Great River Road Wisc nsin Travel & Visitors Guide Motorcycling on the Eagle Viewing on Exceptional Great River Road the Great River Road Eateries page 13 page 36 page 39 Wisconsin’s National Scenic Byway on the Mississippi River Learn more at wigrr.com Welcome to the Mississippi River & Wisconsin’s Only National Scenic Byway —the Great River Road! t is my pleasure to welcome you to Wisconsin’s IGreat River Road, voted the “Prettiest drive in America” by readers of The Huffington Post. For over 80 years, Wisconsin residents and visitors alike have found fun and adventure on this beautiful National Scenic Byway. This visitor guide will help you explore the stunning 250-mile drive, as it winds through 33 delightful river towns parallel to the Mississippi River. From Prescott to Potosi, the Great River Road is home to breathtaking bluff views, countless recreational activities and old-fashioned hospitality that will make you feel right at home. Take your time to savor the journey with side trips that include biking, hiking, fishing and paddling. Discover historic towns dotted with boutiques, art galleries and wineries, and find cozy lodging at one of the many charming bed and breakfasts. As you page through the guide, you will find plenty of useful information to help you plan your trip. For more resources and travel information visit TravelWisconsin.com or find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media channels. On behalf of Wisconsin’s Tourism industry, we look forward to welcoming you. Sincerely, Stephanie Klett Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Tourism Photo courtesy: Travel Wisconsin. Travel courtesy: Photo Table of Traveling Contents Distances History of the Great River Road ..................5 To La Crosse (Central Gateway) Annual Festivals & Events ........................6 Beloit: 190 miles Superior: 233 miles Life Along Wisconsin’s Great River Road and Green Bay: 202 miles Wausau: 146 miles Why You Need to Go – Scenic Vistas .............7 Madison: 144 miles Milwaukee: 210 miles PIERCE County .................................8 Chicago, IL: 284 miles Sioux Falls, SD: 298 miles Maiden Rock, Bay City, Hager City, Diamond Bluff, Prescott Dubuque, IA: 117 miles (62 miles to Prairie du Chien, Southern Gateway) PEPIN County. 10 Pepin, Stockholm Galena, IL: 135 miles (76 miles to Prairie du Chien, Southern Gateway) Motorcycling on the Great River Road ...........13 Twin Cities, MN: 160 miles BUFFALO County ..............................14 (35 miles to Prescott, Northern Gateway) Fountain City, Buffalo City, Cochrane, Alma, Nelson Davenport, IA TREMPEALEAU County .........................17 (190 miles to La Crosse, 130 miles to Prairie du Chien) Centerville, Trempealeau LA CROSSE County ............................20 La Crosse, Onalaska, Midway, Holmen WISCONSIN GREAT RIVER ROAD MAP . 24 & 25 The Great River Road Itinerary ..................27 VERNON County ...............................28 Victory, Genoa, Stoddard CRAWFORD County ............................29 Prairie du Chien, Lynxville, Ferryville, De Soto Boating & Paddling .............................34 Best Places To Fish .............................35 Eagle Viewing .................................36 Mississippi Flyway .............................37 Bicycling on the Wisconsin Great River Road ....................38 Exceptional Eateries ...........................39 Wine Tasting Adventures ...................... 40 Each county offers information Cheese: A Wisconsin Staple . 41 in their section of this visitor guide. River Boat Stops ...............................42 Visit www.wigrr.com for more information about events and to order additional travel guides. GRANT County ................................43 Kieler, Dickeyville, Tennyson, Potosi, Cassville, Wisconsin Mississippi River Parkway Commission Glen Haven, Bagley, Wyalusing PO Box 171, De Soto WI 54624 | Phone: 800.658.9424 Email: [email protected] Travel Resources ..............................47 Photos contributed by TravelWisconsin.com Cover Photo by James Netz Photography Designer: Kristin Mitchell Design, Inc. Printer: La Crosse Graphics 4 | wigrr.com History of the Great River Road Prescott Diamond Bluff Wisconsin Hager City Great River Road Bay City 250 Miles 33 River Towns Maiden Rock Stockholm Pepin Nelson Photo courtesy: Travel Wisconsin. Travel courtesy: Photo Mississippi River Alma Buffalo City Cochrane he Wisconsin Great River Road is Wisconsin’s only designated National Fountain City TScenic Byway and, according to the Huffington Post, the Prettiest Drive in MINNESOTA Centerville the Nation. Trempealeau The 250-mile Wisconsin Great River Road is part of the ten-state Great River Holmen Mississippi Ri ve r Midway Onalaska Road National Scenic Byway, which follows the