Winter Fun
Winter in Wisconsin’s Calumet County offers everything from skiing to tubing, crisp hikes to fat bikes and so much more in between. In fact, no matter the winter activity you choose, you will find you can do it in Calumet County.
While there are literally dozens upon dozens of choices, we at Travel Calumet thought we would provide a suggested list of 10 great things to do (or see) this winter right here in Wisconsin’s Calumet County. But first, let us show you the fun with the video below.
Discover the trails in Calumet County…
Hiking, biking, fat biking, walking, running, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, or even just strolling are all great ways to enjoy being outdoors in the Wisconsin winter. Using a trail lets you enjoy nature and clean air, and like taking a vacation, trails provide an outlet that helps you to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression while allowing you to clear your mind and reconnect with yourself. What better way to multiply these outcomes than by taking a trail vacation in Calumet County!
With some of the most scenic views in the Midwest, Calumet County’s trails offer a wonderland of exploration, navigation, and discovery that stretches dozens and dozens of miles. Winter provides a blanket of beauty that is not to be missed…and on a sunny morning after a fresh snowfall, a world of wonder that words can’t describe.
Home to three large wildlife areas, (arguably) Wisconsin’s best state park, and Wisconsin’s largest inland lake, finding recreational trail beauty is easy to do. Many trails within Calumet County are pet-friendly as well, so no need to leave your four-legged loved ones at home.
Enjoy a supper club…
After an exhilarating day enjoying Wisconsin’s winter, there is no better place to go with friends and family for conversation and a great meal than a Calumet County supper club. Calumet County is world famous for supper clubs and has been designated as the Supper Club Capital of the Midwest®. Like fingerprints, the supper clubs within Calumet County are individually unique, each with a personality all its own. Oh, and did I mention the food? Whether you love steak or a Friday Night Fish Fry, schnitzel or an awesome salad bar, come and experience for yourself the charm of one (or many!) of the supper clubs located in Calumet County.
Go tubing...
Calumet County Park’s Snow Tube Hill is great winter fun! Enjoy the exhilarating ride down the tube hill in one of county’s most picturesque settings. This hill will have you hoping for snow, and lots of it, as kids of all ages look forward to the opportunity to race down the snow-covered hill at speeds that will cause your adrenaline to rise. Please note that the hill is open to the public at your own risk and you must bring your own tube or sled to use on the hill. Great for family events, friend-gatherings, and adventure seekers, this experience is truly unique to Calumet County when the snow sticks.
Walk on water (well, um…ice, actually) …
Walking on water is easier than you think, especially during wintertime in Wisconsin. With Wisconsin’s largest inland lake at the ready, once the cold temperatures set the ice, walking along the shoreline of Lake Winnebago offers up breathtakingly scenic views of High Cliff and the Niagara Escarpment that aren’t available on land.
See pre-historic creatures up close…
Lake sturgeon is a giant among Wisconsin's inland freshwater fish. It survived pre-historic times and is known as a bottom-dwelling, living fossil that can live well beyond 100 years. It is known for the curious but spectacular habit of leaping completely out of the water until it appears to be standing on its tail, then landing with a resounding splash. This trait is all the more impressive when you factor in that some sturgeon grow beyond 6-feet in length.
Every February, sturgeon spearing season begins (tag required to spear), and thousands of people head out onto the Lake Winnebago ice using miles of ice roads, all in search of prehistoric fish. The lucky among them are those hundreds destined to bring their sturgeon to one of several weighing stations which dot the shores.
Many people descend on Lake Winnebago to observe the spectacle. Some of these non-spearers hunker down in restaurants, like Schumacher’s Shanty and Gobblers Knob Supper Club in Stockbridge, eating local fare as they watch about 5,000 shanties form a city on the frozen water. Stockbridge is known as “The Sturgeon Capital of the World,” and after one visit during sturgeon spearing season you will understand why.
Be a spectator at an Ariens Nordic Center competition...
