Surrounded by more than a million acres of national and state forest land, scores of waterfalls, hundreds of inland lakes, the Porcupine Mountains and the Penokee Range, and the world's largest lake, this is a paradise for nature lovers. Make your reservations today by using the handy email form at the bottom of the Rooms & Reservations page, or call us at: 715/561-2065.

Wildlife

Once again you can hear the wilderness howl of timber wolves in Iron County. Abundant deer and beaver populations, vast roadless areas, along with changing attitudes have created a habitat suitable to the growth of wolf populations and other wilderness species. That includes some 30 nesting pairs of American Bald Eagles. In 2001, 30 pair of Elk will be reintroduced to Iron County. Among the wildlife now populating Iron County, you'll find:

Water

More than 100 waterfalls grace this area. Some are easy to reach with walkways and steps, yet others require a little adventure. Black River Scenic Byway has five waterfalls within a 10 mile area. The falls on the Presque Isle River (pictured) are a great beginning when exploring the Porcupine Mountain Wilderness area. Nearby both the Superior Falls and Potato River Falls have water cascading 90 feet.

Fishing, swimming, boating . . . it's all here. You cannot go more than six miles in any direction without finding a lake or river. Smaller lakes dot the southern part of our area, making up the world's largest concentration of fresh water lakes. Lake Superior, the world's largest, offers you sandy beaches, rocky cliffs, agate hunting, and deep sea fishing opportunities. Lake of the Clouds offers hikers a variety of trails and the Gile Flowage, just south of our inn, is teaming with fish.

Hiking

You could spend an entire summer hiking the variety of trails in this area. You can follow the footsteps of Native Americans, voyageurs, and first settlers as they journeyed through Iron County on the famous Flambeau Trail. For the casual or serious hiker, North Country Trail is well marked as it passes through our Black River Valley from its beginning in New York to its ending in North Dakota.

Mountain Bike Trails

The Pines and Mines Mountain Bike Trail System offers 300 miles of marked and mapped mountain biking opportunities in the abundant public lands of Iron County and the nearby Ottawa National Forest.

ATV Trails

We feature Wisconsin's largest ATV system with more than 100 miles of routes and trails, taking you deep into the heart of Iron County. Along the routes you will find a variety of friendly pit stops offering food, beverages, and gas. During the winter, ATVs are welcome on most Iron County snowmobile trails.

The Paavo Nurmi Marathon

Every August, Wisconsin's oldest running marathon takes place in Hurley. Reflecting the Finnish ethnic heritage of our area, the race was named for the "Flying Finn" who was the greatest distance runner of his era, capturing seven Olympic gold medals and three silver. From 1920-1930 Paavo Nurmi broke the world's record at every distance from 1,500 to 20,000 meters. Participants come to Hurley from around the world to run this 26.2 mile course and to qualify for larger marathons, such as the Boston Marathon.

Iron County Heritage Festival

County fairs, a renaissance festival, and many local celebrations take you back to the days of real communities. Running for two weeks from the end of July well into August, local events make up the countywide Heritage Festival. These events include:

Copper Peak International Ski Flying Hill and Recreation Area

Copper Peak is one of six international ski flying hills and the only one in the Western Hemisphere. The upper platform of this mammoth, cantilevered, 300 ton superstructure gives you the highest unobstructed, 360 degree panoramic view in the Midwest. From this vantage point you can see nearly 40 miles in every direction. This includes the fast Lake Superior shoreline, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, and thousands of acres of beautiful forests.