Outdoor activities in Phelps offer more than one hiking destination: in the Black Jack Wilderness Area, trails lead to Whispering Lake and the headwaters of the Little Deerskin River; another hiking area connects two campgrounds. There are also snowshoe loops, local history at the museum, and an annual maple syrup festival. The different types of routes and themes are easy to distinguish as you plan your stay.
Hiking Trails with Different Destinations
In Phelps’s Black Jack Wilderness Area, a trail network leads to Whispering Lake. A trail in this area also leads to the headwaters of the Little Deerskin River. This gives you two different types of destinations to choose between for a hike: a lake and a river’s headwaters.
A second hiking area in Phelps connects the Spectacle Lake Camp Ground with the Kentuck Lake Camp Ground and is about 2.5 miles long. Here, the two campgrounds are the named endpoints. This distinguishes the route from the destinations in the Black Jack Wilderness Area.
Snowshoe Trails, Forest and Golf
The Deerskin Snowshoe Trails are part of the Phelps Trail System and include four loops ranging from 1.6 to 3.7 miles long. Unlike the connection between the campgrounds, they offer several loop routes to choose from. The stated range helps you factor different distances into your plans.
The forest cover is also a notable landscape feature at the township level: almost 75 percent of Phelps Township consists of land in the Nicolet National Forest.
Another option is the Big Sand Lake Club Golf Course in Phelps. The public golf course has nine holes and opened in 1925. This makes golf a distinct activity option alongside hiking and snowshoeing.
Local History and Maple Syrup
The Phelps Historical Museum preserves local history and shares it through artifacts, photographs and personal stories. The lobby provides information about the area and for visitors. This brings together historical exhibits and practical information about the surrounding area.
The annual Phelps Maple Syrup Fest features demonstrations of tree tapping and tours of local sugar bushes. Visitors can see how sap is turned into maple syrup. The activities cover different steps: tree-tapping demonstrations show the start of the process, while the tours explain the journey from sap to syrup. Check the dates of the festival edition taking place during your trip.
North Twin Lake and the July 4 Celebration
North Twin Lake is in the center of Phelps and covers 2,871 acres. The annual Phelps July 4 celebration includes a boat parade on the lake. In 2026, the program also included fireworks over the lake. Check the program details for later years.
Discover more destinations: St Germain, Boulder Junction, Eagle River.
Return to the main travel overview: Vilas County.
