Located in the heart of the Driftless area of Southwest Wisconsin, the Driftless Region invites you to experience one of the truly undiscovered outdoor venues in the Midwest. Graced with rugged terrain and picturesque rural settings, the County offers a place for outdoor enthusiasts to immerse themselves in the land.
The pastoral settings in turn create passion for the arts, good food, and lively entertainment. Whether exploring a backwoods trail, listening to great music, sampling some local cuisine, or strolling through an art festival along the Kickapoo River, the Driftless Region offers you a place to live your passion.
Need a full list of ideas of things to do in the area? Visit www.discoverwisconsin.com
Outdoor Recreation
Three major river valleys – the Mississippi on the west, the Wisconsin to the south, and the Kickapoo through the center – knit the region into an assortment of lofty ridges and low-lying valleys. This diversity of terrain invites a variety of outdoor activities. And along the way you’ll experience the rural farmlands and small-town hospitality that gives the Driftless Region its relaxing ambiance.
- Trout Fishing: Click here for a map of local streams
- ATV/UTV Routes: Click here for a map of local routes
- Bike Routes: Click here for a variety of bike maps
- Canoe the Kickapoo or hike Wildcat Mountain State Park: Click here for more information
- Visit Wyalusing State Park: Click here for more information
Entertainment
In addition to the outdoor recreational opportunities provided by Mother Nature, the Driftless Region area presents an abundance of entertainment venues. Prairie du Chien boasts two golf courses that challenge the duffer with gently rolling fairways of the Mississippi Valley. A six-plex theater provides a wide variety of first-run movies. Hoffman Hall offers an Olympic-size pool with swim lessons, water aerobics, lap swim, and open swim; as well as a gymnasium for basketball, volleyball, and open gym. Children will enjoy an indoor waterpark and outdoor public pool, as well as a family amusement center with miniature golf, go-kart track, and game arcade.
Arts and Culture
Topography and creativity converge to form the perfect setting for artists. Backroad studios and small-town shops display artwork inspired by the landscape. Artists gather annually on the banks of the Kickapoo River in Soldiers Grove to display their creations at the Driftless Area Art Festival. The history of the Driftless Region as a gathering place for early human occupation inspired the Mississippi River Sculpture Park, where life-size bronze statues depict the notable characters of the area’s past.
- Driftless Area Art Festival (Soldiers Grove): Click here for Art Festival Details
- Historic Places: Click here for a full list of historic place to visit in the area
Events
People have been gathering for events at the confluence of rivers for centuries. Why would that change now? The annual gathering of Native Americans and fur traders to trade goods is now recreated in the Prairie Villa Rendezvous. Historic reenactments, craft fairs, art festivals, music festivals, and community celebrations – replete with parades, baseball tournaments, horse-pull contests, and food and beverage tents – make weekends in the Driftless Region downright festive.
Visit some of the upcoming Events for more information:
- Farmers Markets in Crawford County
- Gays Mills Apple Festival (Last full weekend in September)
- Gays Mills Spring Festival (Mother’s Day Weekend)
- The Crawford County Fair (August)
- Villa Louis Carriage Classic (Annually the weekend after Labor Day)
Shopping
Big-town convenience combines with small-town hospitality to make shopping in the Driftless area a diverse experience. Cabela’s offers the outdoor enthusiast a plethora of gear from across the spectrum of outdoor adventures. And downtown shopkeepers go out of their way to make you feel welcome and appreciated. Weekly farmers markets usher food from farm to table in a sociable setting. The best of both worlds awaits the discriminating shopper.
Dining
A night on the town starts with a great meal. Whether dining in a time-honored supper club, a Wisconsin tradition, or socializing with friends at a local bar & grill, the area offers a variety of settings and cuisines to meet your tastes. Soon, they’ll be calling you by name when you walk in the door.