Wood River (Wisconsin)

The Wood River is located in Western Burnett County, Wisconsin. It follows a meandering course in a generally westward direction. It's banks are mostly low and marshy, though there are high sand banks in places. Although it flows through a few communities, for most of its course it flows through relatively natural settings.

Its source can be traced to Wood Creek which drains wetlands near the village of Frederic, Wisconsin in Polk County. Wood Creek runs through the unincorporated settlement of Falun, located in the Town of Daniels, Burnett County, and eventually empties into Little Wood Lake. Little Wood Lake is drained by the Little Wood River which flows a few miles westward to Big Wood Lake, located in the Town of Wood River.

The Wood River proper begins at the North end of Big Wood Lake. It flows north several miles before it arcs back through the village of Grantsburg, and on the St. Croix River, several miles south of State Highway 70.

In the Ojibwe language, this river was called "Wiigobimizh-ziibi" (Basswood River), due to the abundance of this tree, which strips of softened inner bark was used as lashings or cording called "wiigob". Due to the wetland complex Wood River flows through, the Ojibwe called the vicinity where the village of Grantsburg sits as "Gichi-Mashkiigiminakaaning" (at the great place full low-bush cranberries).