From a National Forest to a giant fiberglass fish to fresh fudge, Hayward is a fun vacation destination in the Midwest for all ages. You can take in a variety of experiences in this Northern Wisconsin town. A weekend in Hayward is sure to leave you feeling both relaxed and invigorated. Discover our favorite things to do in Hayward, Wisconsin today!
Things to do in Hayward, Wisconsin
Visit the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame
Visited by over 100,000 visitors each year, this glorified tourist trap is perhaps the most iconic thing to do in Hayward. For a small fee, you can explore the museum that includes tribute to fishing greats and an astounding collection of outboard motors. But the real gem of the museum is the world’s largest muskie sculpture and other large fish sculptures in the museum’s gardens. After exploring the museum, you can wander the gardens and take pictures with all of your favorite fish. Don’t miss the opportunity to climb into the mouth of the world’s largest muskie and look out over the rest of the gardens.
Lumberjack Shows
You may have thought lumberjacks extinct, but Fred Scheer’s Lumberjack Shows would prove you wrong. A blend of athleticism, comedy and history, these shows are one of the most unique things to do in Hayward. These 1-2 hour shows allow you to experience a small example of what you may see during the Lumberjack World Championships (yes, that’s a thing). These shows filled with laughs are great for all ages.
Shopping Downtown
Explore the shops of downtown Hayward with a short stroll along Main Street. You can find so many things to do in Hayward simply by popping in to all of the shops. Hayward hosts lots of antique and art shops as well as a hoard of tourist t-shirt stores. Strolling along Main Street is sure to entertain everyone in your group.
Explore the Food and Beverages of the North
Don’t forget to stop in to the lovely specialty food shops as well! Hayward Popcorn is sold throughout Wisconsin and offers free samples in the store. Fudge and candy shops pepper this area and you’re on vacation, so stop in. There are also several wineries and microbreweries in Hayward to explore along your walk downtown. Stop in for a tasting and head home with a new favorite. This is one of the top things to do in Hayward after a long day in nature. So if you’re going home hungry, you’re doing it wrong.
Hike Through the Forest
Explore the beauty of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest with a hike through it. This area is full of wonderful hiking, snowshoeing, biking and skiing trails. Choose any one of them and you’ll find yourself exploring one of the top things to do in Hayward: nature! We chose to hike along the Namekagon River on the Trego Nature Trail. However, Hayward also has several trails to choose from as well.
Fish One of the Many Lakes
Just as Hayward is home to the freshwater fishing museum, it is also home to some of the best freshwater fishing due to its abundance of well-stocked lakes. You would be remiss not to try your hand at fishing while visiting. You can bring your own boat and put in at one of the amazing lakes in the area, or you can charter yourself a fishing guide and boat. If you have any luck, you can have yourself a home-made Wisconsin fish fry for dinner. If you fail to snag a catch, you can still try lake fish at any of the local super clubs.
Take a Canoe Trip
Canoeing from Hayward to Trego is an easy and fun trip for any skill level. This trip will take you down the beautiful and undeveloped Namekagon River. Trip lengths can vary from a few hours to several days. You can bring your own canoe or rent one in town. Either way, this relaxing activity is one of the top things to do in Hayward.
Hayward Road Trip
We think that the best way to experience Hayward is to do a short 1-day road trip loop around the Hayward area and through the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. This loop with take you through the town of Hayward and all the amazing lakes and forests nearby. By following this loop, you can fit all of the best things to do in Hayward into your trip itinerary. You can complete this loop in a day but if you would like to add lots of stops to your trip, you may want to add a day to your trip. These are our favorite thing to do in Hayward because so much of what Hayward has to offer is it’s natural scenery. What better way to explore it all that to see as much of it as possible.
Best times to Visit
When is comes to the top things to do in Hayward, visiting in the summer will allow you to see the greatest variety of things, including experiencing the water activities and the lumberjack shows. However, with the winter sporting activities also offer some unique twists on the top experiences in Hayward as hiking trails are converted to skiing and snowshoeing trails. We also love visiting in the fall. If you can time your visit just right, you can explore the fall colors in this beautiful National Forest.
Whenever you choose to go, we know you’ll find Hayward charming and relaxing. Enjoy your trip into nature and all the Northern hospitality Wisconsin has to offer.
Great post! My goal is to travel to all 50 states and I’ll put this destination on my list when I visit Wisconsin in the future!
That’s awesome! We have the same goal. We buy a tshirt in every state and I want to make a US map tshirt quilt when we’ve visited them all.