12 Things to Do in Catawba WI You Won't Find on Google Maps

Logging history, river paddling, and Northwoods quiet in a village of 117 people that most GPS apps barely acknowledge.

Google Maps shows Catawba, Wisconsin as a pin on US Highway 8 with a population of 117 and not much else. No restaurants highlighted. No attractions flagged. No “things to do” card. If you’re driving from Phillips to Kennan, you pass through it in about 90 seconds and probably don’t realize you were anywhere.

That’s the point. Catawba doesn’t have a visitor center or a tourism board. What it has is access to some of the quietest corners of Price County, a logging history that shaped the region, and a South Fork Jump River that runs right through it with barely another angler in sight.

We’ve driven through Catawba dozens of times. Here are 12 things worth stopping for, from a village that doesn’t advertise itself.

1. Paddle the South Fork Jump River

The South Fork Jump River crosses Highway 86 just south of Catawba, and it’s one of the least-paddled rivers in Price County. Not because it’s bad. Because nobody knows it’s there.

The Jump River system forms at the confluence of the North Fork and South Fork in southwestern Price County and flows about 25 miles through Rusk, Taylor, and Chippewa counties before hitting the Holcombe Flowage. The South Fork near Catawba is a small, rocky river with Class I riffles and flatwater stretches. In the late 1800s, loggers used it to drive white pine downstream to the Chippewa River mills. Today, it’s used mostly by fishermen and the occasional paddler who knows where the access points are.

You can put in where Highway 86 crosses the South Fork and paddle downstream. The water is shallow in summer, so bring a canoe rather than a kayak if you want to avoid scraping bottom. Smallmouth bass hold in the riffles. Walleye sit in the deeper pools. The river banks are undeveloped for long stretches, and you’ll see more deer than people.

No outfitter runs shuttles on the South Fork. You’re on your own for logistics. Park a vehicle downstream, paddle back to it, and figure out the shuttle. That’s part of the deal when you explore a river that isn’t on the tourism map.

The Jump River system is covered in detail in our Price County fishing guide, which breaks down species, regulations, and access points for the full river system.

2. Explore the Catawba Historical Museum

The Catawba town hall was built in 1921, and the village incorporated the following year. The building doubles as a historical museum, and it holds the physical record of a community that has spent 140 years shrinking and surviving.

Inside, you’ll find logging tools from the Red Birch Lumber Company era, photographs from when the railroad came through in 1884, and records from the Catawba State Bank, which opened in 1916. The museum isn’t large. You can see everything in 30 minutes. But it tells the story of a town that went from logging camp to railroad stop to farming community to what it is now: one of the smallest incorporated villages in Wisconsin.

The museum is open by appointment and during community events. Call the village clerk at the town hall number to arrange a visit. If you’re passing through on a summer Saturday, check whether the door is open. Sometimes it is.

3. Fish the South Fork Jump River for Smallmouth Bass

The South Fork Jump River near Catawba holds smallmouth bass in numbers that surprise people who assume a river this small can’t produce. The riffles between pools are where the bass sit, and the rocky bottom creates the structure they want. A small crankbait or a tube jig worked through the current breaks will get hits.

Walleye are present in the deeper holes, especially where the river bends and scours out pockets. The water is clear enough to sight-fish in the shallower stretches during summer, which is rare for a river with this much timber along the banks.

The Wisconsin DNR manages the Jump River system with standard statewide regulations. No special size limits on smallmouth. Walleye follows the 15-inch minimum. Check the current regulations before you go, because rules change.

Shore access is limited. The best fishing requires wading or a small boat. Bring wading boots with studs because the rocks are slick. If you’re wading, be aware that the river can rise quickly after heavy rain. The Jump River got its name from either the jumping rapids or a 19th-century forest fire that jumped the river, depending on which local historian you ask. Either way, the water moves faster than it looks.

4. Attend the Catawba Community Parade

Catawba doesn’t have a July 4 celebration. What it has is a community parade in June, and VFW Post 8491 marches in it. The parade route runs along US Highway 8 through the village, and it’s the kind of small-town parade where you know half the people watching and the other half are related to someone in the parade.

The 2026 parade was held on June 13. Expect a similar date in 2027. The parade includes the VFW color guard, local fire trucks, farm equipment, kids on decorated bikes, and a few classic cars. It lasts about 30 minutes. Afterward, there’s usually a community gathering at the town hall with food and conversation.

This is not a festival. There are no food trucks, no merchandise tents, no ticketed events. It’s a community parade in a village of 117 people, and that’s exactly what makes it worth attending. You’ll meet the people who actually live in Catawba, and they’ll tell you things about the area that no tourism website can.

