If you only had one weekend to ride your favorite ATV routes in the Eagle River area, which ones would you choose? The good news is that there really isn’t a bad route to pick, so you’ll be winning the weekend with any route you decide.
Would you hit a route with long straightaways and hills? How about a route that winds through a forest around a lake? Looking to grab a tasty lunch or delightful dinner right off the route? The options for ATV/UTV routes are enough to get your wheels spinning. No matter what type of ride you’re looking for on your next visit, the Eagle River area promises to deliver two things every time: incredible natural scenery and fun.
We’d recommend more than 48 hours to experience all 70+ miles of ATV/UTV routes in the area, but here is a sample itinerary—complete with lodging and dining options—to help you get started.
The Excitement of Arrival
This is the day you’ve been waiting for since planning your ATV/UTV trip. It’s finally here and you’re ready to ride. But before you do, check in at your resort, hotel, or campground. There are a lot of incredible places to stay in the Eagle River area, and many are near a route.
Next up, it’s time to grab some dinner with your crew and talk about the rides coming up. Feeling like some Italian perfectly paired with wine? Consider Bortolotti’s Cin Cin Wine Bar & Restaurant. Want something that resembles a bar, but brings top notch fare? You’ve got Buckshots Saloon & Eatery. Need a downtown, upscale fix? The Craftsman American Tavern has you covered. Craving a true supper club experience? Eddie B’s White Spruce Restaurant & Tavern is your go-to.
Get a good night’s rest before hitting the road the next day.
Full Day of Revved-up Fun
Start the day with breakfast at Leif’s Café, unless it’s Tuesday or Wednesday (they’re closed). Leif’s opens at 5 a.m. and serves fresh skillets, hearty country breakfasts, and Belgian waffles, just to name a few. If you don’t already have your ATV/UTV, go pick it up from Track Side or The Toy Shop.
If you’ve already got your ATV/UTV with you, head just a little further north to the ATV/UTV trailhead near Tribute Brewing Co. You’re in for an entire gas tank’s worth of fun. For the Conover to Phelps connection, start by hopping onto N. Adams Road and ride parallel to hwy. 45 for about 8 miles. You’ll be treated to undulating terrain, coniferous and pine forests, as well as some rolling fields and farmland during this stretch.
Once you merge onto hwy. 45 and get into Conover, you’ll turn right to head east on hwy. K for another few miles. If you get to the Landover ATV Club, you’ve gone too far! Eventually Hwy. K will turn north to avoid running into Twin Lake and head back east. When you’ve come to Twin Overlook road, head down it and stop at Dublin’s Mimosas for a lunch with a view of Twin Lake on their private patio. Open daily at 11 a.m. Dublin offers specials like $1 burger day on Wednesdays and 75-cent wings on Thursdays. They even have gas for your ATV or UTV, if you need to tank up.
After re-fueling, head back to hwy. K and continue east along the northern side of Twin Lake toward Phelps. Make a right onto hwy. E and take the gentle turn off the highway onto the route to the left. Follow this all the way down to Co-Op Road on the east side of Phelps and follow it down to Strong Road and make a right onto Deerskin Road. Stay on Deerskin Road as you wind through forests all the way to Deerskin Lake. Stop to take in the view before heading back to Deerskin Road and making a left on Rangeline Road to head south toward Eagle River.
Grab dinner from one of the many reputable dining establishments in Eagle River before heading out for a night of fun. You can recap the ride at Andy’s Pontoon Saloon or Mary Kate’s Wine Bar.
Let the Memory Sink In
Get your day started on the west side of Eagle River for a morning cup of coffee and a light breakfast at Eagle River Roasters Coffee House on Pine Street. Relive yesterday’s fun before heading out to create more memories.
Head north alongside hwy. 45 to get to the same trailhead near Tribute Brewing Co. From there, ATV/UTVers can head west on hwy. G toward St. Germain. And while you can take the scenic county highway almost the entire way to our friendly neighbor community, we might suggest going offroad to explore a few routes through the woods.
If you make a right onto Boot Lake Road and then a left onto Road W (before you get to Tepee Lake). Follow the Katie Lake Game Trail through the forest and over a creek. It’ll reconnect you with hwy. G a couple miles west. From there, make a right and either stay on hwy. G or make a left down Musky Road. While Musky Road will offer nice views of Muskellunge Lake and then Snipe Lake after turning left onto Wilderness Trail, hwy. G offers incredible forest-bound routes to the south. Either way you take offers a connecting route via Snipe Lake Game Trail north of hwy. 70.
After cruising through some off-road routes for a while, head back toward Eagle River. After a long ride, the Eagle River downtown is a great place to grab a seat for lunch. Toad in the Hole is a cozy restaurant serving food from scratch for breakfast and lunch, so be sure to get there before it closes at 2 p.m. And now serving sandwiches and flatbreads, Smugglers is a casual eating option after going hard on the routes. Beware the horseradish … it’s got a special kind of zing to it.
If you’ve rented your ATV or UTV, kindly return it before heading home.
What Will Your 48 Hours of ATVing Include?
These are just two sample itineraries of hundreds of possible combinations. We hope you find your special route combo Up North this year and make incredible memories doing it. And thanks to all the incredible people who support and maintain the ATV/UTV routes in the area (Lakeland ATV Club, Landover ATV Club, and St. Germain ATV Club), we think every route is a winner. See you on an ATV or UTV soon!
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