10 Hidden Gems and Things to Do in Fifield WI

Logging history, river paddling, and Northwoods quiet, the spots around Fifield that most visitors drive right past.

Fifield sits at the crossing of Highway 13 and the South Fork Flambeau River, and if you blink on your way to Park Falls, you’ll miss it. The town has a population of 568 people, 1,058 housing units, and a median age of 57.3. It’s not a tourist hub. It’s not trying to be one.

That’s exactly why it’s worth a stop.

The town was platted in 1876 when the Wisconsin Central Railroad punched through the Northwoods forest, and it was named after Sam Fifield, Wisconsin’s 14th lieutenant governor, who had business interests in the area. Logging built Fifield. The railroad shipped white pine out, and the Flambeau River drove logs downstream to mills. A fire in 1893 burned 60 buildings in the business district, and the town rebuilt. You can still see that history if you know where to look.

Here are 10 things to do in and around Fifield that most guides don’t cover.

1. Paddle the South Fork Flambeau River

The South Fork Flambeau runs right through Fifield, and it’s one of the quieter paddling rivers in northern Wisconsin. The North Fork gets more attention from outfitters and guidebooks, but the South Fork has less traffic, calmer stretches, and some of the best smallmouth bass water in the region.

You can put in near Fifield and paddle downstream toward the confluence with the North Fork inside the Flambeau River State Forest. The river mixes flatwater sections with Class I riffles, which means it’s beginner-friendly but not boring. Expect to see eagles, otters, and the occasional black bear on the bank.

9 Mile Tavern, about 9 miles west of Fifield on Highway 70, rents canoes and kayaks. The bar opened in the 1930s and was run by Carm Ehler from 1958 until she passed at age 98 in 2023. Her family still runs it. You can rent a boat, paddle the river, and come back for a beer. That’s a full day in Fifield.

See also: our complete Price County fishing guide for species, access points, and what to throw on the Flambeau River system.

2. Visit the Round Lake Logging Dam

The Round Lake Logging Dam is one of the few surviving timber crib dams from Wisconsin’s logging era, and it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Loggers built it in the late 1800s to impound water for log drives on the Flambeau River system. Loggers would build up a head of water behind the dam, then release it all at once to float logs downstream to the mills.

The structure is preserved and publicly accessible. You can walk up to it, see the timber construction, and read about how it worked. It’s a 10-minute stop if you’re driving through, but it connects you to the history of the area in a way that a museum display can’t. This is the actual infrastructure that built Fifield.

The dam is one of three historic sites in the town. The others are the Fifield Town Hall (built in 1882, burned in the 1893 fire, rebuilt the next spring by carpenter Theodore Ristin) and the Fifield Fire Lookout Tower.

3. Hike to the Fifield Fire Lookout Tower

The Fifield Fire Lookout Tower is a historic U.S. Forest Service structure that sits in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest near Fifield. Fire towers were once the primary way the Forest Service detected wildfires across northern Wisconsin, and this one is part of the region’s fire detection history.

The tower itself may not be open to climb (check with the Medford-Park Falls Ranger District for current access), but the hike to reach it takes you through northern hardwoods and pine plantations. The forest roads around it are quiet, rarely traveled, and good for a walk where you won’t see another person.

If you’re combining this with other activities, pair it with a visit to the Round Lake Logging Dam and the town hall. All three are historic sites within the Town of Fifield, and together they tell the story of a community that went from logging camp to railroad town to quiet Northwoods community.

4. Fish the South Fork Flambeau Near Movrich Memorial Park

Movrich Memorial Community Park is a local park in Fifield with river access. It’s not a destination park with a visitor center and paved trails. It’s a community space where locals go to fish, walk, and let their kids burn off energy.

The South Fork Flambeau holds walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, and muskellunge. The river is less pressured than the North Fork, which means the fish see fewer lures. Fish the deeper pools for walleye, the riffles for smallmouth, and the weed edges for northern pike.

If you’re serious about fishing, bring a canoe or small boat. Shore access is limited in some stretches, and getting on the water opens up the better holes. The Wisconsin DNR manages the South Fork with standard walleye regulations (15-inch minimum) and musky size limits. Check current regulations before you go.

5. Explore the Flambeau River State Forest

The Flambeau River State Forest covers 90,147 acres across Price, Rusk, and Sawyer counties. The state forest was established in 1931, and the North and South Forks of the Flambeau River join within its boundaries, creating over 75 miles of mostly undeveloped river corridor.

Fifield is one of the closest communities to the forest’s northern boundary, which makes it a good base for day trips. Inside the forest:

Hiking trails: Over 1,000 acres of trails through northern hardwoods, conifers, and river bottomland. The Flambeau River Hemlock-Hardwood Forest section earned National Natural Landmark status in 1973 for its old-growth trees.
Canoe camping: Riverside campsites along the Flambeau River let you paddle in, set up camp, and continue downstream the next day. These are primitive sites with no amenities.
Fishing: The river inside the state forest holds walleye, musky, smallmouth bass, and panfish. The confluence of the North and South Forks creates deeper water that holds fish year-round.
Hunting: Grouse, deer, and bear hunting are popular in the fall. The forest’s mix of young and old timber creates good habitat.

