
Summer Visit to Tomahawk WI: Guide from a Former Local
Tomahawk, Wisconsin
By Angie & Jeff
June 9, 2025
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Angie grew up in the Tomahawk area and remembers as a teenager being baffled about why people would choose to vacation there. If you grew up in a small town, you might be able to relate. Now as an adult, she can easily see the charm of the town that she did not appreciate as a teenager.
Now, many years later, we enjoy several trips to Tomahawk and find it is a joy to visit in all of the seasons, but in this post, we will focus on a summer weekend visit. One could easily spend far more than a weekend in Tomahawk, too. We often have. As the Tomahawk travel slogan says, “Come as you are!”
Tomahawk Size & Unique Qualities
Tomahawk has a population of just under 3500 people, but that is significantly increased in the height of the summer tourism season. In addition to the many lakes and scenic views, the city has a Harley Davidson plant. (Angie worked several summers as a college student in the fiberglass plant there.) This explains why a wildly popular annual event, the Northwoods Fall Ride, is hosted in Tomahawk each September. You have never seen so many Harleys in one place, we promise. We’re talking thousands and thousands!

What to Do in the Tomahawk Area In Summer
There are so many outdoor recreation opportunities in Tomahawk! You can enjoy time on Lake Mohawksin, the Wisconsin River, or Lake Nokomis just to name a few of the area bodies of water. You can explore the Hiawatha and Bearskin State trails.
In addition, Tomahawk offers golfing at Inshalla and Edgewater Country Clubs. We prefer mini-golf ourselves and like the small course that we refer to as old-skool putt putt at Big Bear Mini Golf in downtown. Tomahawk is also a fantastic place to simply relax and enjoy the scenery.

Tomahawk Speedway
A visit to Tomahawk Speedway makes a fun Saturday night in summer. Angie’s first job was working the concession stand here. At that time, the track was pavement. Currently, the track is clay so the last time we visited we did get quite dusty while sitting in the bleachers. Be prepared to get a bit dirty if you go.
Bradley Park
Bradley Park is a beautiful wooded loop drive. After you park your car (near the bathroom building) you can take a short stroll towards the tip of the peninsula that juts into Lake Mohawksin for beautiful views.
We were there just before sunset and had the entire trail all to ourselves for a tranquil time enjoying nature.


Veteran’s Memorial Park
Veteran’s Memorial Park in the heart of Tomahawk on the corner of North 4th and River Streets is right on the Wisconsin River. Veteran’s Memorial Park has a River Walk along the Wisconsin River behind the Dairy Queen and leads to the public library. It also features the tank popular for climbing by kids of all ages!

Bonnie and Clyde Gangster Park
If you’re lucky, the private Bonnie and Clyde Gangster Park just north of Tomahawk on Highway 51 might be hosting an event and open to the public during your visit. On the weekend we visited, we were able to enjoy a classic car show, cookout, and family games.
The classic car show event admission was free, but offered opportunities to purchase food and drinks or bid on silent auction items to raise money for Honor Flight. We tried strawberry floats (like a root beer float but made with Fanta Strawberry soda instead) for a donation to the Honor Flight.
We enjoyed the event for quite a while, perusing the many classic cars, the museum of historic items including an old bank vault, and Jeff even took second place in a limbo contest. Not bad for someone who is 6’5”!
There was live music scheduled by a favorite area band in Tomahawk, the Dweebs, but we left before they started playing. Bonnie and Clyde Gangster Park hosts a variety of events including car shows, live music, drive in events, and more.


Speaking of museums, the Tomahawk Area Historical Society offers two museums on East Washington Avenue. Note that the museums are not typically open on weekends.
Downtown Stroll on Main Street
Don’t miss enjoying a stroll down the several block main street of town along Wisconsin Avenue. The flower beds and baskets all along this street offer a feast of color and there’s a wonderful charm about the downtown of Tomahawk.
There are many adorable shops to stop in. We like to visit Standard Mercantile, which Angie remembers as the Ben Franklin when she was small. On this most recent visit, Angie found a new Tomahawk t-shirt to sport on our travels.


