Northern Wisconsin Discovery Tour

This program is in partnership with the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin. 

Program Schedule: 

Day 1

3:00pm – Arrive at NLDC, get settled

4:00pm – Welcome, introductions, orientation, tour

5:30pm – Dinner

6:30pm-8:00pm – Evening interpretive hike on NLDC trails

Welcome to Wisconsin’s Northwoods, where there are more trees than people and more months of snow on the ground than not. During this hike, you’ll follow an NLDC Naturalist around the beautiful Statehouse Lake while learning about what makes the ecology, habitats, wildlife, and seasonality so unique to this area.

Day 2

7:00-7:45am – breakfast and pack lunch

8:00am – leave for Rest Lake Boat Landing

9:00-10:45am – Pontoon trip/Hike – 2 groups switch off

Our Naturalists will guide you on a leisurely pontoon ride across the beautiful and historic Manitowish Chain of Lakes. We’ll learn about the plants and wildlife that inhabit this ecosystem and also get a glimpse into the history of gangsters in the Northwoods. Learn what John Dillinger and his gang were really like and the “behind the scenes” story of their weekend in Manitowish Waters as we travel by pontoon to historic Dillinger sites.

11:00-12:45pm – Pontoon trip/Hike – 2 groups switch off

Our Naturalists will lead you on an interpretive hike along the Big River Trail, all the while looking for signs of wildlife, unique plants, and other interesting things in nature.

12:45pm – lunch in field

1:30pm – leave for Minocqua

2:00-4:00pm – Northwoods Wildlife Center Tour

Since 1979, the Northwoods Wildlife Center has been rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife, while educating the public about how to be better neighbors to whom we share our environment with. We’ll take a guided tour of the facility while learning about how the center cares for wildlife and meet some of their animal ambassadors.

5:00pm – Dinner at Little Bohemia

We’ll finish the day with dinner and private history lesson at Little Bohemia Lodge, also known as the site of John Dillinger and the Dillinger Gang's epic shootout with the F.B.I. in 1934. The Lodge is also the modern-day filming location for the 2009 Universal Studios film starring Johnny Depp as John Dillinger, Public Enemies. We’ll have the opportunity to watch the movie back at NLDC and see Johnny Depp in the same place you just had dinner! Dinner & drinks are not included, so please bring cash or card.

8:00pm – Campfire, coffee, cocoa (watch Public Enemies?)

Day 3

7:00-8:00am – breakfast and pack lunches

8:00am-5:00pm – Waterfall tour

Northern Wisconsin has a handful of stunning waterfalls; we’ll take a tour with local geologist Mike Porter and see some incredible geologic features, formations, and even get up close and personal with Lake Superior. In addition to their natural beauty, the waterfalls and scenic overlooks along the southern Lake Superior margin expose rocks that range in age from 1.0 to over 2.2 billion years old. The bedrock is well exposed in many localities due to widespread erosion from the last glacial advance. Field trip stops will show the strong influence of geology on the development of Interstate, Superior, and Potato Falls. An additional overview stop at Corrigan’s Lookout shows glacially scoured pillow lavas erupted in an ancient sea.

6pm: Dinner at NLDC

7pm: Campfire, coffee, cocoa, canoe lessons if needed

Day 4

7:00-8:00am – breakfast

8:00am-11:00am – Paddle on the Manitowish River

The Manitowish River is an enjoyable trek for quiet-water paddles. Home to many species like bald eagles, river otters, beavers, great blue herons, and much more, paddlers will find mostly flatwater with occasional riffles as you glide by open marsh and lush, northern lowland forest. A large number of sloughs provide excellent opportunities for exploration and bird watching, and our guiding naturalists will lead you down the river while pointing out wildlife, plants, and other interesting scenery.

11:30am – pack up and check out

12:00pm – Lunch at NLDC

1:00pm – head out

Accommodations:

We offer bunk house style cabins that include bathrooms with showers for year-round accommodation. Participants bring their own toiletries, towels, and bedding.

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For more information, please contact Hannah Thorpe, Residential Program Coordinator 

hannah@discoverycenter.net

715-543-2085