Visit the Upper Mississippi River- WDNR

There are a thousand ways and four different seasons to experience the natural wonders of the Mississippi River with family or friends.

Visitor's Favorites

• Enjoy some of the best in birding as hundreds of bald eagles gather on the river in early spring or when thousands of tundra swans rest from their autumn journey to the East Coast. There are also two birding trails in the Mississippi River corridor.
• Explore the hundreds of sloughs, and side channels that make up this great river by boat. Check the Fishing and Boating on the Mississippi River Guide for pool maps and information.
• Fish for walleye, bass and bluegill in the stillness of an early summer morning, or throw in a setline for a late evening of cat fishing. Winter offers an escape for hardy anglers who enjoy ice fishing. Check the Fishing and Boating on the Mississippi River Guide for pool maps and fishing advice.
• Travel on the wild side - explore the quiet backwaters by canoe or kayak as these areas are generally the best places to spot wildlife. There are marked canoe trails through the backwaters.
• Scenic vistas from the bluff tops reward the hiker on many a trail in the state parks, natural areas and wildlife areas along the river.


The flaming red spikes of cardinal flower can bloom for a month or longer in the Mississippi River bottomland forest.


• Pedal your way along an old rail bed through the Mississippi River bottoms and catch a glimpse of cardinal flowers that literally seem to glow in the cool shadows of the bottomland forest.

• Take advantage of the many overlooks along Wisconsin's Great River Road Scenic Byway that borders this stretch of the Mississippi River. Explore the scenic river towns as well.

On this page you will find information about these and other options to help you plan a trip to experience this national treasure.

Parks, Trails, and Campgrounds

Wisconsin State Parks

Four Wisconsin state parks: Merrick, Perrot, Nelson Dewey, and Wyalusing are located along the banks or overlook the Mississippi River. Fish, swim, hike, enjoy breathtaking views of the Mississippi River, or relax in your campsite. The parks offer a variety of activities, trails, facilities, and interpretive exhibits. Camping is available at all four state parks. Secure a Campsite Reservation

State Bike Trails

There are two bike trails near the Mississippi River, the Great River State Trail and the La Crosse River State Trail, which offer a delightful journey on old rail beds.

Canoe Trails

The Mississippi River backwaters, which are more protected from the current and commercial navigation, offer opportunities for canoeing and kayaking. In Wisconsin, there are marked canoe trails at Merrick, Perrot, and Wyalusing State Parks and on the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.

The Refuge canoe trails located in Wisconsin were developed in partnership with the WDNR and include:

• Goose Island Canoe Trail. From La Crosse, WI take Highway 35 South to County Highway GI (west), the road into Goose Island County Park. The trail can be accessed from any of the three boat ramps in Goose Island County Park.
• Long Lake Canoe Trail. From Highway 35 in Trempealeau, WI go south on Fremont Street (Lake Road), continue past the railroad tracks for 1.5 miles. The Long Lake Boat Landing marks the beginning and end of the canoe trail.

Brochures for canoe trails located on the "Refuge" are available at Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge - follow the link to "trails". They are locally available at the trail heads, the WDNR La Crosse Service Center or the La Crosse District Headquarters of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge.

Birding Trails

Currently there are two birding trails that include the Mississippi River corridor.

• The Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail - Mississippi/Chippewa Rivers Region is a mapped auto trail that covers thirteen of Wisconsin's western counties. Full color viewing guides are available that include maps and descriptions of every site as well as a description of the property and common and rare birds and wildlife. Hard copies of the guide are avaialble at the WDNR- La Crosse Service Center or can be ordered online, by phone (800/432-TRIP), or at Wisconsin Travel Information Centers.
• The Audubon Great River Birding Trail is a self guided tour which parallels both sides of the Mississippi River. The trail guide lists birding sites that are along or close to the Great River Road such as parks, overlooks, wildlife refuges, wildlife management areas. Maps, site descriptions and facilities, etc are provided along with birding tips. Eventually the trail will include the entire length of the Mississippi from the headwaters at Lake Itasca Minnesota to the confluence with the Ohio River near Cairo, Illinois.

