Webster, Siren and Danbury: The Quiet Side of Lake Country
Three towns fifteen miles apart on Highway 35, a trail that connects them, and the closest lakes to the Twin Cities that still feel far away.
Webster, Siren and Danbury sit along Highway 35 in Burnett County and work as one place on a trip up here. Webster has the drive-in, the fairgrounds and the Fourth of July. Siren has the bandshell, the bigger restaurants and the Gandy Dancer trailhead. Danbury has the casino, the Yellow River running through it, and the fur-trade fort. The Gandy Dancer Trail ties all three together, and between them there's something going on virtually every weekend from May into fall.
The reason to come is the water. Devils Lake has a public beach, Yellow Lake is a world-class fishery, Sand Lake is one of the clearest lakes in the state, and the small lakes, golf courses and cabins of Voyager Village fill in the country between. This is the closest of our areas to Minneapolis, under two hours, and the least crowded.
When to Go
Between the three towns there's something on nearly every summer weekend, and most of it is free. Dates shift year to year; the Webster chamber keeps the current calendar.
May
Forts Folle Avoine opens for the season with tours, a plant sale and the first wild rice pancake breakfast; the Webster Arts & Crafts Extravaganza brings 100-plus vendors; fishing opener. Cold water and the fort before the crowds.
June
Wild rice pancake breakfast at the Forts, monthly through September; the Burnett Arts Festival at Northwest Passage Gallery; Siren's bandshell concerts begin at Crooked Lake Park. Lakes warming, towns waking up.
July
July 3 fireworks at the Central Burnett County Fairgrounds in Webster, then the July 4 parade on Main Street and water fights at the fire hall. The Great Fur Trade Rendezvous at the Forts in late July is the one event up here you won't see anywhere else.
August
Gandy Dancer Days in Webster, 28 years running: craft show, car races, horse show, frying-pan toss, pickleball. Augtoberfest at the fairgrounds. Warmest water of the year.
September
Sturgeon Fest and the Buff & Brag car show in Webster; the Central Burnett County Fair; sandhill cranes start gathering at Crex Meadows. Our favorite month on these lakes.
October
The Crex Meadows crane migration peaks, thousands of birds at dusk, 25 minutes west. Fall color and the cranes in one trip.
December
Christmas at the Forts, free. A real reason for a winter weekend.
January through March
Ice fishing on Yellow Lake and Big Sand; the Gandy Dancer becomes a snowmobile trail; the Primitive Biathlon at the Forts in late February. Snowmobilers' country.
Where to Eat and Drink
The best-rated places across the three towns.
Northview Drive-Inn (Webster)
Car-hop drive-in with frosted mugs, shakes and burgers. The one everyone names; summer only.
Hours and directions →Yellow Lake Lodge (Webster)
Bar and grill with outdoor seating over Yellow Lake, and Packers and Vikings on the TVs.
Hours and directions →The Rec on Yellow Lake (Danbury)
Full-service restaurant on the lake with an indoor bocce court. Family dinner on the water.
Hours and directions →The Shop Bar & Grill (Webster)
American bar and grill, the top-rated spot in Webster.
Hours and directions →Adventures Restaurant & Pub (Siren)
Fish fry, pizza and a full bar with bottoms-up taps. The most-reviewed place in Siren.
Hours and directions →Gary's Rude Cafe (Siren)
Hometown cafe known for its fried chicken and burgers.
Hours and directions →Voyager Village Grill (Danbury)
Bar and grill overlooking the golf course and the airstrip.
Hours and directions →Burnett Dairy Cheese Store (Alpha)
The co-op cheese store on Highway 70, 15 minutes west of Siren. Every visitor stops; squeaky curds.
Hours and directions →Things to Do
Forts Folle Avoine Historical Park. Reconstructed 1802 fur-trade posts on the Yellow River between Webster and Danbury, with an Ojibwe village, costumed interpreters, and the Great Fur Trade Rendezvous in late July. The wild rice pancake breakfasts run one Sunday a month all summer. Nothing else like it in the state.
The Gandy Dancer State Trail. A rail-trail on the old Soo Line grade that runs through Siren and Webster to the 520-foot bridge over the St. Croix at Danbury. Bike and hike it in summer; it's an ATV and snowmobile trail in season. The Siren trailhead on County K is the easiest place to start.
Devils Lake beach. The public beach for the area, and the swim after a day of driving around.
Yellow Lake. A world-class fishery, with walleye, musky and panfish, and two lakeside restaurants to eat at afterward.
Crex Meadows. A 30,000-acre wildlife area at Grantsburg, 25 minutes west: sandhill cranes by the thousands in October, trumpeter swans, prairie and wetland driving loops. The visitor center explains it.
The St. Croix and Namekagon. Both are National Scenic Riverway; they meet at Riverside, just north of Danbury. Canoe and kayak outfitters run shuttles.
St. Croix Casino Danbury. Slots, blackjack, roulette and craps, a hotel with a pool, and live music, at Highways 35 and 77.
Voyager Village. A 5,200-acre recreational community outside Danbury with eleven lakes, an 18-hole championship course consistently ranked among Wisconsin's best, a par-3 nine, and a grill that overlooks the course and a paved airstrip.
Siren bandshell. Summer concerts at Crooked Lake Park. Bring a chair.
Burnett County Historical Society. The county's history, in Siren.
The Lakes
Burnett County has over 500 lakes and almost none of the boat traffic of the Hayward chain. The standout for clarity is Sand Lake, fourth on our clearest-lakes list at 20 feet of visibility, with our North Sand cabin on its shore. Big Sand Lake next door is the bigger water, and Big Sand Lake Escape sits on it. Yellow Lake is the fishery, with Danbury's restaurants on its shore. Devils Lake has the public beach. Birch Island, Big McKenzie and Big Wood are the quiet, deep lakes in between, and the small lakes of Voyager Village are the kind you have to yourself on a weekday.
Burnett County Lakes by the Numbers
Live from our lake database: size, depth, clarity, landings and fish.
Sand Lake
Burnett County
Fish Species
Big Sand Lake
Burnett County
Fish Species
Yellow Lake
Burnett County
Fish Species
Devils Lake
Burnett County
Fish Species
Birch Island Lake
Burnett County
Fish Species
McKenzie Lake
Washburn, Burnett County
Fish Species
Wood Lake
Burnett County
Fish Species
Clam Lake
Burnett County
Fish Species
Crooked Lake
Burnett County
Fish Species
Big Doctor Lake
Burnett County
Fish Species
Cabins near Webster, Siren and Danbury
More of our cabins are in Burnett County than anywhere else, and they're all on the water. Bass Lake is minutes from Webster. Big Sand Lake Escape is on Big Sand, North Sand is on Sand Lake, the clearest lake in the county, and Hytte Ro is on Birch Island Lake. The Minerva Chain cabin is on the chain of lakes outside Danbury. From any of them, the three towns are within 20 minutes and the Twin Cities under two hours.
Getting There
This is the closest of our areas to Minneapolis. Siren has the Burnett County airport with a paved runway. Drive times are approximate.
From Minneapolis–St. Paul: about 1 hour 45 minutes
I-35 north to Highway 70 east at Pine City, or Highway 35 north from St. Croix Falls.
From Eau Claire: about 1 hour 45 minutes
US-53 north to Spooner, then Highway 70 west.
From Duluth / Superior: about 1 hour 30 minutes
Highway 35 south.
From Madison: about 4 hours 30 minutes
I-94 west, US-53 north, Highway 70 west.