If you write about traveling in Wisconsin and you spent an entire summer visiting every county in the state, you will inevitably be asked this question: What’s your favorite place in Wisconsin?
After a full summer of nonstop travel, my couch.
Driving thousands of miles through 72 counties in less than four months has a massive tiring — and blurring — effect.
I’ve always known Wisconsin has a wide breadth of stunning and compelling places, but seeing so many in one summer made that even more obvious. We might not have mountains or oceans, but we have just about every other landscape: lakes, including two ocean-like Great ones; rivers and waterfalls; prairies and savannas; old-growth forests; bluffs and hills.
Each has a distinct beauty that makes it strenuous to choose one favorite.
And if there’s one thing I learned after visiting every county in Wisconsin, it’s that our favorite places aren’t really defined by a place so much as what it means to us — the memories we’ve made there. Awe-inspiring landscapes can create those memories, but some of the most seemingly mundane places can hold the deepest meanings.
For me, that’s the Northwoods, where a couple of family cabins are the keepers of some of my best childhood and adult memories. Give me a campfire on our lake on a chilly summer night and I don’t need anything else. OK, maybe a beer, too.
That’s a bit of a cop-out, I know, so I will share some other favorites. These are places that cut through the clutter of experiences I had in every corner of the state. They’re places I’m sure I’ll return to, and take friends and family to.
Some notes: I skipped some favorite Wisconsin places that I’d already been to (Rock Island) in favor of seeing recent places (Washington Island). I was also circumscribed by some places (restaurants) not being open when I was traveling through. And obviously, one summer is not enough time to see everything worth seeing in Wisconsin, not to mention the different experiences and beauty that each season brings.
Here are 15 spots that stood out from my summer road trips. Hopefully they’ll inspire you to plan your own.
The Kickapoo River Valley in the Driftless Region
This was one of my favorite trips. The Driftless Region is gorgeous and so different from Wisconsin’s other landscapes, with forested hills cut by winding rivers. It also isn’t as built up as other natural tourist heated spots in Wisconsin like the Dells and Door County.
Canoeing or kayaking the Kickapoo River is a must. Make time to explore Wildcat Mountain State Park and the trails of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve as well. The Kickapoo Valley Ranch would be a great place to stay in any season — the private cabins each have enormous porches with rocking chairs for taking in views of the surrounding hills. When I hear the word idyllic, I think of that place.
The Great River Road
Wisconsin’s only national scenic byway lives up to that designation. The stretch north of La Crosse is dotted with wineries, diminutive towns and natural attractions that make for a great road trip. Don’t miss hiking at Perrot State Park and Maiden Rock State Natural Area, wine tasting at Villa Bellezza and Danzinger, and pizza on a farm at the Stone Barn in Nelson.
Bluff-top camping along the Mississippi River
Both Wyalusing State Park, south of Prairie du Chien, and Nelson Dewey State Park, north of Cassville, have campsites on bluffs above the Mississippi River.
Wyalusing’s are car-camping sites above the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers. They have circumscribed privacy, but everyone’s looking at the river anyway.
To the south, Nelson Dewey State Park’s four walk-in sites are even better. Each offers a stunning view of the Mississippi, plus ample privacy between sites. The trains rumbling past on the tracks below the bluff were raucous, but the stargazing was supreme and enough to keep me occupied until I fell asleep between trains.
The Apostle Islands
This isn’t exactly a hidden gem, but because it’s so far from Wisconsin’s major population centers, I suspect many Wisconsinites still haven’t been. Stop putting it off. If you’re able, kayak to the mainland sea caves with a guide. They’re one of Wisconsin’s greatest natural gems, with an compelling human history as well.
There are so many other little gems in the area, too, from Lost Creek Falls outside Cornucopia to Houghton Falls Nature Preserve north of Washburn.
Amnicon Falls State Park
I thought Pattison State Park was going to be the star of my twofer state-park visit near Superior. Pattison, about 15 miles southwest of Amnicon, is home to the state’s largest waterfall, Big Manitou Falls, plus a smaller cascade, Little Manitou.
Both parks are worth a visit, but Amnicon was the standout for me. It’s smaller, but there was a waterfall or rumbling rapid around almost every bend in the trail. The trail lets you get right up next to the falls, and most of it around the biggest cascade is paved and accessible.
