I don't even want to rate 5 stars as this is a HUGE hidden gem. We stay nearby in warrens every…read moresummer and always take a day trip to Lake Wazee. It is beautiful and nothing like it in the Midwest (well what I have found) if you are in the area or have time traveling through you must stop. A day pass is $5 and well worth it. We always pack lunch and just enjoy the day. The water is SO clean and the beach sand is amazingly soft. Almost ocean like. Bring your floaty, beach toys and sunscreen and have the best day ever! New showers, bathrooms and even concessions on the beach. I like that there is NO lifeguard and no one hawking you about 'rules' *it can drop off pretty fast so be cautious about that. Lake Wazee is the best!

Lake Wazee Park and beach is amazing for $5 a car it's well worth the price. We have spent the day…read moreat the beach and on the lake. The water is clean and you can actually see the fish swimming in the water. Deep enough to scuba dive. Nice enough to kayak on. The beach is clean. Snack shack and clean rest rooms. It has it all for a nice day on the beach!

stunning such a nice informational ride out there beautiful walk. Would recommend for all agesread more

This was a pretty cool and quick 20 minute walk to breeze through. Pretty and peaceful. Completely…read morepaved easy path.

Rabbit Rock is a good-sized rock formation near Big Flats Wisconsin, and one of many in this area…read more The parking lot has had some work done recently, so it's much nicer than it was before. Not quite as impressive as Roche-A-Cri, but still a fun (and free!) stop.

What a great park right off Hwy 13. You could easily pass this while driving on Hwy 13 though. Look…read morefor the sign and small parking lot. It's definitely worth the stop. There's lot of little routes to the top; some a little more adventurous than others; depending on your courage and activity level. The jutting rocks form a rabbit at the top. Some others have decided to decorate the rocks with other art too. There were lots of kids venturing around the formation peeking in to the cracks and hearing their voices echo in the caverns. There's lot of trees lining the rock trails to help you maneuver around. The weather was great for a hike to the top. Watch for leaves and pine needles, as these make the trails a little slick. This would be a great lookout place for sunsets and a picnic. There are tables at the parking lot area. I didn't see any bathrooms though. I don't think you need a park pass to use this park either. This was a perfect way to spend an hour! But the wayside is NOT open year round it's closed during the winter months. From the top of the rock you can see for mile including view of Roche-A-Cri Mound in the state park. It's about 60 feet high to the top.

About 30 miles west of Wisconsin Dells, prominently visible from I-90 in western Wisconsin, there…read moreis a truly remarkable rock formation that is a remnant from the last ice age. Get off at the Camp Douglas exit and you're right there. The surface of the stone, scalloped and weathered over the millennia where it has stood, has a charming appeal. It's rather easy to climb because of the many pockets and foot-holds. Lovers have scribed their names in the stone. Twisted, knotted tree roots weave a tangled web above-ground in the sandy soil where they grow. If you come in the morning, you can see the lingering mist before the sun is higher up in the sky. Truly a magical place on earth. It's not much to walk around it if you don't want to climb, but it is a rewarding stop if you're in the Dells area or heading west from the Dells. We return here every year on our way to Minnesota, just to experience the beauty that nature offers.

We camped here on our road trip back to MN. It was a great experience! I was a little nervous given…read moreall the cuts to funding lately and stories of state parks not having enough staff to keep the parks clean and safe but that was not the case here. The staff were all very friendly and available to help throughout the weekend. There was running water, bathrooms, and showers available. We would definitely stay here again.

Black River State Forest is chock full o' awesome things to do!…read more You can bike, hike, snowshoe, ATV, ride horses, dive, swim, camp, paddle, fish, among many other options. The staff at the main office at the Castle Mound Campground are friendly and helpful regardless of where you may be camping or recreating. I frequently camp with my paddling groups at Castle Mound prior to paddling the Black River. The sites are well laid out, and if you reserve sites 12, 13, or 35, you are closest to both the outhouses and the wood house. Racks of wood are available for $3. Just load up the handy rack located next to the shelter, and deposit your $3 in the collection box. Each site has a fire ring with a cantilever grill grate. Be sure to bring some aluminum foil if you want to cook right on the grate! The showers located near the main office are fairly clean and easy to use compared to those at many other state parks. They have a good potable and non-potable water station you can hit on your way out for the day's activities. The group campsite at the north end of the State Forest is very spacious. They only allow a relatively small amount of people to camp there, considering the space could host a county fair. It used to be a horse camp. Now it hosts group sites with large pads for RVs and campers. The rangers we dealt with at this location were very friendly, and the one high school kid who was assisting was a great help in finding where to access some of the local trout streams (a challenge in this watershed because almost every stream is in a box canyon). The only drawback to camping at the group camp, the East Fork Campground, or the indoor group camp (which I want to try this winter) is that they are pretty far from the paddling locations we use. It's a hefty drive from the Interstate to the north end of the State Forest. If you're in the area and the timing is right, stop in at the Ho-Chunk Pow Wow which takes place on the northwest edge of the State Forest. It's quite an experience, and the announcer is hilarious: "We're doing the same thing tomorrow. The same... damn... thing."