Mississippi River for 3,000 miles La Crosse from northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Established in 1938 by Franklin St oddard Roosevelt, the Great River Road is America’s oldest and most distinguished Genoa byway. Victory The communities along the Wisconsin Great River Road are among the oldest in DeSoto IOWA the Midwest, with several having been established in the 1600s. Before European Ferryville settlement, Native American tribes called the river corridor home. Today, visitors Lynxville will see remnants of the Oneota, Hopewell, and other ancient tribes’ cultures in Prairie du Chien the burial and effigy mounds found up and down the Wisconsin Great River Road. Wyalusing Bagley The miles of wetlands and untouched river-bottom forests that come together Glen Haven as the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge run along more than two- Cassville thirds of the Wisconsin Great River Road. These areas are protected as a result of an Act of Congress in 1924. The beautiful pools and winding channels that you Potosi Tennyson see on the Mississippi River today are the result of the Lock and Dam system built Mississippi Ri ve r Dickeyville in the 1930s. Kieler wigrr.com | 5 Annual Festivals & Events Watch the website event calendar at wigrr.com for a full list of upcoming FUN events. JANUARY – MARCH JULY Prairie du Chien Bald Eagle Appreciation Day, Riverfest, La Crosse Prescott Daze & Classic Car Show, Prairie du Chien Catfish Days, Trempealeau Prescott Bald Eagle Day, Ferryville War of 1812 Reenactment Events, Laura Ingalls Wilder Days, Pepin Kickapoo Valley Reserve, Prairie du Chien Driftless Area Art Festival, Winterfest, La Farge Soldiers Grove Stockholm Art Fair, Stockholm Snowmobile Trails Day, Chaseburg Apple Festival, Gays Mills Prairie Dog Blues Fest, Eagles on Ice, Alma Prairie du Chien Bicycle Fest, La Crosse Ice Fishing Tournament, Stoddard Fall Fest, Ferryville River Bluff Daze, Ferryville Art On The Kinni, River Falls APRIL River Falls Days, River Falls Bacon Bash, River Falls Driftless Music Festival, Viroqua Between The Bluffs Beer, Oktoberfest, La Crosse Wine & Cheese Festival, La Crosse Vintage Motorcycle Rally, Viroqua Vernon County Fair, Viroqua Roots & Bluegrass Festival, Larryfest Music Fest, La Farge Viola Horse and Colt Show, Viola River Falls Bagley 4th of July Parade, Bagley Labor Day Weekend Fireman’s Spring Flood Run, Bull Bash, Bagley Picnic, Stoddard Fountain City to Prescott Swiss Heritage Days, Alma Stoddard Bergen Fire Dept. Annual OCTOBER Walleye Tournament, Stoddard 4th of July Parade, Buffalo City Fall Fresh Art Tour, MAY AUGUST Pepin & Pierce Counties Oktoberfest, Mondovi 100 Mile Garage Sale, Prescott Fountain City Days, Fountain City Flyway Film Festival, Stockholm, to Fountain City Buffalo County Fair, Mondovi Pepin & Alma 70 Mile Rummage Along The River, Ashley For The Arts, Arcadia Oktoberfest, Prairie du Chien Crawford & Vernon Counties Irishfest, La Crosse Kickapoo Reserve Dam Challenge, Reggae Fest, Trempealeau Dog Days of Stockholm, Stockholm La Farge Spring Bird Migration Hike & Events, Kornfest, Holmen Octoberfest – Ferryville Great River Folk Fest, La Crosse Hillsboro Brewing Co., La Farge Mid West Music Fest, La Crosse Potosi Brew Fest, Potosi Safe & Spooky Halloween, Syttende Mai Festival, Westby Kickapoo BRAVE Ride (bicycling), Stonefield at Cassville Winding Roads Art Tour, Gays Mills Breweriana Flea Market, Potosi Start in Viroqua Cassville Classic Car Cruise, Cassville Tromp and Chomp Trail Run, Potosi Catfish Festival, Potosi NOVEMBER Kickapoo Valley Reserve Crawford County Fair Driftless Area Film Festival, World Migratory Bird Day, Alma Vernon County Driftless Outdoors Show, Onalaska SEPTEMBER DRIVE THE Christmas in Alma, Alma GREAT RIVER ROAD MONTH JUNE DAIRY MONTH River Dazzle, River Falls Alma Music & Arts Festival, Alma Dairy Breakfast held in DECEMBER each county Sidewalk Insanity, Alma Community-Wide Holiday Events Prairie Villa Rendezvous, Farm Fest, Fountain City Christmas in Alma, Alma Prairie du Chien Great River Road Fall Fest, Rotary Lights, La Crosse Spring Fresh Art Tour, Stonefield at Cassville Pepin & Pierce Counties Villa Louis Carriage Classic, Carp Fest, Prairie du Chien Tour de Pepin, Lake Pepin Artspire, La Crosse Winneshiek Landing Day, De Soto Dairy Breakfasts Fire in the Shire Renaissance JUNE IS DAIRY MONTH Festival, Alma Celebrate Wisconsin’s dairy culture! Grab a hearty Ellsworth Cheese Curd Festival, breakfast and tour a working farm. Locations & Ellsworth times found at dairydaysofsummer.com 6 | wigrr.com Life Along Wisconsin’s Great River Road and Why You Need To Go— Scenic Vistas By Anastasia Penchi hey have been known to inspire creativity, and often The Spanish speakers got it right Tmotivate us to do our best