5. Hunt Grouse on the Price County Forest Roads East of Town

The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest and Price County Forest lands east of Catawba contain some of the best ruffed grouse habitat in Wisconsin. The mix of young aspen, older hardwoods, and lowland conifers creates the edge habitat that grouse need for drumming, feeding, and cover.

The forest roads east of Catawba toward Kennan and south toward the Flambeau River State Forest are under-hunted compared to the more popular grouse areas near Park Falls and Fifield. Means fewer hunters competing for the same covers and a better chance at a limit.

October is peak season. Walk the logging roads at first light, hunt the edges of aspen cuts that are 5 to 15 years old, and listen for drumming males. A grouse dog helps, but plenty of hunters walk these roads without one. Wear orange. The county forest sees some ATV traffic during fall, and you don’t want to be invisible.

If you don’t hunt, the same roads are excellent for birdwatching in May when warblers migrate through and in October when the colors peak. Bring binoculars and bug spray.

6. Buy Produce from Catawba Farms

Catawba Farms is a local produce vendor that sets up at various locations around Price County during the summer. They’ve appeared at the Subway parking lot on the corner of Lake and Maple in Phillips, selling fresh Georgia peaches, watermelons, and seasonal produce. They post their schedule on Facebook, and if you’re in the area during the summer, it’s worth checking where they’ll be next.

This isn’t a farm stand at the end of a driveway. It’s a mobile produce operation that brings fruit and vegetables to communities that don’t have a grocery store. Catawba itself doesn’t have a market. Neither does Kennan. Catawba Farms fills part of that gap, and the peaches are better than anything you’ll find at a Phillips gas station.

7. Drive the US Highway 8 Corridor

US Highway 8 runs east-west through Catawba and was paved through the village in 1949. Before that, it was Wisconsin Highway 14, and before that, it was a dirt road following the old railroad grade. The corridor connects Catawba to Prentice (10 minutes west), Kennan (10 minutes east), Phillips (20 minutes west), and Park Falls (30 minutes northwest).

The drive between Prentice and Kennan on Highway 8 is one of the quietest paved roads in Price County. You’ll pass farms, forest edges, the South Fork Jump River crossing, and not much else. No billboards. No chain restaurants. No gas stations for long stretches. It’s a drive that shows you what northern Wisconsin looked like before tourism became an industry.

If you’re planning a Price County road trip, this stretch of Highway 8 connects to the Price County ATV trail system. You can stage from Catawba, ride the forest roads, and be back in time for a beer in Prentice or Phillips.

See also: our 48 Hours in Price County guide for a full weekend itinerary that includes the Highway 8 corridor.

8. Hike the Forest Roads South Toward the Flambeau River

The forest roads heading south from Catawba toward the South Fork Flambeau River are some of the least-traveled paths in Price County. These are unpaved logging roads through county forest and national forest land. They’re open to hiking, and to ATV traffic from May 1 through seasonal closures.

The terrain rolls through northern hardwoods, pine plantations, and cutover patches at different stages of regrowth. In late September and early October, the color change here is as good as anything in the Northwoods, and you won’t be sharing the view with busloads of leaf peepers. The nearest marked hiking trail is the Timms Hill National Recreation Trail, about 30 minutes east, which connects to the Ice Age Trail. But the unmarked forest roads around Catawba offer something different: quiet and uncertainty, with the chance to walk for an hour without seeing another person.

Bring a paper map or download one ahead of time. Cell service is unreliable in the county forest. Tell someone where you’re going. These roads don’t see daily traffic, and if you twist an ankle two miles in, you’re on your own.

See also: our free camping guide for dispersed camping options on the same forest roads.

9. Visit the Catawba Village Land Deal Site

In September 2025, the Village of Catawba held a special meeting to vote on buying a tax-delinquent property on US Highway 8 for $10,000. The property at W9212 US Highway 8 had accumulated $6,365.26 in back taxes, delinquent user fees, and a special assessment dating back to 2019. Village President Cheryl Moore, Trustees Cali Handel and Richard Manula, and Clerk Shirley Kempen were present. The motion passed. No public comments. No debate. The meeting lasted 15 minutes.

The village planned to convert the lot into parking for the Historical Building and overflow parking for community events. It’s the kind of municipal transaction that happens in small towns across America without anyone outside the village limits noticing. But it tells you something about Catawba: this is a community that solves its own problems, quietly, with 15-minute meetings and $10,000 checks.