Kwahamot Water Ski Show
Another must do weekend activity is the Kwahamot (Tomahawk spelled backwards) Water Ski show. The show is held every Saturday, weather dependent, at 7:30 p.m. on the Wisconsin River viewable from the bleachers at 100 Deer Park Road in Tomahawk or from across the river in Veteran’s Memorial Park. If you’re there during weekdays, the show is also on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The water ski show season is Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Where to Eat in Tomahawk & Nearby
How could any list for a weekend in Tomahawk be complete without mentioning any of the numerous delicious places to eat ranging from supper clubs to bars with tasty food to an iconic ice cream place.
Supper Clubs
Tomahawk is very rich in Wisconsin supper club options. What makes a Wisconsin supper club can be a controversial topic, but generally it is a historic place that serves great steak and the all-important Wisconsin Friday Fish Fry, as well as a classic Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned.
A couple of our favorites that definitely meet this definition are the Pine Tree Supper Club and the Silver Birch Supper Club. On this most recent visit, we enjoyed Friday Fish Fry at the Pine Tree Supper Club right in downtown Tomahawk.
Pine Tree Supper Club
The ambience in the Pine Tree Supper Club is a bit lacking, but what they lack in ambiance is made up for with the delicious food. Angie doesn’t prefer fried fish so typically gets what they call the Poor Man’s Lobster, cod in butter sauce, at most supper clubs. But, at the Pine Tree, she can’t miss a chance to eat the Parmesan-Crusted Cod. Jeff always goes for the Friday Fish Fry special of Alaskan Pollock.


Silver Birch Supper Club
The Silver Birch Supper Club is tucked away on beautiful Halfmoon Lake off County U just north of Tomahawk. The Silver Birch has the view, the ambience, and the delicious food for a trifecta worth trying on your visit. On a nice night, you can even eat on the outdoor deck with the lake view.

Bar Food Close to Town
If you are looking for good bar food there are also lots of options. The Landing, Boomba, and The Loop Hole are just a few Tomahawk area bars with food that we visited on this most recent trip and really enjoyed.
The Landing
The Landing is our favorite Tomahawk area bar for great views of Lake Nokomis on two sides, the ability to boat right up to it, and the friendly owners and customers. It has lots of good food options well under the $10 mark.
Drinks are also priced very fairly and they offer an impressive array of creative cocktails in comparison to many area bars. The chicken sandwich here is our favorite and is every bit as good, and we’d say better than that national chicken sandwich chain with the cow on those billboards that reminds you to “Eat More Chikin.’”


Boomba Bar
We have been visiting Boomba Bar with Angie’s family for many years and never thought to ask about the name until a recent trip. Angie’s Mom explained a boomba is a name for a large beer glass like you would find in a beer garden in Germany.
You can order a boomba of several kinds of tap beer at Boomba Bar, which Jeff did on this trip after we learned this new terminology. Or if you prefer bottled beer or a mixed drink they have those here too.
They also have a full menu available. Boomba Bar is on the flowage of Lake Nokomis and there are wonderful water views here, but the water level can fluctuate so check if it is too low to be able to boat up to Boomba during your visit if that’s your plan.

The inside of this bar is also very special. The entire length of the massive natural log slab bar has paintings of wildlife and forests done by local artist and Angie’s childhood friend, Natalie of Art by Natalie Watland.
The wood has a thick coating of polyurethane to protect the artwork. All of the tables in Boomba Bar are also massive natural log slabs and also have Natalie’s artwork. Don’t forget to look up! Natalie’s artwork is on the ceiling here too. Keep your eyes peeled on your time in Tomahawk and you’re likely to spot other amazing art of Natalie’s throughout the area.

