About Brule River State Forest

In times past, Native Americans, explorers and voyageurs traversed the cold clear waters of the Bois Brule River as it rushed to Lake Superior. Today, the same beautiful river and its surrounding forest land are home to the Brule River State Forest.

But the face of the forest is always changing, and many forces will help shape its future. You are invited to voice your opinions and help set the course for the Brule River State Forest.

Forest Resources

The Brule River State Forest is located in northwestern Wisconsin and covers more than 40,000 acres of state managed land in eastern Douglas County. The property was established in 1907 to protect the Bois Brule River, one of the most scenic and historic rivers in the upper mid-west. The current project boundary includes 52,000 acres adjacent to the river. This long and narrow forest extends from the Brule River headwaters near Solon Springs to Lake Superior, about 26 miles.

The Bois Brule River is one of the region's great trout waters with resident trout populations as well as major spring and fall runs of trout and salmon. Its clear, spring fed water passes slowly through a conifer bog in its upper half and changes to a tumbling river, full of rapids, in its lower half before it empties into Lake Superior. The river is popular with canoeists of all skill levels.

The Forest is home to a wide range of northwoods wildlife from bald eagles to neo-tropical warblers. It's also home to large and small mammals such as red squirrels, fox, deer, wolf, black bear, and even an occasional moose wanders through.

The Brule Forest is surrounded by large blocks of private, industrial and county forest lands that in combination create an even larger northwoods landscape. The forest is actively managed to provide a wide range of benefits.

Annually, over 120,000 people visit the Brule Forest to enjoy fishing, canoeing, hunting, camping and a variety of nature study and trail activities from bird watching to snowmobiling. One thing they all have in common is the expectation that they will continue to enjoy these activities in a natural setting.

By contributing to this planning process you can help chart the future of the forest and help assure that it continues to provide sound ecological, economic and recreational benefits now and for future generations.