State Natural Areas

Discover Wisconsin's hidden treasures! There are many, little known sites along the river that are designated as State Natural Areas. Several offer hiking trails and scenic vistas of the Mississippi River. Whitman Bottoms Floodplain Forest near Merrick State Park also has a canoe landing. By following the link you can locate them, find out more about the sites and check regulations. These areas have been set aside to preserve outstanding and relatively undisturbed tracts of Wisconsin's native landscapes.

State Wildlife Areas

Five Wisconsin State Wildlife Areas are located on or near the Mississippi River. They are excellent places to hunt, fish, hike, canoe, or watch wildlife.

• McGilvray Bridges and Van Loon State Wildlife Area - This 4,000 acre wildlife area is located near Trempealeau, WI includes a hiking trail which follows an old road through the bottomlands of the Black River. The trail includes six historic McGilvray arch truss bridges over the Black River built circa 1892.
• Pierce County Islands Wildlife Area -The wildlife area is located 1 mile west of Bay City on Mississippi River. Located between Hwy. 63 and Bay City. Access by river .
• Trempealeau Lakes State Wildlife Area- This wildife area is only 164 acres in size. The lakes are separated from the Mississippi River by marshes and are ringed with floodplain forests. Canoe, fish or hike. From Trempealeau, take Hwy 35 one mile west toward Lock and Dam 6. Cross the railroad tracks and turn left 1 mile to the entrance.
• Whitman Dam State Wildlife Area- This 2,173-acre wildlife area comprised of six miles of marsh and slough from Merrick Park north to the village of Buffalo.
• Tiffany Bottoms State Wildlife Area- This 13,000-acre wildlife area includes property on both sides of the Chippewa River between Durand and the confluence of the Chippewa with the Mississippi River at Nelson, WI. The area offers an abundance of bird viewing opportunities as it is considered critical habitat for many of Wisconsin's breeding birds.You can hike along the 8 miles of railroad track or take a ride in an antique open-air train into the Tiffany Bottoms. The Tifffany Train is maintained by the Chippewa Valley Motor Car Association and there are numerous tours throughout the year sponsored by a number of different organizations. For more information about scheduled tours contact: Terry Yust by email or phone (507)876-2208.
  

Links to Other Public Lands and Facilities

Effigy Mounds National Monument

Prehistoric mounds built by Native Americans are relatively common, but only in this general area was there a Woodland Indian culture that regularly constructed mounds in the shape of mammals, birds, or reptiles. There are also 11 miles of hiking trails at the National Monument which is located just across the river from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.

Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge

The refuge, which encompasses acres of wooded islands and backwaters, begins at the mouth of the Chippewa River and extends 261 miles downstream, nearly to Rock Island, Illinois. The refuge is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The popularity of a variety of recreation activities has made this the most heavily used refuge in the nation. Check their website for information, maps, and regulations governing public use.

Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge

This 6,220-acre refuge is an isolated backwater cut off from the Mississippi and Trempealeau Rivers by dikes. The backwater marshes provide resting and feeding areas for waterfowl and other water birds. The refuge with its rolling topography offers fishing, and wildlife watching and is also accessible from the Great River State Bike Trail

National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium

Get to know the Mississippi through an interactive experience of being a barge pilot or enjoy a stroll through a Mississippi River wetland. The museum, located in Dubuque, Iowa also offers aquariums with river creatures and historical exhibits.

Links to Trip Planning

Wisconsin’s Great River Road

Wisconsin 's Great River Road borders the Mississippi River along 250 miles of Wisconsin’s west border. Maps are available for birding, boating, biking or travel by automobile

Virtual Trip Up the River from the Quad Cities to Minneapolis - by Big River Magazine

This tour provides history and information about the places along the route of the 1854 and 2004 Grand Excursions. These descriptions were originally published in Big River Magazine from March 2002 to May 2004. You will head to places like t he town of Pepin , Wis. It’s most famous resident, author Laura Ingalls Wilder, was born near there in the 1860s. The book Little House in the Big Woods was based on their life in Wisconsin..

Last Revised: February 16, 2009