9 Things to Do in Prentice WI That Locals Love

Most drivers blow through Prentice on Highway 8 without stopping. They see a gas station, a truck stop, and a village of 563 people and figure there’s nothing here. They’re wrong. Prentice sits at the crossroads of two highways and two historic railroads, and the people who live here have built a quiet, busy life around exactly that location. We’ve spent enough time in this village to know the difference between passing through and actually stopping. Here are nine things locals do in Prentice that you won’t find on a generic tourism list.

1. Ride the ATV trails straight out of town

Prentice sits inside the Price County ATV trail system, which covers more than 450 miles of funded routes across county forest roads, town road connectors, and seasonal trails. You don’t need to trailer your machine to a trailhead. You unload at the staging area near the village, ride out, and come back for lunch.

The trails connect north toward Park Falls, south toward Phillips, and east into the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Spring through fall, ATVs and UTVs are a common sight on Prentice streets. The village welcomes riders with parking and trail staging areas near the highway corridor.

Ripsaw Saloon at 1117 Railroad Ave has trail access directly across the road. You ride in, lean the machine against the post, eat a burger, and ride back out. Convenience is the reason riders from Wausau and Eau Claire drive two hours to stage here instead of somewhere closer.

2. Walk the 17-stop Village History Walk

Prentice exists because two railroads crossed here. The Wisconsin Central Railroad built its line through the forest in 1873, heading from Stevens Point to Ashland. The Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway came through in 1893, crossing the first line at the south end of town. Everything built after that, from the lumber mill to the tannery to the commercial district, exists because of that junction.

The Village History Walk covers 17 landmarks from that era. You start at the old depot area, wind through the commercial district on Railroad Avenue and Main Street, and end near the tannery site on the west side. The plaques tell you what stood where. The Jump River Lumber Company sawed 100,000 feet of lumber per day at its peak. The tannery run by Fayette Shaw produced 200,000 hides of sole leather annually, making it the second largest of its kind in the United States. It burned twice in 1906 and never reopened.

The whole walk takes under an hour. No app or reservation needed. Just follow the signs and read the plaques. Ground has been continuously occupied here since the 1880s, and the buildings still standing tell the story if you know where to look.

3. Fish and paddle the Jump River

The Jump River runs right through Prentice. It’s a small, rocky river that the Ojibwe called Manidoons-ziibi, or Little Spirit River. In the 19th century, loggers used it to drive timber down to the Chippewa River. Today, fishermen and paddlers use it for recreation.

Public access points near the old mill site let you launch a kayak or canoe without a shuttle. You can paddle a short loop and take out at the village park. The river holds smallmouth bass in the riffles and walleye in the deeper pools. The water level changes fast after rain, which is one theory about how the river got its name.

If you want a guided experience, local outfitters in Phillips and Park Falls can set you up. But most people in Prentice just grab a rod and walk down to the bank. No permit needed beyond a Wisconsin fishing license.

4. Eat at Ripsaw Saloon (and Northern Point Pub as backup)

Ripsaw Saloon is the reason borrachos.bar exists, and it’s the most recognized business in Prentice. The address is 1117 Railroad Ave. The phone number is 715-428-2042. They open at 2 PM most days and close on Tuesdays.

They cook the Friday fish fry in beef tallow, not vegetable oil. Decision matters. Beef tallow gives the batter a crispness that oil can’t match, and it’s the way Wisconsin bars did it for decades before the switch to cheaper oils. The Old Fashioned is made Wisconsin-style with brandy, not whiskey. Burgers come off the flat-top and cost less than you’d pay in Madison or Milwaukee.

Northern Point Pub sits on County Road A just north of town at N5250. The kitchen hours are seasonal, so call 715-428-2010 before you drive out. When Ripsaw closes on Tuesdays, Northern Point is the local fallback.

5. Hunt thousands of acres of public land

Price County forest land and sections of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest surround Prentice, all open to public hunting. Whitetail deer, black bear, ruffed grouse, and waterfowl are the main draws. The Jump River corridor east of town provides walk-in access for gun and archery seasons.

Price County had 380 farms in 1890. By 1910, that number grew to 1,352 as settlers scratched farms out of logged-over stump lands. Those old farm fields have grown back into brush and second-growth timber, which is exactly the cover deer and grouse need. The county forest roads give you access to blocks that see less pressure than the national forest areas near more popular towns.

