7 Things to Do in Kennan WI for a Perfect Day Trip

Kennan, Wisconsin has a population of 143. Is not a typo. One hundred forty-three people live in this village on Highway 13, and not one of them is trying to sell you a $12 handmade coffee. What Kennan does have is 70 square miles of surrounding townland full of public forest, a village park with a stocked pond, and a Lions Club that has been running a logging festival since 1967. If you are looking for things to do in Kennan WI, the answer is not on a marquee. It is in the woods, on the water, and at the bar ten minutes down the road.

We have spent enough time driving Highway 13 between Phillips and Prentice to know that most people blow right through Kennan without stopping. The farmland on both sides of the highway looks like every other stretch of rural Wisconsin, and there is no giant fiberglass musky or tourist trap to signal that you have arrived. Is exactly why Kennan is worth a day trip. No crowds. No gift shops. No lines. Just real Northwoods country that has been here since the 1880s.

Here are seven things to do in and around Kennan for a full day trip, organized the way you would actually experience them: morning to night.

1. Fish the Kennan Park Pond Before Breakfast

Kennan has a small village park with a pond that the Wisconsin DNR stocks with panfish. Let us be honest about what this is and what it is not. It is not a trophy fishery. Price County has 300+ lakes and the Flambeau River system for serious fishing. What the pond is, though, is the easiest place in the county to take a kid who is learning to cast. No boat. No trailer. No 5 AM drive down a logging road. Park the car, walk to the bank, and drop a line with a worm and a bobber.

The pond sits inside the village limits, which means you can fish it and still make it to Phillips for breakfast by 8 AM. Phillips Cafe and Catering at 167 N Lake Ave opens early and serves the kind of breakfast that justifies the drive. Flavor Crisp chicken, homemade pies, and coffee that comes with free refills. It is 10 miles south on Highway 13, about a 12-minute drive.

2. Drive the Price County Forest Roads South of Kennan

The Town of Kennan covers 70 square miles, and most of that land is either working farmland or Price County Forest. The county manages roughly 92,000 acres of public forest land, and the parcels east of Phillips and south of Kennan are some of the quietest. These are gravel and dirt roads that wind through aspen cuts, swamp edges, and mixed hardwood stands. You will not see another car for miles.

You do not need a truck for most of these roads, but you do need one if it has rained recently. The clay base turns slick fast. Pick up a county forest map at the Price County Forestry office at 815 8th Street in Phillips before you head out. The paper version is easier to read in the woods than your phone, and cell service is spotty in the forest anyway.

What you will see: aspen regeneration cuts that are five to ten years old, thick with new growth. Deer trails crossing the road. Grouse flushing from the edges in September and October. And if you stop and listen, nothing. Just wind and birds.

3. Hunt Public Land in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest

If you are visiting during fall, Kennan puts you within 20 minutes of some of the best public hunting land in northern Wisconsin. The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest covers over 1.5 million acres across the state, and Price County holds a significant chunk of it. The county forest east of Phillips and south of Kennan has a mix of aspen cuts and swamp edges that hold deer throughout the season.

Price County also has its own 92,000 acres of county forest land open to public hunting. These parcels are scattered and marked on the county forestry maps. The parking areas on County Road W fill up by 4:30 AM on opening day of gun season, so show up early or plan to walk an extra mile from a secondary access point.

With electronic registration now mandatory through the Go Wild app, you may need to drive toward Phillips or Prentice to get cell service to register your deer. Plan for it.

4. Ride the Tuscobia State Trail

The Tuscobia State Trail is a 74-mile multi-use corridor that connects Rice Lake to Park Falls, running right through the heart of Price County. It passes through Prentice and Ogema, both within 15 minutes of Kennan. The trail is built on an old railroad bed, and the crushed limestone surface makes it accessible for ATVs, UTVs, bikes, and even walking.

Summer use is dominated by ATVs and UTVs. Wisconsin requires a trail pass ($5 daily or $30 annual for residents). Winter turns the trail into a groomed snowmobile route that connects to over 300 miles of Price County trails. The access point in Prentice is on Center Street, about 15 minutes south of Kennan on Highway 13.

If you are riding from Prentice toward Ogema, stop at the Rail Trail Cafe in Ogema for a sandwich and coffee. It sits right along the trail and caters to cyclists, snowmobilers, and ATV riders. The trail also connects to the Chequamegon National Forest trail network, which means you can ride for hours without doubling back.

