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Vernon County
Attractions
Bordered
by the Mississippi River, Vernon County is in the heart of Wisconsin's
grand coulee country. From historic river towns on the west to
Hillsboro, Vernon County is a land of spectacular beauty; great
rivers, lakes and streams, towering bluffs, rolling contour-planted
hills, picturesque farmsteads, diverse ethnic population centers,
and year-round recreational opportunities.
Vernon County
is rich in history, with ethnic communities proudly preserving
and celebrating their European traditions. The homes and churches
their pioneer ancestors built are well preserved and many are
still in use. Ethnic festivals celebrate their diverse heritage
with music, dancing and foods from the old country. Amish families
offer the fruits of their labor; furniture, crafts, baked goods,
jams, preserves, and agricultural products made in the old world
tradition. Area museums bring the past alive with living and
static exhibits, interpretive tours and extensive photo and artifact
collections.
Vernon County's
historic past is reflected in its well-preserved architectural
treasures, churches, homes, log buildings, river front inns, farm
and commercial buildings listed in the National Register of Historic
Places.
Vernon County's
streams, rivers, creeks and ponds teem with fish lying in wait
for the taking. Local outfitters and guide services provide everything
needed for fishing fun: boats, motors, tackle, bait, fishing maps
and tips on when, where, and how to catch your limit.
Vernon County
is crisscrossed by miles and miles of trails for hiking, bicycling,
snowmobiling, horseback riding and cross-country skiing. County
bike trails join the Elroy-Sparta and 400 Trails; and, the county's
snowmobile trails are linked to thousands of miles of trails throughout
the state. Area parks, nature centers and recreation areas offer
just about every kind of outdoor activity imaginable: rock-climbing,
swimming, boating, hunting, fishing, boating, canoeing, wildlife
observation, golfing, tennis, hiking, sailing, horseback riding,
snowmobiling, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding,
ice-fishing, ATVing, and more.
The Kickapoo,
Wisconsin's "crookedest" river, the West Fork, two branches
of the Bad Axe River, and Coon Creek all run through Vernon County;
and the Mississippi runs along the county's west coast. All provide
boating, canoeing and kayaking fun. Area resorts and outfitters
rent boats, motors, canoes, kayaks, sailboards, jet skis, and
provide guide and shuttle services. Boat ramps spotted along
the county's riverbank provide access to the Mississippi River.
Treasure hunters
enjoy browsing the area's many fine antique, collectible, art
and craft shops, Amish community craft and furniture outlets,
and ethnic specialty shops. Vernon County's shops offer a great
variety of items, from Amish quilts to Norwegian sweaters, 150
year-old household utensils to made-to-order bentwood furniture,
Good food and
thoughtful service are the hallmarks of Vernon County's supper
clubs, family restaurants, dining rooms and fast food outlets.
Whatever your pleasure you won't be disappointed here. Area
foods include pub burgers with special sauce and fries, Czech
Jiternice or Hospinia, acclaimed Italian cuisine, authentic Mexican
offerings, fresh fish specials, Norwegian home cooking or Continental
delicacies served in an historic 18th century dining room.
After enjoying
Vernon County's attractions and activities, visitors have a variety
of great lodging accommodations to choose from, including camping
out under the stars on a Mississippi River sandbar or in a full-service
RV Campground, luxuriating in one of several historic bed and
breakfast inns, spending a week or a month in a housekeeping resort
cottage, a rustic log cabiri in the woods, a full-service hotel/motel
or a houseboat cottage on the Mississippi.
Vernon County
is a world apart, but only hours away from Minneapolis/St. Paul,
Madison or Milwaukee and only a half-day's drive from Chicago.
It's one of Wisconsin's best-kept and most remembered vacation
secrets.
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Museums
and Historic Sites
Vernon County
Museum
410 S. Center St., Viroqua
608-637-7396
Operated by the Vernon County Historical Society, the Museum preserves
the ethnic heritage and history of the area with fascinating displays
of artifacts used by the earliest native occupants, European explorers,
fur traders, lumber barons and agricultural pioneers. The Society's
exhaustive archives include photographs, records, publications
and an excellent genealogy department. Open Winter: Tuesday, Wednesday &
Thursday 12 pm - 4 pm. Summer:
12 pm - 4 pm everyday except
Monday.
