Phelps: Trails, North Twin Lake, and Local Festivals

Phelps offers a range of ways to shape a trip: trails in the Black Jack Wilderness Area, North Twin Lake in the town center, local history, and recurring events. You can plan your stay around hiking, snowshoe trails, golf, a festival date, or local history.

Trails in the Black Jack Wilderness Area

In the Black Jack Wilderness Area in Phelps, a trail network leads to Whispering Lake. A trail in the area also leads to the headwaters of the Little Deerskin River. This puts a lake and a river’s headwaters side by side as distinct nature destinations. If you want to focus on a particular landscape feature when planning, these two names can help you find your way.

A second hiking area in Phelps connects the Spectacle Lake Camp Ground with the Kentuck Lake Camp Ground and is about 2.5 miles long. The Deerskin Snowshoe Trails are part of the Phelps Trail System and comprise four loops ranging from 1.6 to 3.7 miles. The approximately 2.5-mile connection falls within the length range of those loops, making the distances easy to compare while the routes themselves differ: one connects two named campgrounds, while the others are loops.

North Twin Lake and Annual Festivals

North Twin Lake is in the town center of Phelps and covers 2,871 acres. Phelps’s annual Fourth of July celebration includes a boat parade on the lake, as well as fireworks over North Twin Lake. If you are planning a trip specifically around this celebration, check the date and upcoming program in advance.

The annual Phelps Maple Syrup Fest offers a different focus: demonstrations of tree tapping and tours of local sugarbushes show how sap becomes maple syrup. While the Fourth of July celebration is associated with a parade and fireworks at North Twin Lake, this festival focuses on maple syrup production. If you are planning your trip around one of the annual festivals, check the specific dates and current program in advance, as future details may change.

Local History and More Activities

The Phelps Historical Museum preserves local history and shares it through artifacts, photographs, and personal stories. Alongside trails, festivals, and golf, local history is another distinct focus for a trip to Phelps.

Nearly 75 percent of the land area of the Town of Phelps consists of land in the Nicolet National Forest. This large share of forest shapes the landscape at the township level. Specific trail destinations, such as Whispering Lake and the headwaters of the Little Deerskin River, also offer individual points of reference for exploring Phelps’s natural features.

The Big Sand Lake Club Golf Course in Phelps is a public nine-hole golf course. Golf thus adds another clearly defined activity to the hiking and snowshoeing options. Together, these offer several ways to plan your trip to Phelps.

Discover more destinations: St Germain, Eagle River, Boulder Junction.

For the broader travel overview: Vilas County.