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Adams County
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Adams County is a natural wonderland, bordered on the west by the Wisconsin River and two large flowages, Petenwell and Castle Rock, the second and fourth largest inland lakes in Wisconsin. The area is dotted with lakes and wetlands and crossed by brooks and streams. The county is studded with rocky mounds, forested bluffs and fanciful stone islands rising from the bed of an extinct glacial lake, with large expanses of sandy prairie, scrubwood and pulpwood forests. Roche-A-Cri State Park was once occupied by ancient Americans who left pictographs and petroglyphs on the walls the Roche-A-Cri rock formation more than a thousand years ago, and by the people of three Wisconsin Indian Nations, the Ojibwe, Menominee and Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) and then discovered by French explorers in the late 1600's, Adams County was settled in the 1830's and 1840's by a few dozen former Yankee soldiers, traders, timber cutters, trappers and adventurers. The prehistoric record of the earliest known inhabitants is still visible on the walls of Roche-A-Cri mound; and the story of the area's discovery and development is preserved and told in the artifacts, archives and displays found in the Adams County Historical Society's McGowan House Museum. Nineteenth century churches and commercial buildings are still standing throughout the county. The Village of Friendship celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2007. With Wisconsin's second and fourth largest inland lakes, plus 24 lakes and ponds ranging from 7 to 855 acres totaling 40,000 acres, 8,000 acres of recreational land, 22 canoe trails totaling more than 100 miles, 11 swimming areas, 270 miles of snowmobile trails, 15 miles of designated cross-country ski trails, 40,770 acres of public hunting land, 100 miles of trout streams, six golf courses, including Championsip courses “The Pines” & “the Lakes” plus a new Northern Bay Resort, Marina & Replica Golf Course. Lake Arrowhead including dozens of tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, a championship water skiing course, a motorcycle/ATV recreation complex, Dyracuse Recreational Area, hundreds of campsites at Castle Rock And Petenwell Lakes, 12 parks, wildlife areas and nature centers, it is no wonder that Adams County is Central Wisconsin's number one four-season outdoor playground, recreation and relaxation center. Whatever your favorite outdoor activity may be, chances are you'll find it offered in several Adams County locations. Hiking, cycling, fishing, ice fishing, canoeing, tubing, boating, sailing, relaxing, dirt bike riding, hill climbing, ATVing, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, swimming, camping, water skiing, volleyball, softball, baseball, golfing, tennis, small and large game hunting, birdwatching, wildlife observation, rock climbing and archeological exploration are all available in Adams County. Anglers and fly fishing enthusiasts will find a variety of cold- and warm-water fish in abundance here, including Walleye, Northern Pike, Panfish, Trout, and Bass. Lunker Muskies are found in Petenwell, Easton, Goose and Parker Lakes and Big Spring Pond. Hunters routinely bag their limit of whitetail deer, rabbits, squirrels, grouse, pheasant, geese, ducks and wild turkeys on the county's public hunting grounds. Wildlife enthusiasts and photographers will also find plenty to hunt and shoot in Adams County. The county's varied geological features support many different plant communities that provide habitat for an exceptionally wide variety of vegetation, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals, including some rare, recovering and endangered species; bobcats, Karner butterflies, tiger beetles, meadow beauty, cross milkwort and netted nut-rush. Shopping in Adams County is adventurous fun. From unusual finds to unusual bargains, there's a lot to discover in the county's stores, craft and curio shops, waysides and flea markets; rustic furniture, old and new artworks and bargains of all kinds. Adams County's restaurants offer a variety of dining opportunities sure to satisfy every appetite, from home-cooked family meals to surf and turf; fine ethnic cuisine to a rustic barbecue in the woods; a romantic dinner for two to a quick and hearty sandwich to go. At day's end, Adams County visitors can choose to sleep under the stars in one of the area's seven hundred plus campsites, or at a friendly full-service motel, cottage, Vacation Rental Home or lakefront resort. Located along the Wisconsin
River, in Central Wisconsin, Adams County indeed is a natural
wonderland full of activities and adventure for every one of
all ages to enjoy! Museums and Historic Sites McGowan House
Museum Roche-A-Cri
Mound Parks and Nature Centers Roche-A-Cri
State Park Castle Rock
County Park Petenwell
County Park Perfect for hiking, bird watching, enjoying rare and endangered plants, butterflies, birds and animals, Quincy Bluff is part of a 3,298 natural wildlife area managed by the Nature Conservancy and Department of Natural Resources. These departments restore and maintain the same plant and animal habitats that were present here before European settlement in the 1800's. There are three sandstone mesas in the area: Quincy Bluff, Rattlesnake Mound, and Lone Rock. Quincy Bluff is a two-mile long sandstone outcropping that rises 200 ft. above the now extinct Glacial Lake Wisconsin. Quincy Bluff has several different natural areas or communities. On the east side are wetlands, open bogs and tamarack swamps that provide homes for sandhill cranes, ducks, geese and marsh birds. Some rare plants that thrive in these wetlands are the meadow beauty, cross millwort and the state endangered netted nut rush. The lower bluffs support a very different community known as the Pine-Oak Barren. Barrens are sandy, drought-prone areas with pine, "scrub" oak and large open grass ranges that provide habitat for large animals including bobcats, white-tail deer, wild turkeys. Pine and oak barrens are also perfect habitat for wild lupine, lead plant, butterfly weed, and many more. The same habitat is perfect for the federally endangered Karner butterfly whose larvae feed only on wild lupine; and the small rare tiger beetle. Bluebirds, yellow warblers and other songbirds also flourish in the barrens. The top of the bluff is a forest of red oaks, white oaks, pines and open areas filled with wild prairie flowers. Turkey vultures or black hawks and northern harrier hawks are frequently seen soaring on the thermals that rise from the rocky outcroppings. There are unmarked
logging roads and firelanes that loop around the bluff to use
for hiking or cross-country skiing. Maps and other information
are provided in the kiosk adjacent to the parking lot. To find
the Quincy Bluff Area, take Cty. Hwy Z south from State Hwy. 21 or
north from Hwy 82 to Edgewood Ave.. At the end of Edgewood Ave.
turn right on 16th Drive to the parking lot. Points of Interest Rock Formations Petenwell
Hydroelectric Plant Special Things To Do Dyracuse Motorcycle
Recreation Area Canoe Trails Shermalot
Show Team Trail Riding
Snowmobiling and ATVing
Visit Play Stay
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