Heritage Drive Scenic Byway
Heritage Drive Scenic Byway is a State Scenic Byway in Wisconsin. Within Wisconsin it covers roughly 17 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Heritage Drive Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
Heritage Drive is a 21-mile Wisconsin scenic byway through the Nicolet National Forest, following a road built to move troops and ammunition against a feared British invasion from Canada. Running along WI 32 and Forest Service roads 2178 and 2181, historically known as Military Road, from Three Lakes north to WI 70 with a spur east to Franklin and Butternut Lakes, the byway also traces part of the old Lake Superior Trail once used by the Menominee to trade with the Winnebago and Ojibwa, later improved into an 1861 mail route. Giant hemlocks mix with maples, oaks, and pines along the narrow, two-lane paved road, turning the drive into a strong fall-color route, while Native American archaeological sites and Civil War-era military history give it more historical depth than most northern Wisconsin byways. The drive takes two to three hours at an unhurried pace. It's a good match for travelers as interested in history as scenery.
- 21 miles, Three Lakes to WI 70
- historic Military Road route
- Nicolet National Forest
- traces the old Lake Superior fur-trade trail
- Native American archaeological sites
Plan a drive on Heritage Drive Scenic Byway →
What is a State Scenic Byway?
State Scenic Byways are roads a state has formally recognized for their scenic, natural, historic or cultural value — each state's own curated collection of drives worth taking slowly.
Where to Stay along Heritage Drive Scenic Byway
4 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Heritage Drive Scenic Byway.
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