Timm's Hill in Price County is the highest natural point in Wisconsin, 1,951.5 feet above sea level, and a quiet county park east of Phillips.
Most people driving Highway 13 through Price County have no idea they are passing within a few miles of the highest point in the state. Timm's Hill County Park sits about 20 minutes east of Phillips, and the summit is reachable on foot or by a short drive.
There are two ways up. The easy way is to drive to the upper parking lot and walk about 200 feet to the observation tower. The better way is to park at the lower lot and take the Timm's Hill National Recreation Trail, a 1.8-mile loop that winds through old-growth hemlock, crosses a wooden bridge over a cascading creek, and gains roughly 300 feet of elevation before reaching the top.
The wooden observation tower at the summit, rebuilt in 2024 after the previous structure aged beyond safe use, gives a 360-degree view that on a clear day stretches across half of Price County — the ribbons of the Flambeau River, the dark mass of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, and, if you know where to look, the glint of Spirit Lake to the northwest.
The hill is part of the Timm's Hill Moraine, a ridge of rock and gravel left behind by the Laurentide Ice Sheet roughly 12,000 years ago. When the glaciers retreated they scraped most of Wisconsin flat; here they left a field that rises and falls and feeds the rivers and lakes that make this corner of the state worth visiting. The highest point in Wisconsin is not just a destination — it is the reason the destinations around it exist.
What to know before you go: parking is free, with a lower lot for the trail and an upper lot for the tower. The trail is well-maintained gravel and dirt, dry by mid-May most years and muddy after heavy rain. Allow about 45 minutes to reach the summit from the lower lot, or 90 minutes for the full loop. The climb is moderate — a steady 300-foot gain rather than a steep one. Early morning from May through October is the best time to go, and the fall color in late September is worth the drive on its own. Dogs are welcome on a leash.
Make a day of it: drive ten minutes east to Duroy Lake for a quiet shoreline and a boat launch, or plan lunch at Ripsaw Saloon in Prentice, about 20 minutes away on county roads. Farther afield, the Ice Age National Scenic Trail crosses the county west of Phillips on the Mondeaux Esker segment, tracing the edge of the Mondeaux Flowage.
From Phillips, take County Road H east for about 12 miles, then turn right on Timm's Hill Road. From Prentice, take County Road H west for about eight miles, then turn left. The park entrance is well marked. There is no entrance fee and no reservation is required; the park is open year-round, though the tower may be closed when it is icy.
Source: Price County Fun.