Sherry-Butt
House
795 N. Main St., Viroqua
608-637-7336
An impressive 19th century mansion, this fully restored home of
a Civil War Colonel and his family is furnished as it was in the
late 1800's. Open Memorial Day through mid-September, 1:00 -
5:00 pm. Sat. & Sun. or by appointment.
Historic Church
and School
606 W. Broadway, Viroqua
608-637-3805
Operated by the Vernon County Historical Society, these historic
buildings are open by appointment only.
Battle Island
and Blackhawk's Retreat
Vernon County
608-637-2575
In 1831, by U.S. Government agreement, a band of Sauk people led
by Black Hawk were removed from their traditional planting ground
east of the Mississippi to their fall and winter hunting grounds
west of the Mississippi. When Black Hawk's people returned to
Illinois to plant their crops in the spring of 1832, U.S. troops
under the command of General Henry Atkinson were ordered to drive
the Sauk back across the river. Chased by the federal militia,
Black Hawk led his people north to Madison, through Sauk and Crawford
Counties into southern Vernon County on his way back to the Mississippi.
Black Hawk's people never made it back to their new home. The
trail ended on "Battle island', now part of Blackhawk State
Park, where the entire band fell to Atkinson's Army. Black Hawk's
route is marked by six historic markers on State Highway 27 just
before it enters Vernon County, State Highway 82 West from Fargo
to Redmound, County Highway UU between Redmound and Victory, south
on State Highway 35, from Victory to Black Hawk State Park; and
on Battle Island in the Mississippi River, where it ended.
Hillsboro Historical
Society Museum and Log Cabin
Albert Field Memorial Park, Hillsboro
608-489-2521
In the mid-1800's Czechs, mostly from Bohemia, immigrated to the
town of Hillsboro, bringing a European heritage and traditions
that are preserved and displayed here, in the "Czech Capital
of Wisconsin", the Czech Museum located in Yuba, and the
"painted Forest" Mural in Valton, just 15 minutes south
of Hillsboro.
Coon Prairie
Church
Westby
608-634-4000
Settled by Norwegian immigrants in the 19th century, Westby's
heritage is reflected in its National Historic site, the Country
Coon Prairie Church, the first Lutheran Church constructed in
Western Wisconsin.
The Inn at Wildcat Mountain
300 E. South St. (Hwy. 33), Ontario
(608) 337-4334
A grand Greek Revival home built on six lovely acres along the Kickapoo River by well-to-do ginseng farmer Charles Lord in 1908. Now a beautifully restored bed and breakfast that is listed on the Historic Register, The Inn at Wildcat Mountain also provides wedding planning and hosting, along with motor bike and bicycle rental.
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Parks
and Nature Centers
Kickapoo Valley Reserve
Vernon County
(608) 625-2960
One
of the most beautiful areas in the Midwest is the Kickapoo Valley
Reserve, an 8,569 acre tract of land located between the villages of La
Farge and Ontario in Vernon County. In the Kickapoo Valley Reserve, you'll be
amazed by the beauty of the masses of spring wildflowers and dense greenery
through mid-summer and by the brilliant colors of hardwood timber in autumn. The
Reserve offers a variety of fantastic recreation: fishing and hunting;
horseback, biking, hiking and snowmobile trails; cross-country skiing and
snowshoeing; camping and canoeing. Motorized vehicles are not allowed on the Reserve trails (except for snowmobiles - in season).
Horseback and biking trails are open May 1 - November 15. Hiking is available year round. All visitors are required to purchase a permit.
Thrune Nature
Center and
Helga Gundersen Arboretum
Norsekedalen, Cty. Hwy. PI, Coon Valley
608-452-3157
The natural heritage program at Norskedalen has its headquarters
at the Thrune Nature Center, a 350-acre facility used for nature
classes designed for school age children. The Center's Helga
Gundersen Arboretum features more than five miles of walking trails,
springs, Poplar Creek and Gunderson Pond all restored and preserved
as they were when the Norwegian settlers arrived here in the mid
19th century. The Thrune Visitors Center is open from April 15
through October 31, Mon.-Fri. 9:00am-4:00pm, Sat.10:00am-4:00pm,
and Sun. Noon-4:00pm.
