Southwest Wisconsin Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

Map of Southwest Wisconsin

• 42.508333-89.0316671 Beloit - city along the Wisconsin/Illinois border
• 43.468056-89.7416672 Baraboo - charming city with circus roots and natural wonders in the Baraboo River Valley
• 42.685469-89.0136323 Janesville - "Wisconsin's Park Place" on the Rock River
• 43.813333-91.2330564 La Crosse - city along the Mississippi River and home to unique topography
• 43.074722-89.3841675 Madison - capital of Wisconsin and home to the University of Wisconsin's flagship campus
• 43.278889-89.7877786 Prairie du Sac - considered, along with its neighboring city, Sauk City, to be the 'gateway to the Lower Wisconsin River'
• 43.1839-90.10337 Spring Green - home of architect Frank Lloyd Wright and the mysterious House on the Rock.
• 42.921111-89.2244448 Stoughton - unique suburb of Madison with Norwegian Heritage
• 43.626613-89.7745579 Wisconsin Dells - a major tourist draw focused on natural and man-made attractions
• 43.338278-89.01894410 Columbus : A small town on the eastern edge of Columbia County.
• 43.459967-88.83606611 Beaver Dam : Beaver Dam is named after an old beaver dam created on the river.

Locally, the region is referred to as being one of two separate regions: South Central Wisconsin or Southwestern Wisconsin. South Central Wisconsin is anchored around Madison, while Southwestern Wisconsin is much more rural and is anchored around La Crosse and the Mississippi River.

Southwest Wisconsin is most easily accessible by I-90 (from Rockford or LaCrosse), I-94 (from Milwaukee or Eau Claire), US 151 (from Dubuque, IA or Appleton) or US 12 and 14. I-43 terminates in Beloit. Madison is served by a regional airport. Portage, Columbus, and Wisconsin Dells have daily Amtrak service.

Much of Southwest Wisconsin is only accessible by car but can be reached relatively easily from the interstates or US 151. Madison, Janesville and Beloit have local public transportation systems as well.

• 43.73757-90.988881 Norskedalen Nature and Heritage Center. Located 3 miles north of Coon Valley. Open year-round, Norskedalen is set amidst 440 acres of wooded coulee along Poplar Creek and has over 6 miles of trails making it a great place to experience the beauty of the driftless region of Wisconsion. Norskedalen also preserves the heritage of the area with guided tours of an authentic, fully furnished, 1880s pioneer log farmstead, built by the Norwegian immigrants to the area and a museum. There are also special events throughout the year. 

• Craft brewery tour of Southwest Wisconsin