5. Climb Timms Hill, Wisconsin’s Highest Point

Here is something most people do not know: the highest natural point in Wisconsin is in Price County. Timms Hill sits at 1,951.5 feet above sea level, located in Timms Hill County Park in the Town of Hill, about 25 minutes northeast of Kennan via Highway 13 and County Road C.

The climb is short. A half-mile hiking trail leads to the observation tower at the summit, which adds another 60 feet of elevation. On a clear day you can see for miles across the Price County forest canopy. The park also has a small lake, bass fishing, and picnic areas. It is not a strenuous hike. It is a 45-minute stop that gives you bragging rights for the rest of your life. You stood on top of Wisconsin.

Timms Hill County Park is free to enter and open year-round. The observation tower is closed in winter, but the trail is still skiable.

6. Eat at Ripsaw Saloon in Prentice

You cannot write about things to do near Kennan without mentioning Ripsaw Saloon. It is 15 minutes south on Highway 13 at 1117 Railroad Ave in Prentice, and it is the closest thing this stretch of Price County has to a landmark.

The fish fry on Friday is fried in beef tallow. Is either the best or worst thing you have ever heard, depending on your cardiologist. It is the best thing you have ever tasted. The bar has been around long enough that the ATV and snowmobile trail runs right across the street, and trail riders mix with locals every Friday night. Burgers, signatures cocktails, and a crowd that knows how to tell stories.

Ripsaw is open Wednesday through Sunday. Call ahead at (715) 428-2042. If you are planning a Saturday visit, the South Fork Tavern on County Road F in Lugerville is another good option, especially if you are coming from the trail system.

7. Attend Lumberman’s Day in Catawba

If your day trip lands on the second weekend of June, you are in luck. The Catawba-Kennan Lions Club has been running Lumberman’s Day since 1967, making it one of the longest-running community festivals in Price County. The event sits at Catawba Park, N4584 High Street, Kennan, WI 54515, just 5 miles north of Kennan village.

Friday night kicks off with a car and tractor cruise-in, a 2K/4K run-walk, a flag retirement ceremony hosted by the American Legion, and live music. Saturday is the main event: a parade at 10:30 AM, two-man crosscut saw competitions, bolt splitting, chainsaw dueling, and axe throwing. These are the same skills that built Price County in the 1870s. The 2018 crosscut winners finished in 6.43 seconds.

Food is volunteer-cooked. The Catawba Harmony Fire Department grills chicken dinners starting at 11 AM, and the money goes back to community projects. There is a raffle with only 60 tickets sold at $100 each for a $1,500 grand prize. Those are better odds than any lottery in Wisconsin. No carry-ins allowed, so plan to buy food and drinks on-site.

Planning Your Kennan Day Trip

Getting There

Kennan sits on Wisconsin Highway 13, roughly halfway between Phillips and Prentice. From Phillips, drive north on Highway 13 for about 10 miles. From Prentice, head south for about 15 miles. From Park Falls, take Highway 13 south through Fifield and Phillips, then continue north. Total distance from Park Falls is about 25 miles.

What to Bring

Kennan has no grocery store, no gas station, and no clinic. Phillips, 10 minutes south, has all three. Fill your tank in Phillips before heading into the forest roads. Bring a paper county forest map, bug spray from May through September, and a cooler if you plan to fish or hunt. Cell service is reliable on Highway 13 but drops fast once you turn onto gravel.

Best Time to Visit

Late spring through early fall is the sweet spot. June gives you Lumberman’s Day. July and August are prime for fishing and ATV riding. September brings grouse season and the start of fall colors. October is peak color and bow season. Winter is for snowmobiling and ice fishing, but plan around trail conditions.

See also: our weekend weather preview

The Bottom Line

Kennan is not going to show up on a list of Wisconsin tourism hotspots. There is no museum on the National Register, no scenic waterfall, no amusement park. What there is instead is 70 square miles of public forest, a stocked pond, a logging festival that has outlasted everything else in the county, and a bar ten minutes down the road that fries its fish in tallow.

That is enough for a perfect day trip. Pack a rod, grab a county map, and take the turn off Highway 13. You will not regret it.