Wildcat Mountain
State Park
Ontario
608-337-4775
Canoeing on the winding Kickapoo River, camping and horseback
riding for those who bring their own horses, spectacular scenery,
and abundant wildlife highlight the attractions of this pristine
playground. Campgrounds with full amenities are available for
campers with and without horses. An observation point high on
the mountain overlooks the Village of Ontario and the meandering
Kickapoo Valley.
Black Hawk
Park
De Soto
Majestic Bald Eagles swoop and soar as barges, riverboats and
pleasure craft ply up and down the great Mississippi River, past
Battle Island where Black Hawk's tragic adventure is memorialized
in this park that bears his name. Here, fish and waterfowl abound,
deer cautiously wade and otters play in the backwaters bounded
by the park. The park offers camping, canoe, boat and motor rentals,
backwater flatbottom rides, launching and docking facilities,
tackle and bait, camping supplies and groceries.
Upper Mississippi
River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
Mississippi River, Onalaska
608-783-8405
With more than three million people annually who come to fish,
boat, hike, birdwatch, hunt, sightsee or just relax, the Upper
Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge is one of
the country's largest and most visited refuges! Established in
1924, the 200,000-acre, 260-mile-long Upper Mississippi refuge
features more than 265 bird species, 57 species of mammals, 35
species of reptiles and amphibians, and over 100 species of fish.
No wonder this refuge is a nature-lovers wonderland! Special attractions
along the La Crosse county shore of the river include boat and
canoe rentals, the Long Lake and Goose Island canoe trails, with
observation points at major pull-offs denoted by interpretive
refuge signs. Displays of refuge wildlife are found at the US
Fish and Wildlife Service visitors center, located at 555 Lester
Ave. in Onalaska. Open Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
River Trails
Vernon County
Wisconsin's "crookedest" river, the gentle Kickapoo,
meanders through Vernon County from Ontario south, joined by the
West Fork River above Readstown, continuing its southerly journey
across the corner of Richland County, to the southern border of
Crawford County where it joins the Wisconsin River which joins
the mighty Mississippi at Prairie du Chien. Coon Creek flows
through the northwestern third of Vernon County and joins the
Mississippi at Stoddard; and the North and South Forks of the
Bad Axe River flow westerly to the Mississippi north of Black
Hawk Park and south of Lock and Dam #8. The county's streams
and rivers flow for more than a hundred miles through the unchallenged
natural beauty of deep-cut gorges, tree-topped bluffs, undulating,
terraced farmland surrounded by gently rising wooded hills, under
forest canopies through shadowy glens. Local outfitters rent
canoes and kayaks, provide guides, maps and shuttle services.
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Special
Things To Do
Great River
Road
Vernon County
Follow the mighty Mississippi from county line to county line
along the Vernon County segment of the Great River Road, State
Highway 35. Visit the historic riverside villages of Stoddard,
Genoa, Victory and DeSoto. Stop at the site of the "Battle
of Bad Axe" near Victory. Visit "Battle Island"
and "Battle Slough" at Black Hawk Park and view majestic
bluffs, rich backwater vegetation, watch eagles fish for food
and humans fish for sport. Take time to observe the river traffic
lock through at Lock & Dam #8, visit the Dairyland Power Cooperative's
Station Number three south of Genoa, and the Genoa National Fish
Hatchery, too.
North
American Squirrel Association (nasa)
La Crosse
608-781-3100 (ask for Tony)
Formed in 2003, nasa
is a non-profit organization that grew out of a desire to
provide physically challenged and elderly members of our
community with outdoor opportunities such as hunting and
fishing. nasa has purchased a pontoon boat
that is freely available for the elderly and physically
challenged. Along with the pontoon boat, nasa
holds several fishing events and a fall hunting event each
year. nasa has also helped support a program
with Mt. La Crosse that will allow more children with
special needs learn how to ski.
