Sayner – Star Lake: A Biker’s Dream
Register now for Mid-Summer Night’s Ride!
Biking enthusiasts will find the haven of their dreams in Sayner, WI, a rural township in Wisconsin’s Great Northwoods offering lodging, shops, great eateries and numerous facilities for bikers.
Whether you’re exploring the Heart of Vilas County Paved Bike Trail System or slicing down single-track in the woods, Sayner welcomes bikers in any season (yes, you can even fat bike here in the winter).
The Heart of Vilas County Paved Bike Trail System offers riders more than 52 miles of paved trails connecting St. Germain, Sayner, Boulder Junction, Manitowish Waters, and Mercer. This spectacular trail winds through the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest and along crystal clear lakes and rivers. The trail system features smooth pavement suitable for all types of riders — from flat-to-rolling terrain, manageable hills, and multiple scenic bridges.
The trail passes through Sayner just one block off of Main Street. To the south, you can follow the trail for 12 miles, passing Lost Lake and Big St. Germain Lake before heading into St. Germain. To the north, the trail passes near picnic and bathroom areas on Big Muskellunge Lake before skirting the shore of Trout Lake on the way to Boulder Junction. In Boulder Junction, the trail heads west along County Highway K to the trailhead in Manitowish Waters. See a Sayner-Star Lake area trail map below.
Along the trail, riders will find several scenic rest areas with picnic spots and restrooms. Offering 20 different parking areas from which to start a ride, the trail system also provides swimming spots for a quick cool down in the summer months and walking trails if you want a break from two wheels.
Explore the links below to find tips on where to go road biking and mountain biking in Sayner, where to rent a bike and details on Sayner’s paved biking trails. To see detailed trail maps in the Sayner area, download the free Map It Vilas County Trails App. And to learn more about Sayner and its neighboring community, Star Lake, request or download the free 2020 Sayner/Star Lake Visitor Guide.
In the meantime, be sure to register now for the 2020 Mid-Summer’s Night Ride, Northern Wisconsin’s first and only two-wheeled Ice Cream Crawl! Scheduled for August 8th, 2020, between 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm, the event will feature a 5K ride in Sayner, as well as a 25K ride between Sayner and neighboring township St. Germain.
Featuring free ice cream cones along the way, the family-fun ride will raise funds for Feeding Our Rural Kids (FORK), an Eagle River, Wi-based organization dedicated to providing nutritionally balanced meals to school-aged children living in food-insecure homes within the Northland Pines School District.
“We expect that the event participants will find an evening bike ride to be a breath of fresh air,” says event Chairperson Jackie Cohglan. “What better way to end a summer day in the Northwoods than with a wind-in-your-face bike ride on one of the best bike trails in all of Wisconsin!”
Online registration is available at FeedOurRuralKids.org. Early registration for all adults before July 15th is $35.00 for the 25-mile ride and $25.00 for the 5-mile ride. Kids under 18 are FREE and still receive an ice cream cone of their choosing. Event brochures, including the registration form, are available locally at the chamber offices in Eagle River, Land O Lakes, St Germain, Conover and Sayner-Star Lake. Registrations can also be picked up in person at Sayner’s Corner Store and St Germain’s Cathy’s Ice Cream and Candy Shoppe.
Says FORK President Perry Pokrandt, “FORK is excited to partner with the folks at the Northland Pines School District and the Sayner – Star Lake Chamber.
“Of course, we still need three things to make this event a success for our kids; riders, sponsors, and volunteers.”
To register as a volunteer, visit FeedOurRuralKids.org and click on the Get Involved tab. Or, call Jackie Cohglan at 715-891-5721 or email her at cogjackie@gmail.com.
Says Sayner-Star Lake Chamber of Commerce President Wendy Kimbrell, “The Chamber is excited about this event because of the need to help our kids to succeed. This provides Sayner-Star Lake with a forum to reach out to our local children, as well as to participating visitors and volunteers.”