- Estimated Cost: $23
- Deposit: $23
- Max Trip Size: 30 people
Let’s visit Wyalusing State Park in Southwest Wisconsin over the July 4th weekend. Dates are Wednesday, July 2 to Monday, July 7, 2025, designed to avoid the high-traffic travel days. Wyalusing is on top of the 500-foot bluffs at the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers. The park is roughly 4 hours from the Twin Cities. We’ll be camping at group campsite E, one of the five group camps in the park. The maps on the park’s website show the location.
One of Wisconsin’s oldest state parks, Wyalusing features:
- 14 miles of hiking trails
- A 6-mile canoe trail on the Mississippi. Canoes and kayaks can be rented from the park concession.
- Mountain biking — the park has two trails.
- Huser Astronomy Center
- Native American burial mounds
The state park does not have a beach, but Wyalusing Recreation Area, 2 miles south of the park entrance, has a beach.
The area features many other sites to explore, including:
- Villa Louis Historic Site in nearby Prairie du Chien, WI
- Pikes Peak State Park across the river in Iowa (no vehicle fees for Iowa state parks!)
- Effigy Mounds National Monument across the river in Iowa
- Eagle’s Landing Winery, Marquette, IA – right across the bridge from Prairie du Chien, WI
A few other attractions a bit farther from the park may be worth a visit depending on people’s interest, so I thought I would mention them:
- Nelson Dewey State Park, WI
- Stonefield Historic Site, WI
- Potosi Brewery and National Brewery Museum, WI
The Wyalusing area will have July 4th celebrations, and we can visit local food and drink establishments.
A Wisconsin vehicle permit is required ($38 annual out-of-state; $28 in-state). Annual Wisconsin permits are now valid for 12 months from the date of purchase.
The trip deposit includes camping fees and an estimate for firewood expenses.
You must be a member of Minnesota Rovers to go on this trip.