Ariens Nordic Center, the newest U.S. Biathlon National Training Center located in Brillion, hosts the U.S. Biathlon Masters Nationals and North American Masters Championships in February. These events draw many athletes and competitors and are an ideal complement to other race opportunities in North America and around the world.
In addition to these exciting opportunities, Ariens Nordic Center hosts additional competitive events open to spectators including cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and fat bike racing. And if that isn’t enough to appeal to the winter sports fan, Ariens Nordic Center is also the “homefield” for the University of Wisconsin Green Bay Nordic Ski Team.
Ariens Nordic Center is located on 200 acres at the outskirts of Brillion, Wisconsin. The center is a year-round trail network for recreation, training, and competition for cross-country skiing, biathlon, roller-skiing, running, hiking, and more. The facility is open to the public and includes a 5k lighted trail network for cross-country skiing designed by Morton Trails, 20-point Kurvinen Biathlon Target System, a robust snowmaking system, 3k paved roller-ski loop for off-season training, and a 10-million-gallon pond for swimming and snowmaking purposes.
Climb into a giant snow globe…
What kid hasn’t stared at a snow globe and wondered what it would be like to be inside? Well, at the AriensCo Museum in Brillion, every kid’s dream can be realized as one of the highlights of the museum allows visitors to step inside that magical wonderland-the snow globe. And this snow globe even has falling snow! A definite kid pleaser and great family attraction at an equally amazing museum that tells the unique and inspirational story of AriensCo, this is not to be missed.
Go (fat) biking...
Biking in the winter months in Wisconsin changed dramatically with the advent of the fat bike. Fat biking allows you to enjoy and explore trails and areas that were previously inaccessible and challenging to reach during the winter months.
In addition to the great enjoyment you will experience as you pedal your way through the winterized landscape of Calumet County, make sure you take time out to hop off your fat bike and join other spectators at Ariens Nordic Center in Brillion for fat bike racing. Arduous and simplistic, fat bike racing is a test of endurance for the participating riders and a world of excitement for fans. Make sure to bring your cow bell to cheer on the athletes!
Go (ice) fishing...
Waking up before dawn on a crisp winter morning and heading out to spend the day on the frozen lake, waiting for the fish to bite…welcome to Wisconsin’s Calumet County! Home to Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin’s largest inland lake, Calumet County offers the avid angler many opportunities to find (or make) the perfect fishin’ hole. There is plenty of space for anglers to spread out on the massive frozen body of water, known in fishing circles as one of the best places in the world to ice fish.
Hook and line fishing is open all year on Lake Winnebago (license required). There are access points and bait shops available along the shores and in some of the more picturesque communities in the area. Come experience Calumet County’s version of the tiny house-the ice shanty-where sitting in a shelter with friends and family makes the ice-fishing season something thousands and thousands of anglers look forward to each year.
Experience the shops of Calumet County…
Unique, locally owned shops are scattered across the countryside within the many charming communities of Calumet County. Venues range from clothing boutiques to artisan fare, as well as antiques and thrift. Especially popular are the many agricultural related outlets carrying everything from cheese to maple syrup. For a complete list of specialty shops available, please take a look at the Calumet County Visitors Guide found by clicking here.
But wait, there’s more…
How could we put together a list of great winter experiences and not include snowmobiling? Well, we couldn’t, so we are adding one free bonus entry to our list!
Snowmobiling is truly a great winter pastime in Calumet County. Calumet County has more than 150 miles of state funded snowmobile trails and more than 100 miles of club funded trails. Four area clubs maintain these club trails throughout the county, with private landowners providing the majority of the land used for the public trail system. Additionally, there is 3-mile snowmobile trail through High Cliff State Park that connects Lake Winnebago with the Calumet County snowmobile trail system.
So, if you are looking for that rush of adrenaline that you get from navigating curves, twisting through trails, and discovering scenic and spectacular views, Calumet County is home to thrilling snowmobile adventure!