Starrett Lake - North Highland/Amer Legion State Forest

The morning air at Starrett Lake hums quietly with the chatter of loons and the soft rustle of leaves drifting from towering maples and aspens. Mist lingers just above the water’s surface, blurring the line where lake meets forest, while the faint tapping of woodpeckers echoes through the trees. Here, the scent of damp earth mingles with pine and fresh water, inviting campers to slow down and soak in the peaceful rhythms of North Highland/Amer Legion State Forest in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin.

Starrett Lake’s shoreline invites paddlers to glide across its calm, electric motor-only waters, where kayaks and canoes cut gentle wakes beneath a canopy of late-summer green. Trails branch off from the campground, winding through dense woods peppered with birch and elm, though markers are subtle—just a quiet nod from nature rather than painted blazes on trees. The Stone Lake route, a nearby drive along County Highway M, dazzles with fall colors when the leaves turn, scattering fiery reds and golds across the road like confetti. Around the lake, loons fish skillfully, diving to catch bluegills and bass that dart beneath lily pads, while nonvenomous snakes occasionally slip silently through the underbrush.

Campers settle into spacious sites shaded by mature hardwoods, each equipped with electric hookups that hum quietly under the canopy. Families gather near the small, sandy beach where children paddle and swim under watchful eyes, the water cool and welcoming. Fishing rods bend over the shoreline as anglers reel in sunfish and perch, far from the crowds of larger lakes. Showers aren’t onsite, but a ten-minute drive to Clear Lake Campground offers hot water and clean facilities, a trade-off many embrace to preserve this camp’s serene, rustic atmosphere. Night falls with the comforting chorus of frogs and the occasional loon call, broken only by the rare disruption of a phone alarm that reminds visitors of the outside world they’ve left behind.

At Starrett Lake, the forest’s quiet pulse feels alive and steady, a place where families bond over canoe rides and fishing tales, and where the air tastes like pine and possibility. It’s no surprise that campers return season after season, drawn by the lake’s gentle waves and the woods’ whispered secrets, eager to add their own stories to this timeless northern Wisconsin retreat.