The Loop Hole Bar
The Loop Hole is a newer bar we enjoy. Before entering, we had some fun with the giant rooster and dinosaur sculptures outside.
We enjoyed their tap root beer and tater kegs appetizer to start.
Tater kegs are like tater tots that have bacon, cheddar, and chives included. They have a fantastic steak sandwich that Jeff tried.
Jeff really enjoyed and highly recommends this steak sandwich. It’s a steal given the quality you are getting for the price they are asking. The homemade chips are also great.
The Loop Hole has a vaulted ceiling and feels expansive inside. There’s also outdoor seating along the back of the building and a large grassy yard area where groups of people were playing bean bags during our visit.
There are lots of kids toys available to use for free if you happen to have little ones to keep occupied during your visit. And, as we mentioned previously, there’s a big green dinosaur in the front yard. Your kids will likely have a great time here and you will too.

Windmill Ice Cream Shoppe
A quintessential Tomahawk experience in the summer is a visit, or several, to The Windmill for ice cream. The Windmill is one of our favorite ice cream places anywhere and easily wins the award for best value for hard ice cream.
They have about 16 ice cream flavors at any given time which makes decision time a challenge. Speaking of decision time, if you visit the Windmill and there isn’t a line out the door, consider yourself lucky. On a nice summer weekend day, you will almost always find a pretty fast moving line well into the parking lot.
When you get to the front of the line, decision time is quick and they do not allow half scoops to try two flavors in one scoop. So, we suggest you do the obvious thing and just get a double scoop to try two flavors of your choice.
We ensure our choices are different so we can share a bit and try four flavors in one visit. We’re big fans of the waffle cones, but if it is a hot day-ask for a bowl to put the cone in upside down or prepare for an ice cream bath! These double scoop ice cream cones as big as your head are about $5.
This is another destination you can boat right up to as well. Or, if you want a short walk to watch the boats go by, you can follow the trail behind the Windmill just a short distance towards Lake Nokomis for ice cream eating scenery on the water.

Where to Stay in Tomahawk
For a small town, Tomahawk has many lodging options in the area ranging from small, locally owned motels to cabins on a lake and including a few chain hotel options, like the AmericInn.
It’s important to note that Tomahawk summer weekends are very popular and it is very common to find no vacancy anywhere in town when looking for last minute availability, so it’s best to plan ahead when you plan to visit!
In the past, we have stayed at other options such as the Rodeway Inn & Suites and Centerstone Resort Lake-Aire and been happy with our stays. We have also stayed in some of the private home rentals available in Tomahawk, like the ‘Moose Lodge at Lake Mohawksin’ listed on VRBO where Angie recently stayed for a girls weekend and had a fantastic stay.
Newly Renovated AmericInn
When it’s just the two of us, we have mostly stayed at the newly renovated AmericInn. We stayed a few years ago at this same hotel at the very beginning of their renovation process. At that time the hotel was a Super 8 which was a bit dated then, but always clean.
The rooms are now fully renovated. The pool area and lobby were not renovated, but meet our needs with a free breakfast buffet that includes the ability to make your own waffles. We will stay again on future visits to Tomahawk.

Day Trips from Tomahawk
There is a lot to do in Tomahawk. But we’re not done yet. There’s lots more to see and do just a short drive from Tomahawk proper.
Minocqua
Not just a fun town name to stump your friends with trying to pronounce (you just sound it out essentially), Minocqua is about 30 miles straight north of Tomahawk on Highway 51. Like Tomahawk, it is a popular vacation town packed with beautiful lakes and more things to do. Minocqua can fill its own blog article, but we’ll highlight a few favorites for your consideration as a day trip from Tomahawk.
Wildwood Wildlife Park and Zoo
We often schedule a day trip up to Wildwood Wildlife Park and Zoo. This park can be a pricey place to visit; we spent just short of $90 for three adults including some animal feed for the goats and deer. We find we really enjoy our annual trip to hold the baby bunnies, feed the parakeets, giraffes, and pushy goats, and watch the gibbons. This is a place to watch for Natalie’s art because you’ll notice it around the park, too.


