Order of Visit: High Point #38
Date Visited: June 2, 2021
Route Taken: Tower Trail – 600 yards roundtrip
Type of Terrain: Heavily forested, but the path to the summit is wide and well groomed.
Elevation: 1,951 feet
Ancestral Lands: Anishinabewaki, Sioux
What’s in a name?
Timm’s Hill appears on maps and the internet with two different spellings. Some refer to it as Timm’s Hill, while other sources omit the apostrophe and and simply call it Timms Hill. Both of them are equally incorrect in their own way. But , to understand why, you have to go back to Wisconsin in the 1940s.
Back then, Timothy Gahan, the former owner, operated a logging camp on 19-acre lake near the base of the hill. In keeping with true Midwestern simplicity, he began naming many of the surrounding landmarks after himself. There was Tim’s Logging Camp, Tim’s Lake, Tim’s Hill, etc.
At the time, most Wisconsinites assumed Rib Mountain, located 60 miles to the southeast, was the state’s high point. So how Tim Gahan identified the features on his property, wasn’t really relevant or noteworthy.
By 1960, however, local surveyors determined that at least two points in the state were higher than Rib Mountain’s 1,941 feet. Nearby Pearson Mountain measured in at 1,950 feet above sea level. And a small hill on Tim Gahan’s logging camp measured at 1,951.5 feet. Tim’s Hill was suddenly the highest natural point in Wisconsin by a mere 18 inches!
In the years that followed, a retired logger and local historian, Roy Meier, began to advocate for the state to preserve the area around the high point. Meier admits he changed the name from Tim’s Hill to Timm’s Hill because he thought a surname might look more impressive to the state officials at the Wisconsin Conservation Department. And with that small act, Meier is accidentally responsible for changing the landmark’s name.
In 1978, Price County finally agreed to purchased the land from the new landowner (Beaver Land Company) and preserve it. When the park finally opened to the public in 1983, the County spelled the name with two Ms and an apostrophe (Timm’s Hill).
Thus, the second M in the name seems to have stuck. But there still doesn’t seem to be any real consensus between the various maps, books, or websites out there, whether it should be spelled “Timm’s Hill” or “Timms Hill.”
TRIP SUMMARY
Timm’s Hill was the second state high point on my June 2021 trip to the Great Lakes. I’d just completed Mt. Arvon (Michigan’s high point) earlier in the day, and drove back down into Wisconsin to see about getting a two-fer.
I knew this wasn’t going to be a difficult high point to find. It’s one of the few high points situated inside a county park (the other two state high points located inside county parks are Britton Hill, FL and Hawkeye Point, IA). So, Google Maps would take me right to where I needed to go.
On my way down south to see Timm’s Hill, I ended up making two quick stops. My second stop was intentional, but the other was made out of sheer joy and amazement.
You see, my route south took me through the tiny town of Eagle River, Wisconsin (pop. 1,626). As I drove through town, I passed the local VFW and immediately had to pull over. I was stunned to see a full size Cobra helicopter mounted to a metal post outside the building. It’s not everyday you see that sight!
I have no clue how such a small town acquired this military equipment to put on display, but one of their members must have some interesting connections!
Next up was my stop for a quite bite to eat and some refreshment at local microbrewery in Woodruff, Wisconsin.
One of my favorite aspect of traveling around the US is trying out the local craft beer scene, and I’ll admit Rocky Reef Brewing Co. didn’t disappoint! They had a nice outdoor patio area with picnic tables and Adirondack chairs, and I enjoyed a crisp pint of their Musky Bite IPA.
Lucky for me the days were long and I was far enough north that I had still had plenty of time to get to Timm’s Hill despite these two detours. Yet, I knew I had to get moving before the county closed the park’s gates for the day.
Timm’s Hill is sandwiched between Bass Lake and Timm’s Lake, and the road through the park is a one-way lane off Rustic Road #62. This means you have to go to the far western side of the park to enter by car.
I pulled into the park around 8:30 pm (about an hour before closing) and I wasn’t surprised to discover I was the only visitors there at that time of the evening.
