In St. Germain, you can measure the magic of fall by the mile. St. Germain is located in the heart of some of the best fall color in Wisconsin and it’s the perfect base camp for a fall color drive. Our roads will take you into the largest state forest in Wisconsin – the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest. It’s nearly a quarter of a million acres and it’s filled with endless stands of hardwoods that practically explode with color each fall. And that’s just the start of what you can discover here. Additional fall beauty can be found in Vilas County forests and the 1.5 million-acre Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Don’t miss the show: St. Germain has your ticket and your car has a front-row seat. If you’re new to our roads, or are just looking for a little scenic inspiration, check out the Vilas County Scenic Rides map. It has five curated routes that include sure-fire places to take in beautiful foliage and the routes can all be easily explored from St. Germain. Here’s a quick look at those beautiful routes.
There’s a lot of ground to explore in Vilas County – the county covers more than 1,000 square miles and it’s home to over 1,300 named lakes. To take in all corners of this beautiful place, the County Loop is a good bet – it passes right through St. Germain and it rings the county, passing through 10 communities and more than two dozen lakes. The route covers 122 miles and it passes some of the county’s largest lakes, including Big Saint Germain Lake.
Feeling like a drive on the wild side? This route in Eastern Vilas County will take you onto some unimproved roads and into pristine forested areas. From Saint Germain, head east to Eagle River and take this route north. It includes a nice stretch of County Highway S, a tree-lined road that’s also popular with cyclists. The Route also passes Lac Vieux Desert, the largest lake in Vilas County. It’s the headwaters of the Wisconsin River and it has a rich history that began long before European explorers arrived in the county and learned the lake’s Ojibwe name, meaning “Lake of the Old Clearing”, or “Old Garden.” The drive near the lake is as wild as ever, heading onto about 10 miles of unimproved roads. The entire Eastern Route covers about 84 miles.
The Wisconsin River is not much more than a small stream at its start at Lac Vieux Desert, but it quickly grows in power and size as it heads south and west through the county. The South Central Route, which passes through Saint Germain, gives you a nice look at this important waterway. From the road, you can get a look at the boulder gardens that adorn the river, just south of Highway 70. you can also take a trip southwest out of Saint Germain on County Highway J, passing between Pickerel Lake and the Rainbow Flowage – at one point, you’ll be so close to the water, you could practically cast for walleye from your car window! But you might not want to linger too long – the route also includes Rustic Road 60, a gorgeous winding route that travels under a canopy of hardwoods. The whole route covers 122 miles.
If you love taking photos from your car, you may want to bring a driver along for this route (or just pull over). Some of the most-photographed roads in the county can be found just north of Saint Germain. The North Central Route will take you onto these forested roads, and you’ll see why they attract so many nature lovers. There are some winding stretches of county highway that will take your breath away. The route will take you to the northern edge of the county, passing the pristine waters of Black Oak Lake, which has the reputation as the clearest lake in Wisconsin! The route covers 68 miles and you can join it about 12 miles north of Saint Germain, in Star Lake.
It’s hard to beat a view of fall colors reflected in a glacial lake or wild river – you’ll find scores of these scenes on the Western Route. The route includes some well-known highways that pass through several communities, but also miles of roads that wind through the county’s western forests. There are a lot of nice parks on this route that are good places for a relaxing break. At North Trout Lake, you can find a pleasant nature trail that’s perfect for a short stroll. To find it, look for the State Forest Trail sign on County M. Some more great parks and pull-off spots can be found off of Highway 51 and in the far northwest corner of the county, off of County Highways W and B. You can join the Western Route about 10 miles west of Saint Germain, in Arbor Vitae. The whole route covers 120 miles.
A fall Saint Germain road trip ihas a nice reward at the end of the drive. We have some delicious dining options and cozy lodging properties that will complete your fall color weekend. We can’t wait to see you in Saint Germain!