Wisconsin hunting regulations apply statewide. Check the DNR website for season dates and tag requirements before you go.

6. Run snowmobile Trail 189 in any direction

When the snow falls, Prentice becomes a snowmobile hub. Trail 189 connects directly to the village and links into the Price County snowmobile trail network. Groomed routes head north toward Park Falls, south toward Phillips, and east into the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.

Local snowmobile clubs maintain and groom these trails throughout the winter season. Parking and trail access are available at multiple points near the village center. If you stay at AmeriVu Inn and Suites on Highway 8, you can leave your sled on the trailer overnight and ride from the parking lot in the morning.

The trails cross private land, county forest, and national forest. Mix keeps the riding interesting. You pass through frozen swamps, open meadows, and dense pine stands in a single afternoon.

7. Play nine at Prentice Pines Golf Course

Prentice Pines Golf Course has been a community asset for 70 years. The course sits on the edge of the village, and most locals walk on without a tee time on weekday afternoons. It’s the kind of nine-hole layout where you know the regulars by name and the pace is set by conversation, not the marshal.

The course was in the news in 2026 when it went up for sealed bids. The sale raised questions about whether a buyer would keep it public or close it to members. For now, the fairways are still open and the weekend foursomes still show up. If you’re visiting and want a low-pressure round, call ahead and check the status.

8. Hit Prentice Progress Days on Labor Day weekend

Prentice Progress Days runs Labor Day weekend, September 4 through 7 in 2026. It’s the biggest event of the year in northern Price County, and it draws visitors from across the Northwoods.

The Northwoods Truck Show is the anchor. Now in its seventh year, it runs September 4 through 6 at MBS, 929 Railroad Avenue. Registration is open and organizers ask for non-perishable food donations instead of a cash entry fee. Big rigs, live music, and small-town hospitality fill three days.

Progress Days also includes a car show, a golf tournament at Prentice Pines, a co-ed softball tournament, and a carnival atmosphere that takes over the village center. Everything is within walking distance of the bars on Railroad Avenue. If you want to experience Prentice the way locals do, show up on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend.

9. Grab a drink at Sailor’s II or T & K Kitchen

Sailor’s II at 715 Railroad Avenue is the neighborhood bar that stays open nightly when everything else closes. No food menu, no craft cocktails. Just beer, a TV, and the same faces you saw last week. If you want a quiet drink after the trails empty out, this is where you end up.

T & K Kitchen sits at 5375 Granberg Road, inside the Prentice Truck and Travel Center on Highway 8. It serves homestyle breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily and closes at 8 PM. Truckers and locals eat here alongside travelers passing through. The food is solid, the portions are generous, and you don’t have to wait for a table. Call 715-428-2140 if you want to check the daily special.

Between Ripsaw, Northern Point Pub, Sailor’s II, and T & K Kitchen, you can eat three meals and drink two nights without repeating a spot. That’s more variety than most villages of 563 people can manage.

Where to Stay

AmeriVu Inn and Suites on Highway 8 is the only hotel in the village limits. Free breakfast, free parking, free Wi-Fi, and air-conditioned rooms. There’s a small fishing pond on the property. It fills up during hunting season and Progress Days weekend, so book ahead if you’re visiting during peak times.

If you want to sleep closer to the woods, dispersed camping in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest is free and available within 15 miles of Prentice. No reservations, no hookups, no running water. Just you and the trees.

Cross-link: Wisconsin Distilleries Guide: Spirits Worth the Drive from Prentice

See also: our weekend weather preview

Why Prentice Is Worth the Stop

Prentice has 563 people, two highways, and one railroad crossing that started it all. What it doesn’t have is a marketing budget or a chamber of commerce pushing it as a destination. The people who live here hunt the same woods, fish the same river, and drink at the same three bars they’ve been going to for years. They don’t need a brochure to tell them what’s good.

If you’re driving through on Highway 8, stop for an hour. Eat at Ripsaw. Walk the history trail. Look at the Jump River. You’ll understand why 563 people chose to live here instead of somewhere louder.

And if you’re planning a longer trip, Prentice makes a good base. The ATV trails, the snowmobile routes, the public hunting land, and the national forest are all right here. You can spend a full weekend without driving more than ten minutes from the village center.