You can drive past the property on Highway 8. There’s no historical marker. No plaque. Just a lot that was once someone’s tax problem and is now village parking. The story is on pricecounty.fun if you want the full background.

10. Cool Off at a Price County Swimming Hole

Catawba doesn’t have a swimming beach. The South Fork Jump River is too shallow and rocky for a proper swim in most stretches. But within 20 minutes of Catawba, you’ve got access to some of the clearest lake swimming in Wisconsin.

Elk Lake in Phillips has a public beach with a sand bottom and gradual drop-off. Spirit Lake has a boat landing with a natural sandbar that forms in late June. Solo Flowage has a campground beach with tea-colored water and zero crowds. The trick is to go early. By 10 AM on a summer Saturday, the popular spots fill up. By 7 AM, you’ll have the water to yourself.

River swimming is an option on the Flambeau River system, about 20 minutes south of Catawba. The calm pools below the rapids offer cold, clean water in a setting that feels further from civilization than it actually is. Wear water shoes. The rocks are slick, and the current is stronger than it looks.

See also: our guide to 5 secret swimming holes in Price County for the specific lakes, access points, and times to go.

11. Snowmobile the Price County Trail System From Catawba

Price County maintains roughly 450 miles of funded ATV/UTV routes, and in winter, many of those same trails open to snowmobiles. Catawba sits on the corridor system, which means you can ride from Catawba to Phillips, Park Falls, Prentice, or east into the Flambeau River State Forest without trailering your sled.

The trails around Catawba are some of the first to open in Price County because the highway corridor gets plowed but the forest trails hold snow. The terrain is flat to rolling, which makes for fast, easy riding. The pit stops are where the character is. You can ride from Catawba to Prentice in about 20 minutes, stop at a bar for lunch, and ride back. That’s a winter afternoon in Price County.

Trail conditions change daily. Check the Price County snowmobile trail report before you go. The trails close during thaws and reopen when the base freezes. If you show up on a warm day, you’ll be riding dirt.

After a day on the trails, head to Phillips for dinner and drinks. See also: the real Northwoods drinking guide on borrachos.bar for bar-by-bar recommendations in Phillips.

12. Watch the Sunset From the Highway 86 Bridge Over the South Fork Jump River

This is the simplest thing on the list, and it might be the best. The Highway 86 bridge over the South Fork Jump River, just south of Catawba, has an unobstructed view west across the river corridor. The land is flat. The sky is big. The river cuts through a band of trees that turns gold in October and black against the snow in January.

On a clear summer evening, the sunset from this bridge lasts about 20 minutes, and you won’t be sharing it with anyone. No parking fee. No interpretive sign. No Instagram board. Just a bridge, a river, and a sky that goes from blue to orange to dark without another human in sight.

Pull over. Turn off the engine. Sit on the hood. Watch it happen. That’s the thing about Catawba. The attractions aren’t attractions. They’re just the things that are there, waiting for someone to notice them.

See also: our weekend weather preview

Planning Your Catawba Trip

When to go: Summer for paddling, fishing, and produce. Fall for grouse hunting, leaf color, and quiet forest roads. Winter for snowmobiling. Spring is mud season. Skip it unless you like mud.

Where to stay: Catawba has no lodging. Phillips (20 minutes west) has cabins and a couple of motels. Park Falls (30 minutes northwest) has more options. For camping, the Flambeau River State Forest and Price County Forest both offer dispersed and developed sites within 30 minutes of Catawba.

What to bring: Bug spray from May through July (the mosquitoes in the lowland forest are aggressive), a paper map (cell service is spotty), and whatever food and drinks you need. Catawba doesn’t have a grocery store, a gas station, or a restaurant. Stock up in Phillips or Park Falls.

Gas: Fill up in Phillips or Prentice. Running out of fuel on a forest road east of Catawba means a long walk to Kennan, and Kennan doesn’t have a gas station either.

Population: 117 people, according to the 2020 census. The village is 4.46 square miles, all land, and it sits at the intersection of US Highway 8 and Highway 86 in central Price County.

Catawba isn’t a destination. It’s a place you pass through that rewards stopping. If you want a resort town with a spa and a gift shop, go to Minocqua. If you want a river to yourself, a museum that opens by appointment, and a sunset from a bridge with no one else around, Catawba is worth the detour.

For a full Price County itinerary that includes Catawba and the surrounding communities, check the seasonal guides on pricecounty.fun for what’s happening when you plan to visit.

By the Price County Fun editorial team. Last updated June 2026.