Ashland
Welcome to Ashland! Ashland is nestled on the southern point of Chequamegon Bay….How do you pronounce Chequamegon Bay? There’s an old saying about two Norwegians walking to the lake and sticking their toes in the water. One says to the other, “Is she cold again? and the other replies, No.. She’s WARM again…. Che warm again… Chequamegon Bay! Now that we have that out of the way…Chequamegon Bay is the front yard and play area for Ashland residents and travelers. We don’t tire of the beautiful sunrises and the romantic, gorgeous sunsets over the bay. I hope you enjoy your stay with us and feel welcome in the Ashland area!!
Mary, JoAnn, and Maribeth – Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce staff
Mary, JoAnn, and Maribeth – Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce staff
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Chequamegon Bay ActivitiesThe west side of Ashland is home to Maslowski Beach, the Artesian Wells, and the start (or end depending) of the waterfront trail. The water depth at Maslowski Beach allows all ages and swimming levels to enjoy this area. The floor is a nice sandy spit making it easy to walk out and enjoy plenty of space and organically social distance! Ashland has several Artesian Wells. Bring your water bottles or jugs, or five-gallon buckets and get your fill of our clean, crisp, cold water!! Then take a stroll, bike ride, roller blade, or run on our paved waterfront trail. The trail is on an old abandoned rail bed and literally makes a long loop around Ashland. A word of caution, there is a short detour on the trail that will take you through some gravel alleys, just in case you are riding your bikes or rollerblading. The other word of caution, you will pass by 5 Businesses that sell ICE CREAM!! Sandbar and Culver’s are both located on the trail. Kravin frozen yogurt, Gabriele’s German Cookies & Chocolates, and Burger Barn are just a block off of the trail on Historic Main Street. And speaking of food… Aside from the fast food restaurants, all of the restaurants in Ashland are locally owned and operated, so they all have their own uniqueness from the pies at Ashland Family Restaurant to the White Fish at Deepwater to the local food entrée’s at the 2nd Street Bistro to the authentic Chinese at New China and Mexican food at El Dorado!
Restaurant Map |
Kayaking ~ Stand Up Paddle Board ~ Bike RentalsIt’s easy to rent a Kayak or SUP, and coast around the head of the bay. Solstice Outdoors rents kayaks, Stand Up Paddle Boards and bicycles. Bikes can also be rented at Bay City Bicycles located on Main Street.
Beaches & ParksThere are several beaches & parks located on the water. We mentioned Maslowski on the very west end of Ashland. In the middle of town is the Pearson Plaza Park that boasts a Tunnel taking you from the waterfront trail and connecting you to our Historic Main Street. The tunnel is adorned with a beautiful, community mural that displays all sorts of fun creatures and mosaics! Traveling east, you’ll find Kreher Park. Kreher is also home to an RV park, and a great playground. Continue to the east and you’ll see the Oredock which at one time, was the largest steel structure in the world. What can you do on the Oredock? Fish, Bicycle, Walk, Ride a Bike, Picnic, or Run.
Continuing east, you’ll bump into the old City Dock which is an open, beautiful area to enjoy. The last stop for beaches and parks to the east is our favorite, Bay View Park. The newly renovated pier is handicap accessible and the best thing is that there is a DIVING BOARD on the pier! What fun for the kids too big for the playground! Yep! You heard us correctly, a DIVING BOARD on the pier at Bayview Park. There is plenty of parking and picnic areas and lots of areas to walk the waterfront. Take a peek at all of the parks in Ashland. Beaches and Parks |
Fishing & BoatingChequamegon Bay is home to World Class Small Mouth Bass fishing! The best spots are near shore by the Xcel Energy “Hot Pond”, the Marina, and the Lighthouse Rock Pile. Boat Landings are located at the Hot Pond, Kreher Park, and a smaller landing behind Angler’s All on the East side of town. Pick up your fresh bait at Angler’s All on the east end or River Rock Inn & Bait Shop on the west end across from the entrance to the Hot Pond. You absolutely must have the Chequamegon Bay Fishing Map (link to a form to order the map or we have them available at our kiosk outside the Chamber office on Highway 2. The Ashland Lighthouse is the newest edition of Lighthouses owned by the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. If you are interested and don’t have a boat, we encourage you to take one of the Apostle Islands Cruises like the Grand Tour!
