Hidden Valleys of Southwestern Wisconsin

u
vernon County u
Accommodations
Lodging and camping facilities, rental cabins, motels,
B&Bs, farm vacations, business retreats, gourmet dining
and reception facilities are conveniently located throughout
Vernon County.
Sportsman’s Paradise
Vernon County is a prime destination for wildlife watchers.
A must-see on any vacation is watching the glorious bald
eagles as they soar above the bluffs along the Mississippi, or
dive into the river to catch a fish. Vernon County also offers
abundant small game, deer, and turkey hunting. With over 200
miles of trout streams, much of it Class 2, 3 man-made lakes,
the Mississippi, Bad Axe, Kickapoo rivers, Vernon County is
an angler's delight. The Kickapoo River, rated number one
with Silent Sports Magazine’s readers in 1992, aptly deserves
its title of the crookedest river in Wisconsin, as it zigzags 120
miles down its 70-mile-long valley, passing through Ontario, Rockton, LaFarge,
Viola and Readstown, on its way to the Wisconsin River at Wauzeka.
A network of 160 miles of signed snowmobile trails connects with adjacent
Richland, Sauk, Crawford, Juneau, Monroe, and LaCrosse county trail systems.
Five biking loops, including Wildcat and Amish Country, are recommended
in “WORLD CLASS BIKE ROUTES”. Vernon County’s many well-maintained
backroads offer cyclists endless opportunities to create their own bike tours to
explore her hidden valleys.
Specialties
Tours are available at many of the cheese factories and creameries located
throughout Vernon County. It’s still possible to order your favorite ice cream treat
at an old-fashioned soda fountain or “dairy bar”. Many fine dairy products are
available locally, including “squeaky fresh” cheese curds. The annual June Dairy
Days is an opportunity for visitors to have breakfast on a dairy farm. Area folks
eagerly await the many ethnic church suppers held annually in the fall, as well as
the Friday night fish fries, chicken-ques, smelt fries, lutefisk, meatball, and lefse
dinners, and pig roasts.
Historical Roadside Markers
There are eight Wisconsin historical roadside markers in Vernon County:
Coon Valley - First Watershed Protection Project; De Soto - Battle of the Bad Axe
and Chief Win-no-shik; Genoa - Dams on the Mississippi and Wisconsin’s first
nuclear fueled electrical generating station; Hillsboro - Admiral Marc A. Mitscher
and Cheyene Valley Heritage; Viroqua - Governor Rusk. Call 608-637-7396 for
information on locating the distinctive signs that mark the stages in the tragic
Black Hawk Indian War which ended on the banks of the Mississippi in the 1830s
(Blackhawk Trail Markers).
Interesting Shopping
The largest Amish settlement in Wisconsin is found in eastern Vernon County
from northeast of Westby to Ontario, Mt. Tabor and Hillsboro. Amish families are
also now settling west of Viroqua at Dach Ridge and Retreat, and near Readstown.
Amish wares are advertised by roadside signs and include maple syrup, hickory
bent furniture, produce, bakery goods, candy, cheese, rugs and quilts. While
shopping with the Amish, please dress conservatively, and leave your camera in
your car. No Sunday sales.
Opportunities for antique and bargain hunters abound in Vernon County at
auctions, antique shops, garage sales, holiday bazaars, flea markets, and unique
gift, craft and bargain shops. Arts and crafts fairs and consignment shops feature
work of many resident artisans.
Coon Valley
Coon Valley is nestled among the
scenic bluffs on the junction of 162
and U.S. Highway 14/61 between La
Crosse and Madison. Strong family
and ethnic heritage is noticeable here.
Enjoy the beautiful scenery every
season.
For the summer enthusiast
the beautiful Coon Valley Memorial
Park offers a memorable place for a
wedding, accomodations for a family
reunion, and Legion and youth baseball
games all summer long. Handicapped
fishing and the Veteran Memorial are
part of Coon Valley’s charm, offering
camping with electrical hookups as
well. The week after Father’s Day
brings the Annual Coon Creek Festival/
Rendezvous. July brings the Coon
Creek Trout Fest and DeVerne Seland
Memorial Car Show.
Fall brings the glorious color
of the hills which is worth the drive
from miles away, and while there,
you can dine at one of the town’s four
restaurants, and stop at the local
shops.
Winter brings snowmobiling with
over 40 miles of trails, and hunting is a
pleasurable sport for many sportsmen.
Cabin rentals are available locally all
year.
Spring brings the promise of good
fishing, growing crops, and another
successful season for the locally run
shops and restaurants alike. Trout
fishing in many of the local streams
is a must for many fishermen.
Norskedalen Nature and Heritage
Center is a 400-acre facility that is
located 3 miles north of Coon Valley
vernon County
Hidden Valleys u www.hiddenvalleys.com u
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