separate trips on three different rivers in this guide. Each of the four Manitowish River trips has a combination of lakes and river stretches. Motors are allowed on the entire route. A few ways to avoid motor boat traffic is to plan a trip in spring or fall or paddle in the early morning hours during summer. Most of the campsites are isolated from development but if you are seeking a more Wilderness type experience a few places to try would be the Sylvania Wilderness Area or the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Along the way you will paddle past black spruce bogs, view giant white pines along the shore and wind through a river of lily pads and submersed tree stumps. Fishing regulations can be different on each body of water so be sure to stop at the boat landings where regulations are posted.

The Manitowish River flows 44 miles from High Lake to the Flambeau Flowage. There are three portages on the slow flowing river. Beginners as well as the avid canoeist can enjoy the scenic beauty of the Manitowish River. Trips 1-4 describe four continuous sections of the Manitowish River. Trip 5 is along the Trout River and Trip 6 is along the Wisconsin River.

NH-AL Canoe Routes [PDF, 636KB]

Trip 1: High Lake to Fishtrap Dam

Put-in at the High Lake boat landing on the south side of Hwy. B. The small creek leads to High Lake. Travel southwest through a culvert into Fishtrap Lake. Once through Fishtrap, the river meanders past Johnson and Nixon tributary creeks. Take out at the portage just upstream from the Fishtrap Dam. The 7.5 mile segment could be a day trip or an overnight trip. Total paddling time is 4 hours.

NH-AL Trip 1 Canoe Route [PDF, 44KB]

Trip 2: Fishtrap Dam to Highway K

Take Hwy. M north of Boulder Junction and turn on High-Fishtrap Road. Stay to the right which is Dam Road. Put in below the dam that is downstream from the boat landing. The take-out is 6.1 miles at the boat landing just upstream from Hwy. K. Paddling time is 3 hours. This could be a day or overnight trip.

NH-AL Trip 2 Canoe Route [PDF, 42KB]

Trip 3: Highway K to Highway 51

Put-in for this segment is just below the rapids on Hwy. K. This segment is 15.5 miles and 8 hours of paddling. Allow several days for this trip. A short portage for the ten foot dam at Rest Lake and Hwy. W is required. Take out where the Manitowish River and Hwy. 51 intersect. For a shorter trip (4 hrs.) take out at the Island Lake boat landing.

NH-AL Trip 3 Canoe Route [PDF, 77KB]

Trip 4: Highway 51 to Murray's Landing

The last segment begins below the Hwy. 51 bridge and runs 17 miles. A USGS topographic map is recommended for this trip as the river flows into the Flambeau Flowage, but not directly to Murray’s Landing. Allow at least an overnight stay for this trip. Paddling time is 12 hours. Taking out at the Hwy. 51 Wayside or the Hwy. 47 bridge can shorten this segment. Once past the Hwy. 47 bridge there is no take out until Murray’s Landing. Allow 8 hours paddling time for the Hwy. 47 to Murray’s Landing segment.

NH-AL Trip 4 Canoe Route [PDF, 74KB]

Trip 5: White Sand to Trout River Trip

This trip begins at White Sand Lake north of Hwy. K. Travel south across a portage from White Sand to Lost Canoe. From Lost Canoe, portage into Pallette. Pallette Lake has three portages. The portage to Stevenson Springs keeps you on the route to Trout Lake. The portage to Escanaba can be a side trip. Escanaba Lake is 100% state owned and a beautiful place to paddle. Be aware that Escanaba and Pallette are research lakes and no fishing is allowed without a permit. Permits must be returned by the end of each day. Staying on the route and portaging to Stevenson springs will bring you to a sand road. Pull over on this road to a small creek which flows to the North Trout Campground and boat landing. Beaver dams will be located along this stretch. The White Sand to North Trout Campground section of this route can be used as a day or overnight trip. From South Trout Lake, take the Trout River which passes through Wild Rice, Alder, and Manitowish Lakes. Paddling north of Manitowish Lake and under the Hwy. 51 bridge into Spider allows you to connect with the Manitowish River Trip. There are a total of three portages on this route. The total distance is 19 miles but can be divided into smaller routes.

NH-AL Trip 5 Canoe Route [PDF, 99KB]

Trip 6: Wisconsin River Trip, Cloverland Drive to Bridge Road

The put-in for this trip is just below the Cloverland Dam off Cloverland Road, west of Eagle River south of Hwy. 70. There are three sites along 20 miles of River. Each site is separated by fairly long stretches of river. The first site is on the south shore of the river just east of a wide shallow open water area. The next site is downstream of the Rainbow Reservoir just below Rainbow Rapids. If you wish to make this trip shorter you can pull out at Newbold Memorial Park, located on the left side of the river just downstream from the River Road bridge. The third and southernmost site is just downstream of the confluence of the Horsehead creek. The river is approximately 100 feet wide here with sweeping current. Take out is at Fredrich Landing, located on the right, just downstream of the double set of bridges on Bridge Road near McNaughton. Motors are allowed on this stretch but will most likely be concentrated on the Rainbow Flowage. A Rainbow Flowage map and a good topographical map are suggested for this route.

NH-AL Trip 6 Canoe Route [PDF, 121KB]

This could be a two or three day trip. In low water you may bump rocks and high water will make the fast water more challenging. This trip is more suited to intermediate paddlers.

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Rules and Regulations

Camping is permitted only at designated sites. Do not cut or damage living trees or shrubs. No more than six persons on a site. No fee is required. Access must be by watercraft. Camping is limited to one night only. Sites are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. There is no camping allowed on islands on the NH-AL State Forest. Islands possess unique characteristics and are susceptible to erosion. Day use is allowed where posted but to preserve what is there, it may be best to enjoy from a distance

Safety Messages

Every canoe must carry a U.S. Coast Guard approved wearable lifesaving device for each person aboard. Passengers should wear a life jacket at all times. Most forest water trails are slow to moderately slow, but the canoeist should be aware of any changing conditions. As a rule, do not overload your watercraft.

Swim safely. Don’t swim alone, at night, or in unfamiliar places. Use caution when wading as water depths may change abruptly. Watch small children closely near the water.

Use caution and confine fires to a fire ring. Put the fire out if wind changes cause concern. Watch children closely near the fire. Once you have put a match to the fire don’t use charcoal starter or any other flammable material. Make sure the fire is completely out and the grill or fire ring is cool before you leave the area.

Boil all water, use approved tablets or filters before drinking.

Never eat berries or plant materials unless you are certain of their identity.

Helpful Hints

Keep soap usage at least 100 feet from shore where ground can filter out impurities. Always carry a compass, insect repellent and a first aid kit. Pack out noncombustibles and please leave a clean site for others.

Beaver dams may be encountered along the way, so wear shoes appropriate for dragging a canoe over the dams

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