Order Fishing Brochure MarinaAshland has a municipal Marina. The Marina is located right smack-dab in the middle of the town. It sits behind the beautiful Hotel Chequamegon, an iconic hotel in town.
historic main street shoppingOur historic Main Street is easily walkable and you’ll find all sorts of retail shopping, eating, and we have to toot our horn because Ashland is the “Historic Mural Capital of Wisconsin”.
You can take a self-guided tour of the 20+ murals throughout town. The Murals are our Outdoor Museum and you’ll be wowed by the fabulous paintings and learn all about Ashland’s past and present! Take a peek at the shopping and dining opportunities in Ashland Mural Walk Shopping Dining WaterfallsAfter you have enjoyed the waters of Chequamegon Bay and wandered repeatedly through the Ashland, Washburn, Bayfield, and Madeline Island communities, we encourage you to head south to take in the natural beauty of Copper Falls State Park, Morgan Falls, and St. Peter’s Dome.
Waterfalls brochure |
LodgingDoesn’t matter what type of lodging you are looking for; Ashland has it! We have chains, mom & pops, cottages, and Inns. Here’s a list with a little of our two cents:
Hotels on the water AmericInn AmericInn has a resort feel to the property. The waterpark is open, there are all sorts of toys to use for lake front fun like paddle boats and even places to have a campfire and smore’s! They also have bikes for their guests to use. Bayview Motel Bayview Motel is a small drive up motel that offers comfortable rooms. Tony & Jordan are your hosts and will see to it that you are well taken care of! Best Western Hotel Chequamegon Hotel Chequamegon was built in the mid 1980’s with a design that was inspired by the original Chequamegon Hotel that was razed in the 1890’s. This charming hotel offers full-service amenities including the Chequamegon Grille with fabulous outdoor seating and breathtaking views of Chequamegon Bay! Blue Wave Inn Blue Wave inn has 5 boutique, lovely, hotel rooms on the top floor of the sandbar, located right on the bay. You’ll love the views and the rooms; they are brand new and all beautiful. Quality Inn Quality Inn is at the very tip of Ashland on the west side and has excellent views of Chequamegon Bay. Its location, makes it easy to jump in the car and take a day trip through Washburn, Bayfield, and Madeline Island. Other Great Options for lodging in Ashland The Crest Motel The Crest Motel is the poster-child “Mom & Pop” motel. The front yard offers spectacular views of the lake and Kurt & Terri are very welcoming! The Crest is clean, close to the El Dorado and sandbar, and the waterfront trail. The Inn at Timber Cove Owners Brian & Tina Miller will welcome you with open arms to this quaint property that has three totally different and unique cottages. Its country living in the city. The Inn at Timber Cove is located on Sanborn avenue just about a mile off of Highway 2. Ashland Super 8 Ashland Super 8 is a great stop off property with a super friendly staff! They have all the amenities of Super 8. River Rock Inn River Rock Inn is a beautiful motel with 13 rooms. Each room is very stylish with a northern Wisconsin outdoor flavor! Great property for families and for fishing enthusiasts as its location is immediately across from the entrance to the Hot Pond. Great for fishing enthusiasts, family, or friends! Cobblestone Inn & Suites Cobblestone Inn is our newest lodging property. It’s beautiful and sits right on our Historic Main Street, so you can drop your belongings and go outside and walk the whole town! Just outside Ashland is the Second Wind Country Inn. That is exactly what it is! A beautiful country experience is what you will find at the Second Wind!! |
