Hidden Valleys of Southwestern Wisconsin

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green county u
What could be more complementary
than enjoying some locally brewed beer
along with those slices, curds, and
wheels? Green County is home to two
breweries offering tastes and tours. Visit
the Minhas Craft Brewery in Monroe for
a guided tour and a glimpse into brewery
history with the Haydock Collection of
Brewery Memorabilia. Bus groups are
also welcome. The New Glarus Brewing
Company welcomes visitors to their
hilltop location near New Glarus Woods
State Park. Enjoy a glass of “Spotted
Cow”, “Fat Squirrel”, or one of their other
popular brews.
Barn Quilts
While visitors to Green County can
always count on sampling a slice or
two from the blocks of delicious locally
made cheese, they can also now count on
discovering a slice of Americana – expressed in the painted quilt blocks found
on more than 90 barns throughout the area. To plan your own driving tour, pick
up a barn quilt map at many locations in the county, or request one by mail.
Step-on guided tours can be arranged for bus groups. Visit the website
www.greencountybarnquilts.com for more information.
Festivals, Fairs, and Fun
One of the best ways to sample the flavor of Green County’s ethnic heritage
is by attending one of our many colorful festivals. Several festivals highlight
ethnic heritage, others honor our dairy farming and cheese making traditions,
and some are just for fun!
New Glarus, a village known as “America’s Little Switzerland”, hosts a
number of Swiss heritage events, including the Heidi Festival, Wilhelm Tell,
and Volksfest (Swiss Independence Day). Don’t miss Oktoberfest with the
ceremonial tapping of a keg of New Glarus Staghorn Beer. The Green County
Ag Chest hosts Breakfast on the Farm the last Saturday in May. Every even
year, Monroe opens its doors to thousands of folks ready to polka, yodel,
and consume cheese by the truckload at Cheese Days. This year’s festival is
September 14-16.Brodhead hosts Covered Bridge Days in August - featuring
Sugar River
a huge tractor show, thresheree, and
tractor pulls; as well as Autumnfest in
late September.
The Great Outdoors
While visiting Green County, take
time to explore our trails, state parks,
campgrounds, fishing spots, and rivers.
Numerous recreational trails
traverse the county, following the paths
of former railroad corridors.
Offering a northern connection to
Madison, Wisconsin, and a southern
connection to Illinois, the Badger State
Trail passes through a restored railroad
tunnel north of Monticello (bring a
flashlight), and intersects with the
Sugar River Trail near the village.
The Sugar River State Trail begins
at the New Glarus Depot and has an
optional detour through the New Glarus
Woods State Park. The trail passes the
restored Cheese Cellars in Monticello,
and crosses numerous wooden bridges
on the way to Albany. Just outside of
Brodhead it transports riders back in
time through a replica of the original
covered bridge.
The Cheese Country Recreation
Trail is a multi-use trail open for use by
ATVs, motorcycles, horses, mountain
bikes, and snowmobiles. The trail
winds for 47 miles through many scenic
areas of Hidden Valleys in Green,
Lafayette, and Iowa counties. A large
trailer parking lot is available near the
trailhead in Monroe.
A portion of the Ice Age National
Scenic Trail (the Exeter Segment)
green county
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