The biggest trail networks: Northern Highland American Legion State Forest (40.2 mi), Vilas County Forest- Langley Lake Unit (5.6 mi), Vilas County Forest- Decker Lake Unit (1.9 mi). 10% of Plum Lake’s land is conserved, about 5,739 acres. 5,768 acres are parks and preserves, 12,594 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
10%
5,739 acres · of 86.4 sq mi of land
Trails
69 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,768 ac
12,594 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
54%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
3.3 mi
3.3 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
43
1 beach · 13 boat launches
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
The longest trail network is Northern Highland American Legion State Forest, with 40.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Northern Highland American Legion State Forest
Managed by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
36,306 acres40.2 mi of trail
Star Lake Trampers TrailStar Lake Nature TrailsPortagesnowmobile trail+1
10% of Plum Lake’s land. Water is left out: Plum Lake has 86.4 square miles of land and 11.8 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Plum Lake’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County5,588 ac
State natural resources146 ac
Private owners83 ac
Local Conservation Area · 5,588 acState Resource Management Area · 74 acPrivate Park · 61 acState Recreation Area · 43 acState Conservation Area · 24 ac
The biggest protected parcels
Parcel (PAD-US)
Managed by
Acres
Public access
Vilas County Forest
Local Conservation Area
County
5,588
Open
Plum Lake Golf Course
Private Park
Private owners
61
Open
Scattered Forest Lands
State Resource Management Area
State natural resources
59
Open
Scattered Forest Land - Nw
State Recreation Area
State natural resources
43
Open
State Owned Islands - Nw
State Resource Management Area
State natural resources
24
Open
State Owned Islands
State Conservation Area
State natural resources
24
Open
Northern Highland State Forest
State Resource Management Area
Private owners
7
Open
Things to do
37 places to go in Plum Lake
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Plum Lake
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Plum Lake
1 playground without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Plum Lake
Boat LaunchIn Northern Highland American Legion State Forest
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.3 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
2Basketball
2Pickleball
2Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
The best walking months in Plum Lake: May and August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Daylight (h)
9.0
10.3
11.8
13.5
14.9
15.7
15.4
14.1
12.5
10.8
9.4
8.7
High (°F)
21
26
37
50
65
73
77
75
67
53
37
26
Rain (in)
1.4
1.2
1.8
2.9
3.6
4.3
4.1
3.5
3.7
3.6
2.1
1.7
February is the driest month (1.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 4.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Plum Lake →
Next door
Plum Lake and its neighbors
Plum Lake has the most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
— not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Plum Lake
Where can I hike in Plum Lake?
The longest trail networks: Northern Highland American Legion State Forest, 40.2 miles; Vilas County Forest- Langley Lake Unit, 5.6 miles; Vilas County Forest- Decker Lake Unit, 1.9 miles; Vilas County Forest, 1.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Plum Lake’s trails?
Northern Highland American Legion State Forest and Vilas County Forest- Langley Lake Unit don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Plum Lake?
3.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.3 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Plum Lake?
219,715 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Plum Lake or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 40,896 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Plum Lake neighbors.