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Places We Protect

Tenderfoot Forest Reserve

Wisconsin

Trees line the placid blue water of a lake, their leaves bright with autumn oranges, yellows, and reds, which are reflected in the water below.
Mirror Lake at Tenderfoot Mirror Lake at Tenderfoot Forest Reserve © Emily Mills/TNC

Tenderfoot is a critical link in a network of public and private forest lands.

Overview

Description

At the Tenderfoot Forest Reserve, you can hike through one of the largest contiguous blocks of old-growth forest left in northern Wisconsin and explore nearly four miles of undeveloped shoreline on the pristine waters of Tenderfoot, Roach, Sanborn and Mirror Lakes.

Tenderfoot Reserve is a critical link in a network of public and private forest lands that make up the Border Lakes Area, which spans about 24,000 acres in Vilas County. The area harbors white pines up to 400 years old and includes wetlands, spring-fed ponds, wild lakes and streams.

The Border Lakes Area is also the headwaters of the Presque Isle and Ontonagon Rivers. The Tenderfoot property contributes surface water and groundwater to both rivers, whose watersheds cover more than 1.25 million acres in Wisconsin and Michigan. Land management will play an important role in protecting water quality in these two important rivers.

Access

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Hours

Open year-round, dawn to dusk, except from December to ice-out due to treacherous ice conditions on lakes and river. Palmer and Tenderfoot lakes freeze in the winter but the Ontonagon River does not.

Highlights

Old-growth forest, wild lakes, wildlife

Size

1,471 acres

Explore our work in Wisconsin

Tenderfoot Forest Reserve Photos

From spectacular birding in spring and fall to cross-country skiing in the winter, there are year-round opportunities to explore the Wisconsin Northwoods at this preserve.

Two people in kayaks on a lake bordered by fall trees; a third kayak is nearly out of frame on the left side with only the paddle the back of the kayak visible.
A pine marten with snow on in its nose looking directly into the camera.
A male chestnut-sided warbler perched on a branch.
Trees with bright orange, red, and yellow fall foliage along the shore of Palmer Lake.
An adult common loon on a lake, stretching out its wings.
A bald eagle flying over an icy lake with a fish clutched in its talons.
A black bear sitting partially behind a tree, looking directly at the camera with one paw on the tree.
Looking up at the yellow and orange leaves of the Northwoods forest canopy in fall.
A single bobcat walking through the snow in Wisconsin.
A male black-throated blue warbler on a branch.
Two people in kayaks on a lake bordered by fall trees; a third kayak is nearly out of frame on the left side with only the paddle the back of the kayak visible.

Explore Tenderfoot Reserve: Access to Tenderfoot is by water from the Palmer Lake boat landing and kayaking is an excellent way to explore the lakes in this preserve. © Jim Schumaker

A pine marten with snow on in its nose looking directly into the camera.

Pine Marten: Well adapted for life in the Northwoods, pine martens have broad feet to walk on top of the snow, but will tunnel in the snow to hunt rodents and other prey in the winter. © Albert Michaud/TNC Photo Contest 2021

A male chestnut-sided warbler perched on a branch.

Chestnut-sided Warbler: Coming to the Northwoods each summer to breed, these warblers make their homes in young forests or recently disturbed areas instead of more established woods. © Steve S. Meyer

Trees with bright orange, red, and yellow fall foliage along the shore of Palmer Lake.

Fall Colors in the Northwoods: Views from the lake shores throughout the Tenderfoot Reserve offer breathtaking views of vibrant autumn colors throughout the woods. © Rod Sharka

An adult common loon on a lake, stretching out its wings.

Common Loon: The eerie call of the loon can be heard emanating from waters in the Border Lakes area. © Steve S. Meyer

A bald eagle flying over an icy lake with a fish clutched in its talons.

Bald Eagle: When the lakes are still frozen, bald eagles will fish in places where gulls have broken ice to hunt, often stealing the prey directly from the gulls. © Marci Lanois/TNC Photo Contest 2022

A black bear sitting partially behind a tree, looking directly at the camera with one paw on the tree.