Minocqua Brewing Company
If you’re looking for a local brew while in Minocqua, make a stop at the Minocqua Brewing Company in their renovated historic building (formerly a 1930’s Texaco gas station) in the heart of Minocqua.
It’s become pretty well-known well beyond Minocqua, and even Wisconsin, recently for their progressive politics and corresponding beer named for progressive values. It’s a great spot for a selfie with a giant version of the well known ‘In This House, We Believe…” graphic.

Bucksnort Resort
On the drive back to Tomahawk, if you take the scenic backroads off 70 West starting with Squirrel Lake Road to Pine Lake Road to Willow Road, you can have a great meal of massive and tasty bar food at the Bucksnort Resort on Boyle Road right on Willow Lake.
We started our meal by ordering the Bait Pile which is a mix of deep fried goodies like cheese curds, onion rings, broccoli cheese bites, jalapeno poppers, and more. The size of this appetizer on a giant serving platter should have tipped us off of what was to come.
The nachos Angie ordered as her meal here were a half-order and when they arrived at the table our jaws dropped. The nachos arrived in a foil lasagna pan about 12 inches square and 3 inches deep layered with chips, cubed chicken breast, black beans, sour cream, cheddar cheese, diced onions, and other nacho toppings.
There’s enough here to make several meals. After receiving our nachos, we got to see a few tables order a full-order of nachos which uses the same foil lasagna pan but the chips and other ingredients are heaped until they are nearly falling out the sides of the pan. The full-orders brought on more jaw-dropping reactions.
The burgers at Bucksnort are also delicious. Jeff didn’t even dare try to pick up his half-pound burger without first cutting it in half. Lots of the burgers here come with crispy fried onion straws which add a great crunch. You won’t leave here hungry. We had leftovers that Jeff ate for several more meals after this visit.
The Bucksnort has cabins for rent so you can stay for a while here. Plan in advance as it’s a very popular place in the summertime. The Bucksnort also has great water views as it is located right on the Willow Flowage.

J & D’s Reel ‘Em Inn
Just a little ways further down the road is J & D’s Reel ‘Em Inn, another excellent option to stop at for bar food. J & D’s Reel ‘Em Inn makes a great burger and all the times Jeff has been here he’s not yet had a burger he didn’t like.
Spirit Falls
Just under 15 miles west of Tomahawk on Highway 86, you will find the unincorporated Spirit Falls.
Hidden Waterfall & Legacy Tavern
There is an easy to miss bend in the highway as you continue west towards Ogema and Medford where you take a left onto Spirit Falls Avenue and you will find Legacy Tavern, another Northwoods bar with friendly staff and good food.
The hidden gem here is just east of the bar as you drive up Spirit Falls Avenue, you will see an inconspicuous driveway to the left. Park your car in the parking lot near this driveway and walk down it about a quarter of a mile to the beautiful falls that gives the name Spirit Falls to the area. On a hot day, when the water isn’t too high-you can even swim here and make water slides of the rocks.
Angie grew up very near here and spent many hot summer days swimming in the falls. The water level here can vary, so if the water level is high and rushing by it is not a time to swim safely. Even if you do not plan to swim, it is worth a quick walk to enjoy the view at the falls.

Tips for Your Tomahawk Visit
Bring cash! As is the case for several locations in Tomahawk, the Windmill only accepts cash. It is also a fairly common scenario to walk into a place and learn the credit card system is down so they are accepting cash only.
Some of the businesses, like the Windmill, are seasonal and only open for the warmer months.
It is also important to note that in a small town with small businesses with small staff, you may run across a time that Google lists a place is open and they are not for extenuating circumstances. It is a good idea to check the websites and social media, if they have it, for a location before visiting.
Tomahawk is a fantastic getaway for a summer weekend or longer. If you enjoy good food, beautiful lakes, outdoor recreation, and friendly people, come as you are to Tomahawk.