Both parks are also close to another great waterfall park: Copper Falls, 90 miles east in Mellen. Combine all three for a great waterfall getaway in northern Wisconsin.
Lakeside camping in the Northwoods
The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest and the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest in northern Wisconsin protect more than 1.75 million acres of forest, including thousands of lakes. Both forests have dozens of diminutive campgrounds, many on those lakes.
When state parks fill up on weekends in the summer, you can probably still find a site at some of those forest campsites. If you’re extra adventurous, you can backcountry camp off the North Country Trail on national forest land and off the Ice Age Trail on some county forest land, including in Lincoln County.
Three gems I found over the summer were Laura Lake, in the CNNF near Laona; Bagley Rapids in the CNNF near Mountain; and Crystal Lake, in the NHAL near Sayner.
Ishnala
Located in Mirror Lake State Park outside the Dells, this supper club absolutely lives up to the hype. It’s a restaurant where you don’t mind waiting for a table. All the better to enjoy an Old Fashioned on the deck overlooking Mirror Lake.
The food, service and atmosphere are just as great inside. It’s quintessential Wisconsin: fish and steak, log walls, classic cocktails and pine-rimmed lake views.
Maiden Lake Supper Club
My love-at-first sight encounter with this supper club may be partially due to the fact that I ate there after not having had a real, decent meal (or shower) for almost three days. But even under normal conditions, I think it would be among my favorites. The fried perch was some of the best I’ve had in Wisconsin and the dining room has three sides of windows with views of Maiden Lake. It’s apparently a favorite of other people as well — it was packed when I visited on a Saturday in early May.
Freehand Farms Restaurant
A co-worker suggested I visit this hidden gem outside Ashland. Housed in a barn that is the stuff of Pinterest dreams, the restaurant serves an ever-changing menu with locally sourced ingredients. Heaters on the lovely patio overlooking the farm extend the outdoor eating season and kept me balmy when a July chilly front brought winds off Lake Superior and dropped temperatures into the 50s.
Delta Diner
I expected this diner in the middle of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest to be chilly — a 1940s diner in the woods is a backpacker’s dream — but I didn’t expect the food to be as good and inventive as it was. The menu on the wall looks elementary, but as servers recite what each dish includes (by memory!), its complexity is revealed: specials include a deep-dish apple pancake cooked in a cast-iron skillet, regular menu items include the Pedro’s Mex Benny, with a corn bake on the bottom and a chili chorizo sauce.
Thirsty Pagan Brewing
I got a flight at this brew pub in Superior (that’s nine beers in those parts), and every one, from the Burntwood Black to the Trouble Maker Triple, was terrific. I only tried one of the sour offerings, but if that was representative of the others, the brewery’s sour program is also great.
Central Waters Brewing
This is one of the few spots I’ve been to many times and still made a point of visiting this summer. There’s a reason the brewery’s annual anniversary party in February sells out in seconds. Anything bourbon-barrel aged here is divine, and the flagship and seasonal offerings are solid as well. For a while it felt like a secret, tucked into a diminutive business park in the middle of Wisconsin. Those days are gone — it’s almost always crowded on summer weekends — but a pilgrimage here is still worth it.
The Ridges
Visit Door County’s stunning state parks, yes, but also stop by this nature preserve in Baileys Harbor. It was the state’s first land trust, and today has an incredible network of boardwalks through the ridge and swale landscape that is characteristic of this side of Lake Michigan.
Eau Claire
If you’re looking for a getaway outside of the usual suspects, head to Eau Claire. The city’s chilly cred is growing thanks to forward-thinking locals including Justin Vernon, part of the Grammy Award-winning band Bon Iver, building chic boutique hotels, restaurants and breweries. Throw in a network of bike trails and cultural events throughout the summer and it’s a recipe for a great weekend away.
The Kettle Moraine State Forest
This will always be one of my favorite places in Wisconsin, home to one of my favorite trails, the Ice Age. Glacial landforms, lakes, pines, hardwoods, prairies, forested campsites — the Kettle Moraine has it all, and all close to home. It’s a reminder that not all trips have to be large, exorbitant vacations to distant locales. You can find adventure and beauty in your backyard, if you’re willing to look for it.