Black Bear: Tenderfoot Reserve serves as an important wildlife corridor for the Northwoods, including supporting large mammals like black bear, wolves, and occasionally moose. © Dave Shaffer/TNC Photo Contest 2022

Looking up at the yellow and orange leaves of the Northwoods forest canopy in fall.

Fall in the Northwoods: Autumn is one of the best times to visit Tenderfoot Reserve, as the trees burst into brilliant colors before winter sets in. © Jim Schumaker

A single bobcat walking through the snow in Wisconsin.

Bobcat: While they’re fairly secretive cats and difficult to spot in the wild, winter in the Northwoods offers a great opportunity to find their tracks. © Scott W. Mulcahy

A male black-throated blue warbler on a branch.

Black-throated Blue Warbler: Migrating birds, like black-throated blue warblers come to the Tenderfoot Reserve each spring to breed and raise their young, before heading back south for the fall. © David Gumbart/TNC

Visit

  • As a link between the 1-million-acre Ottawa National Forest, located to the north in Michigan, and the 220,000-acre Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest, located to the south in Wisconsin, the Border Lakes Area (of which the Tenderfoot Forest Reserve is a part) serves as a travel corridor for large-ranging mammals, including timber wolves and possibly moose.

    Wildlife that uses the area include bald eagles, osprey, loons and neotropical migratory songbirds like the black-throated blue warbler. You might also see otters, fishers, black bears, wolves and other mammals like the rare American marten.

  • Access to Tenderfoot is exclusively by water from the Palmer Lake boat landing.

    The preserve is open to the public for hiking, bird watching, fishing and other recreational activities, with fairly flat terrain and good trails.

    Be sure to remember water and bring insect repellant in late spring, summer and early fall. There are no restroom facilities at the preserve.

  • Please help protect this unique area by following these guidelines:

    • Catch and release fishing with artificial lures is encouraged to protect Mirror, Sandborn and Roach lakes from introduction of invasive species.
    • Hunting for whitetail deer and ruffed grouse is allowed in accordance with state law.
    • Dogs are allowed on the preserve but must be on leash from April 1 to July 31 to protect ground-nesting birds. When dogs are off-leash, they must be kept under voice control by their owners at all times to prevent them from wandering to adjacent properties and residences.

    Additional resources:

Background

In October 2005, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) purchased a 971-acre property from the Rahr family, of Manitowoc, where they brewed beer and made malt for the beer industry. The family donated more than $1 million of the value of the land to TNC to ensure that the property remains in its natural state for generations to come.

Prior to selling the land to TNC, the Rahr family had owned and cared for the property for more than 120 years. This unit is named in honor of Guido Rahr, Sr., who served on the Wisconsin Conservation Commission for 23 years in the 1950s and 60s. During those years, his leadership and business experience were credited with making Wisconsin’s Conservation Department one of the most outstanding wildlife agencies in the nation.

In 2025, The Nature Conservancy added an additional 500 acres to the preserve. The addition contains the northern tip of Sanborn Lake and more than a mile of the north bank of the Presque Isle River. The property is almost entirely forested by northern hardwood and northern hardwood-hemlock old-growth forests. Interspersed are small breaks in the forest canopy where open bog, alder thickets and northern sedge meadow can be found.

Virtual Tour

You’re invited to take a virtual video trip to the Guido Rahr, Sr. Unit of the Tenderfoot Forest Reserve in northern Wisconsin with TNC’s Midwest Strategy Director for Northwoods, Matt Dallman, author and naturalist John Bates, and long-time volunteer Rod Sharka. Visit the preserve, learn why the old-growth forest at Tenderfoot is so remarkable and see the critters using our new boardwalk. Watch the video below:

Tour the Tenderfoot Forest Reserve (7:12) Take a virtual your of TNC’s Guido Rahr, Sr. Tenderfoot Forest Reserve in northern Wisconsin. You’ll see one of the few old-growth hemlock forests in Wisconsin, a beautiful wild lake and wildlife captured by our wildlife cam on our new boardwalk.

Nearby Preserves and Protected Areas

Need more nature? Visit The Nature Conservancy’s other preserves or other local protected areas.

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