Near the edge of the parking lot, there was a giant sign showing me the various trails I could enjoy. There was the 10-mile long Timm’s Hill Trail (which coincides with the Ice Age Trail from the county park to down to Rusch Preserve/Rib Lake). There was a 1.25-mile loop around Timm’s Hill. And several more.
With the sun starting to set, I was focused on the high point, so I set off on the Tower Trail. It was a nice easy 300 yard walk from the parking lot up to the two towers that sat on the summit of Timm’s Hill.
At the summit, I stared up at the newer wooden tower, which had six flights of stairs leading up to a wide observation deck at the top. Just behind it, stood a second taller metal tower with a slim metal ladder leading to a small cabin.
It was a easy decision which one I’d ultimately climb. I don’t love heights. And I didn’t had a rope, carabiner, or climbing harness to clip myself into the metal ladder’s safety rail. So, any which way you looked at it, the wood tower seemed a much saner proposition this evening.
The views from the top of tower’s observation platform were nice. The sun beginning to set, and I could see Bass Lake to the south, but I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t see Timm’s Lake to my north. I knew it was down there because I could hear voices carrying across the water. Yet I’d have to wait to see it from ground level.
Once I was back down on terra firma, I found my way over to the black mailbox containing the visitor log and signed my name. Unlike my visit to Mt. Arvon earlier in the day, I wasn’t the only person to visit this state high point today.
I felt a little bit of joy as I wrote down that this was my 38th high point in the small journal. I was now more than 75% of the way through all 50 states! And with a little luck, I’d my tall would be into the 40s by the end of this trip!
Just a few feet away I could also see the survey monument. It was hard to miss atop a 2 foot tall concrete pillar located right underneath of the metal tower.
Darkness was definitely starting to descend now. So I made my way back to the parking lot and detoured down the Timm’s Lake Trail to see the lake while it was still visible. The voices I’d heard from the summit were all the way on the opposite side of the lake now, and I could see them pulling a kayak up to a small dock.
That was my cue. It as time to get going before the park completely closed on me.
My plan for tonight was to camp down at Rusch Preserve near the southern terminus of Timm’s Hill Trail. This would also allow me to pay a quick visit to the Ice Age Trail, a 1,200-mile National Scenic Trail that follows the terminal moraine formed by the last Ice Age.
As I drove down to the preserve in the disappearing daylight, I had to pay extra close attention to my surroundings. Deer stood at the edge of the road waiting to dart in front of my rental car as my headlights approached.
I avoided hitting any of them – though I wouldn’t be nearly so lucky the following morning as I headed out to Minnesota’s high point. But that’s another story for another trip report…
DETAILS
When to Visit: This high point can be visited year round, but the park’s gate is only open from 7:30 am to 9:30 pm from May and October. Visitors who want to see Timm’s Hill outside in the off-season should be prepared to hike or cross-country ski into the park.
Getting There: Timm’s Hill is located in the northern part of the state, approximately 105 miles northeast of Eau Claire. The high point marker sits inside Timm’s Hill County Park.
Entrance Fees: None.
Parking: There is a large parking area near the two lookout towers with a playground, covered picnic tables, and flush toilets.
Accessibility: Accessible to virtually anyone. The trail to the summit is approximately 300 yards from the parking area and well-maintained.
Bonus: Take a hike on 10-mile Timm’s Hill Trail and you’ll find yourself walking on one of our nation’s National Scenic Trails, the Ice Ace Trail. The 1,200-mile Ice Age Trail is used year-round for hiking, backpacking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. (Note: The southern 2.5 mile segment of the Timm’s Hill Trail is closed between September and December each year. This closure is so that the private landowner with the land on either side of the trail can hunt on his property.)
Resources:
- An Overview of Timms Hill (Summit Post)
- Timm’s Hill County Park (Price County, Wisconsin)
- Timm’s Hill National Trail (Trail is open Jan 1st to Aug 31st each year)
- Ice Age Trail Alliance