The state forest is the kind of place where you can spend a week and not see everything. Start with a day trip from Fifield and you’ll understand why people come back.

See also: our free camping guide for dispersed camping options and what to pack for a Northwoods trip.

6. Drive the Price County ATV Trail System From Fifield

Price County maintains roughly 450 miles of funded ATV/UTV routes, and Fifield sits right in the middle of the network. County forest roads, town road connectors, and trail segments link Fifield to Park Falls, Phillips, and neighboring counties.

The county forest roads around Fifield are the backbone of the system. These are seasonal roads through county forest land that open to ATV/UTV traffic from May 1 through specific closure dates that vary by road. Some close for timber harvest, some close for wet conditions, and the schedule changes every year.

If you’re staging from Fifield, the forest roads heading west toward the Flambeau River State Forest are some of the least crowded in the county. You’ll ride through hardwoods, pine plantations, and cutovers, with occasional river crossings and wildlife sightings.

Always check trail conditions before you go. A dry weekend can turn a trail into a mud pit after one thunderstorm, and logging operations close sections without much notice.

See also: our complete ATV trail guide for staging areas, gas stops, and trail conditions.

7. Cool Off at a Price County Swimming Hole

Fifield doesn’t have a designated swimming beach, but the lakes and rivers within a 15-minute drive have some of the clearest freshwater swimming in Wisconsin. The public boat landings on nearby lakes double as swimming spots if you go early before the boats launch.

The best swimming in the area follows a simple rule: go where the locals go, not where the tourism brochures send you. Means boat landings at dawn, sandbars that only show up in late summer when water levels drop, and river bends where the current slows and the water deepens.

The Flambeau River has swimming-quality water in the calmer stretches above and below Fifield. Check water quality after heavy rain, as river conditions can change fast. The Wisconsin DNR monitors beach conditions statewide.

8. Grab a Drink at 9 Mile Tavern

We already mentioned 9 Mile Tavern for canoe rentals, but it deserves its own entry. This place has been open since the 1930s. Carm Ehler ran it for 65 years, from 1958 until she died in 2023 at age 98. Her family continues to operate the bar and the canoe rental.

This is what a Northwoods tavern is supposed to be. No craft cocktail menu, no Instagram wall, no pretense. A bar, some stools, cold beer, and a river out back. You can rent a canoe, paddle the Flambeau, come back wet, and drink a beer on the deck. That’s the itinerary.

9 Mile Tavern is on Highway 70, about 9 miles west of Fifield. No website. No online ordering. Call ahead if you want to reserve a canoe, or just show up and see what happens.

If you want a broader dining scene, head south to Park Falls or Phillips. See also: the real Northwoods drinking guide on borrachos.bar for bar-by-bar recommendations in Phillips, and the Wisconsin distilleries guide for spirit makers worth the drive.

9. Drive the Old Wisconsin Central Railroad Grade

The Wisconsin Central Railroad reached Fifield in 1876, and the line transformed a logging camp into a town. The railroad shipped white pine from the surrounding forests to mills in Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, and beyond. The line eventually became part of the Soo Line and later the Canadian National.

Parts of the old grade are still visible in the terrain around Fifield, particularly where the railroad crossed the Flambeau River. You can trace the route by car on roads that parallel the original grade, and if you know what to look for, you can spot the cuts, fills, and bridge abutments that the railroad built in the 1870s.

This isn’t a marked historical trail. It’s a DIY history tour that requires some map-reading and imagination. But if you’re interested in how the Northwoods was built, the railroad grade is the connective tissue between Fifield’s logging past and its present.

10. Hunt Grouse in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest

Fifield sits on the edge of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, and the grouse hunting in this area is some of the best in Wisconsin. Ruffed grouse thrive in the mix of young aspen and older hardwoods that the national forest creates through timber management.

The logging roads around Fifield double as walking paths for grouse hunters in October and November. You’ll find aspen cuts of different ages, which means different stages of grouse habitat. Young cuts (5-15 years) are the sweet spot for drumming logs and feeding areas.

If you don’t hunt, the same areas are excellent for birdwatching in the spring and fall. Ruffed grouse, woodcock, and several warbler species pass through the aspen and lowland conifer stands. Bring binoculars and bug spray.

See also: our weekend weather preview

Planning Your Fifield Trip

When to go: Summer for paddling, fishing, and ATV riding. Fall for grouse hunting, leaf color, and quiet trails. Winter for snowmobiling and cross-country skiing on the same trails that ATVs use in summer.

Where to stay: Fifield has limited lodging options. Most visitors stay in Park Falls (15 minutes south) or at a campground in the Flambeau River State Forest. There are dispersed camping opportunities in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest if you want to pitch a tent for free.

What to bring: Bug spray (the mosquitoes in the Northwoods are no joke from May through July), a paper map (cell service is spotty), and a cooler with food and drinks. Fifield doesn’t have a grocery store. Stock up in Park Falls or Phillips before you head out.

Gas: Fill up in Park Falls. There’s no reliable gas station in Fifield itself, and running out of fuel on a forest road 20 miles from the nearest town is a bad way to spend an afternoon.

Fifield isn’t for everyone. It’s for people who want quiet, space, and access to rivers and forests that haven’t been turned into attractions. If that’s what you’re after, you’ll find more than enough to fill a weekend.

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