Wisconsin's Largest Natural Bridge/Arch…read more this natural arch is located in the "Driftless Area of Southwestern Wisconsin" meaning....this natural bridge was not glaciated during the last Ice Age & is still standing strong today! Quick Facts * archeologists found charred wood in fire pits underneath this natural bridge that dates as far back as 12,000 years * this is a 530 acre state park with lots of beauty...but stay on the trails!! ‼ * the trail to the natural bridge is quick & easy! Bring your family * there are no trash cans...keep your trash on you!! * this spot is located very close to the House on the Rock * add this spot to your list of Things To Do in Wisconsin!

This is the most bizarre State Park I've been to in Wisconsin, and I've been to many. I don't know…read morewhy it has State Park status, it's more of a State Natural Area, because there is no park office, no bathrooms of any kind, no picnic tables, no one enforcing or collecting the fee you're supposed to pay -- there's just a parking lot you drive into, for free as far as I can tell. The posted map says it has toilets and a picnic area, but they are not there. Anyway, once you park and take the mowed trail, it's a pretty short hike to the bridge, which is very, very beautiful. There are a couple of more trails you can continue to walk on, but they seemed to disappear into nothingness after a while, so we turned back. So definitely stop in for 30 minutes to see the natural beauty, but there's no reason to stay beyond that.

They have a cute little ROTARY LIGHTS event going on for Christmas right now. You can either take a…read morestroll at night time in the cold and freeze your balls off like I did OR take your vehicle and drive around to see all the Christmas lights! choose your poison. They had a cute little place for us to make s'mores got me all giddy. They also sell hot drinks and it was pretty crowded when I went. You can really see the effort La Crosse put into this event. There's also an ice rink that they are working on. Might have to come back and try it out.

Lovely park area with shady trees, beautiful flowers - perennials and annuals. Nice walking…read moresidewalk next to the river. Enjoyed watching all the boats on the river.

Amazing pristine visitor center with lots to learn from interactive exhibits! School groups come to…read morethis park. While we were here there was a group of first graders scooping bugs out of the water with nets. They were so excited! Leashed dogs are allowed, so we walked our pups on a couple of the trails and saw flocks of many birds enjoying the wetland. Teaming with life! We were just driving by on a camping trip and stopped. So so glad we did. This place is a gem and a destination you shouldn't miss!

Hidden gem... saw a great horned owl in broad daylight. We were there in December so there wasn't a…read morelot of waterfowl, but I imagine with open water it's even more amazing.

This larger park is between US-53 and the Black River which feeds into the Mississippi not far from…read morehere. Only one block wide but five blocks long, the park includes a set of tennis courts, baseball field, playground and a large picnic pavilion with a steam locomotive set. The train set is accessible and in very good condition for those who appreciate such things. There isn't an active or obvious decommissioned rail line here so it's interesting that a huge steam locomotive is here on display. The park is in reasonable condition with too much litter and dumping from people who should know better. This was a nice break from exploring the area and in the warmer months, I'm sure the place is packed. [Review 20709 overall - 278 in Wisconsin - 1690 of 2023.]

While staying in la Cross doing my rail fan thing I stumbled on this park that has an old steam…read morelocomotive and caboose next to a rail tower that looks like it was moved to the property. The steam locomotive has Burlington route markings and the tower has grand crossing which is a real railroad tower that that was moved to the park. Rail fair takes place on the third Saturday in July with $5 tours of the tower and locomotive.

Pretty cool little excursion in LaCrosse. Easy drive up. Not a lot of signs alerting which…read moreparking lot is for the highest vantage point so my tip to you: drive through the open gates and drive until you see a parking lot with a gazebo-esque type outdoor building and that will be the highest point. Quick walk out to the edge. Some wild flowers added to the experience. It was a beautiful morning. Very clear and we were able to see the Mississippi river, Minnesota and of course Wisconsin. Worth taking the half hour to take in this view.

Nice little place to hike and just take in the scenery . I can only imagine how more beautiful it…read morewould be when the leaves change colors. Went a tad early.