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Points
of Interest
Amish Settlements
Vernon County
Vernon County has a number of Amish settlements. Their black
buggies and horses can be seen on most roads in the county throughout
the year. Their homes, farms, and farming methods are much as
they have been for generations. Relying only on horsepower, windpower
and other natural energy sources, 19th century agricultural practices,
and centuries-old traditional wisdom, the Amish families produce
a bountiful variety of goods and agricultural products. Signs
posted along county roads invite passersby to homesteads where
Amish families display and sell the fruit of their labors: dairy
products and baked goods, candy and leather crafts, toys, quilts,
bentwood furniture, whirly-gigs and more.
Round Barns
Vernon County
608-637-7396
From the late 1800's until the 1930's, round barns were the choice
of most progressive farmers. Built with the silo and hay chute
in the center for more efficient distribution of food and forage
to the surrounding animals, round barns saved labor and conserved
energy. Most of Vernon County's round barns were built by Alga
Shivers, son of a slave who escaped to the area via the Underground
Railroad. These barns were usually covered with red tiles, sheet
metal and wood boards soaked in local creeks to render them pliable.
With the arrival of electricity, round barns were replaced by
rectangular structures which provided the straight lines required
for piping for electric milkers and mechanical barn cleaners.
In 1994, Vernon County had 15 standing round barns, more round
barns per square mile than any other place in the world. Books
describing each of these barns, and maps of their locations are
available from the County Museum, The Viroqua Chamber of Commerce
and the Main Street City Office in Viroqua.
Olympic Ski
Jump
Cty. Hwy. P, between Westby and Coon Valley
608-634-3211
In winter, thousands of spectators and ski-jumpers from around
the world gather at Timber Coulee for 90 meter and 55 meter ski-jumping
tournaments. Both events are sponsored by the Westby Snowflake
Ski Club. The 90-meter contest is usually one of the trials for
the U.S. Olympic Ski Jump Team.
Lock & Dam
#8
Genoa
Lock and Dam #8 is an integral link in the upper Mississippi navigation
system. The Lock and Dam consist of main and auxiliary locks,
roller gates, tainter gates, and a dam extending to the Minnesota
shore. Over 2,000 small pleasure boats, from canoes to cabin
cruisers, and hundreds of river barges lock through this Lock
and Dam annually. The pool above the dam is ideal for all forms
of water recreation. Surrounding forests and plenty of fresh
water combine to produce a natural wildlife habitat for fish,
waterfowl and wild game. A look-out platform allows visitors
to observe the locks in action, riverboats and barges queuing-up
for passage, rising and dropping with the water level, and tow
boats deftly maneuvering their gigantic barges through the locks.
Cheese House
and Factory
Hillsboro
608-489-2521
Hillsboro is home to the only factory in America that produces
New Holstein Muenster Cheese, a special cheese using a process
dating to the 7th century in Europe's Vosge Mountains. Hillsboro's
AMPI cheese factory employs more than 90 employees and processes
more than half a million pounds of milk every day. Tours of the
factory begin and end at the company's cheese house where visitors
can sample the many varieties of cheeses produced here.
Coon Creek
Watershed
Vernon County
An historical marker located one-half mile west of Coon Valley
on State Highway 14 commemorates the successful restoration of
the 92,000-acre Coon Creek Valley watershed. Decimated by erosion
resulting from clearing, cutting, 19th century wheat growing and
subsequent soil-depleting dairy farming practices, by the 1920's
the once lushly green Coon Creek Valley was mostly barren, cut
by deep gulleys that turned to raging torrents with every rainfall.
Topsoil carried from the Valley choked the Mississippi River
with silt which filled in and spoiled the channels and adjacent
wetlands, damaging the habitat for fish and aquatic plants. In
1933 the U.S. Soil Erosion Service selected the Coon Creek Watershed
for a demonstration of soil and water conservation. With the
aid of local farmers, the Coon Creek Soil Conservation District
was created and went into action. Applying the latest in soil
conservation practices, stripcropping, terracing, contouring,
erosion control and crop rotation, "The Nation's First Watershed"
was restored and became an outdoor classroom for Wisconsin's and
the nation's farmers. Thanks to that early experiment and continuing
soil conservation practices, present-day visitors will find the
Valley green again, with colorful, contrasting strips of contoured
plantings following the curves of the hills. The streams run
clear again, the fish are plentiful, and the flood control ponds
provide great recreation for all.
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