Medford, WI Road Trips

The last glacier stopped its advance just around Medford, leaving behind the band of choppy hills, little lakes and swamps that runs northeast and west of Medford. Forest covered the area, with scattered groups of Indians hanging near the bodies of water. Settlement began in 1873 when the Wisconsin Central Railroad built a track up through the forest. Logging was the first industry, with sawmills in Medford. Today's little lake in Medford's city park was once the millpond for Medford's sawmill. A tannery followed, using hemlock bark from the surrounding forest. After logging, farmers bought the better cut-over land and began converting the stumps to pastures and fields. But much of the land in the middle of the county was hilly and swampy. By the 1930s little of it was farmed and much was tax-delinquent and a fire hazard, so it was incorporated into the Chequamegon National Forest. Since then, the area's livelihood has continued to shift from logging to farming and manufacturing. In the early years, most of Medford's businesses located downtown, near the railroad and the mills. Around the 1960s and '70s, almost all new businesses began to locate a half mile to the east on Highway 13 (WIS 13). Outside that band of new construction, the town has a nice sprinkling of quaint old buildings sheltered by trees.

1 Historic Buildings. The county courthouse at 224 S. 2nd St. is a handsome building with a metal dome. Main Street has old stores in various styles, including some with interesting arches in the second story. East Perkins Street has some nice historic homes - Craftsman and other styles - as does East Broadway. (updated Jan 2025) 2 Timm's Hill, W3206 County Road RR, Ogema WI, ☏ +1 715 339-6371. The highest point in Wisconsin is in a range of hills 28 miles NNE of Medford. After a hike up the hill, you can climb an observation tower to look out over the surrounding forested hilltops. This is a good spot for viewing leaf color in the fall. (updated Jan 2025)

1 Pine Line Trail, ☏ +1 715-748-4729. The Pine Line trail runs north out of Medford for 26 miles on the abandoned bed of the Wisconsin Central Railway. It threads its way past forests and bogs, and through quiet little hamlets like Whittlesey and Chelsea. The gravel surface is suitable for mountain bikes, ATVs and horses in summer - snowmobiles in winter. Don't worry about traffic; it's generally lightly used. (updated Jan 2025) Some popular fishing places with public access: 2 Chequamegon Waters Flowage, a.k.a. Miller Dam (20 miles west of Medford on CTH-M). Miller Dam is a 2400-acre man-made shallow reservoir on the Yellow River, mostly in the Chequamegon Forest, regularly a good place for panfish, bass and northern. (updated Jan 2025) 3 Chelsea Lake. Chelsea is a 91-acre lake 13 miles north of Medford, regularly popular for ice-fishing. (updated Jan 2025) The Ice Age Trail meanders through the Chequamegon National Forest west of Medford and through the county forest to the northeast. Spring, fall and winter are the best times to hike in this neck of the woods because mosquitoes tend to rule the trail from mid-May to August. The trail is marked only with occasional yellow marks on the trees, and some of this area is big woods, and cell-phone coverage is spotty, so take a compass and a map of the general area to tell which way the nearest road is, in case you get lost. The first two hikes below are good starters: 4 Mondeaux Esker Trail. This is a one-hour hike on a ridge above a lake, a half mile each way, mostly level except for some elevation change at the end.

McDonalds, Hardees, Arby's, Taco Bell, and KFC are all along WIS 13. Also in Medford: 1 Medford Cafe, 403 S. 8th St (on 13 in Medford), ☏ +1 715 748-2233. 6AM-9PM. Home-style food, like a mom-and-pop Country Kitchen. (updated Jan 2025) 2 P&E Steak House, N2319 State Hwy 13, ☏ +1 715 748-2975. Small, old-school steakhouse with bar on the south side of Medford. Call for reservations and more information. Dinner Tu-Sa 4PM-9PM. (updated Jan 2025) 3 Kelli's Kitchen, 125 S 8th St (on 13, south of where 64 crosses), ☏ +1 715 785-5555. M-Th 11AM-9PM, F Sa 11AM-10PM, Su 11AM-8PM. Formerly El Jovenaso (updated Jan 2025) 4 New China, 344 S 8th St, ☏ +1 715 748-6666. 11AM-8PM. Chinese food with buffet. (updated Jan 2025) Two good restaurants are on Lake Esadore, about ten miles northwest of town: 5 High View Inn, W7766 Perkinstown Ave, ☏ +1 715 785-7847. Nautical-themed dining and bar on a ridge above a lake. Fish, steaks and burgers. Call for reservations and more information. Dinner Th 5-9PM, F Sa 5-10PM, Su 4-9PM. (updated Jan 2025) 6 Turtle Club, W7944 Perkinstown Ave, ☏ +1 715 785-7766. Serves relaxed dinner and drinks on the isthmus between two small lakes, specializing in seafood and steaks. Call for reservations and more information. Dinner W Th 4:30-11PM, F Sa 4:30PM-2AM, Su 4-11PM. (updated Jan 2025) Another interesting place is at High Point Village near Timm's Hill, 28 miles NNE: 7 Hill of Beans Restaurant, W3075 County Road RR, Ogema, ☏ +1 715 767-5287. Th Sa Su 8AM-3PM, F 8AM-8PM. Paninis, salads, seafood, etc., in an intimate lodge setting.

1 Lake 11 Brewing, 128 S Main St. W-F 4-10PM, Sa 3-10PM, Su 11AM-6PM. (updated Jan 2025)

1 Boarders Inn & Suites, 435 South 8th Street (in Medford on 13), ☏ +1 715 748-2330, toll-free: +1-888-693-8262. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. A full-service chain motel, formerly AmericInn. (updated Jan 2025) High Point Village, W3075 County Road RR, Ogema (28 miles NNE of Medford), ☏ +1 715 767-5287. Rents cabins near Timm's Hill on the highest-elevation lake in Wisconsin. M&R Cabin, Jump River (35 miles WNW of Medford), ☏ +1 715 668-5447. Well-equipped log cabin in Jump River, two blocks from the river. $85.

Medford is at the intersection of WIS 13 north and south and WIS 64 heading east and west. By car it is about three hours from Minneapolis and four hours from Milwaukee. Private planes can land at the Taylor County Airport (KMDZ), just south of town. The nearest regularly-scheduled commercial flights are at Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA), south of Wausau.

Public transportation is limited, making a car almost a necessity.