St Germain: Cycling, Hiking, and Recreation

Bike trails, hikes, and individual recreational activities offer a range of options for planning a trip to St Germain. The information covers everything from a paved connection between Mercer and St Germain to separate trails for mountain biking, hiking, and snowshoeing. A recreational park and an annual snowmobile ride are also among the activities mentioned. Which details matter to you depends on whether you want to focus on a route, a particular activity, or an event date.

Cycling in St Germain

The surrounding communities maintain a paved bike trail that runs from Mercer to St Germain. Along the way, it passes Big, Upper Gresham, Jag Group, North Trout, South Trout, Firefly, Crystal, Musky, and Plum Lake campgrounds. The route, surface, and campgrounds along the way are all specified for this connection.

The starting points mentioned in the town center are different: the Heart of Vilas Paved Bike Trail System starts in downtown St Germain. The Bike & Hike Park behind the St. Germain Area Chamber of Commerce office is also a starting point for bike rides in the town center. This lets you distinguish between the connection from Mercer to St Germain and the options based in the town center, without treating them as a single route.

Hikes and Trail Lengths

The Fern Ridge Trails include four miles of singletrack mountain bike trails, as well as a separate 1.4-mile trail for hiking and snowshoeing. The two distances refer to different uses: the four miles are for mountain biking, while the 1.4 miles are for the separate trail on foot or with snowshoes.

Another hike covers 2.2 miles around Shannon Lake and through the Northern-Highland American Legion State Forest. Additional loops can extend this hiking route. So when comparing the two hiking options, both the distance and the route differ: at Shannon Lake, the route goes around the lake and can include additional loops; Fern Ridge has a separate trail that is also used for snowshoeing.

Recreational Activities and Event Dates

Elmer's Fun Park offers two go-kart tracks, an 18-hole mini-golf course, scenic horseback rides along the river, and a children's play area with a bouncy castle and small electric Jeeps. There are several specific activities to choose from, including go-karting, mini golf, horseback rides, and options in the play area. Unlike the hiking and biking trails, the focus here is on individual recreational activities, not a stated trail length.

“Ride with the Champs” is an annual snowmobile ride hosted by the Snowmobile Hall of Fame in St Germain. The 2026 event took place on February 21. If this event is a deciding factor in your trip planning, check the dates for the relevant edition before arranging your stay around it. This distinguishes the specific date from the ride's general annual nature.

Snowmobile Trails in the Surrounding Region

In the wider region, Bo-Boen maintains more than 100 miles of snowmobile trails in Vilas and Oneida Counties. This figure describes the trail network across the two counties, making it a different reference point from the individual “Ride with the Champs” event and its named host in St Germain. When choosing activities, you can consider these regional trails separately from the specific event.

Discover more destinations: Eagle River, Phelps, Boulder Junction.

View the broader travel overview: Vilas County.