Crawford County sits along the southern section of Wisconsin’s Great River Road the southwestern part of the state and boasts an impressive array of things to see and do for visitors of all ages, from locks & dams to Interpretive Centers to hiking trails along the Mississippi River.
Places to Stay
Crawford County has plenty of welcoming places to stay, including hotels and vacation rentals.
Check out the lodging options on the Prairie du Chien Chamber of Commerce website. Prairie du Chien is located in the southwestern corner of the county and has a wide selection of cabins, cottages, lodges, campgrounds, and other places to stay. If you’ve got the kids along, you can even find a hotel with a swimming pool.
Ferryville in the northwestern part of the county is home to lots of vacation homes to choose from—pick one and you’ll have easy access to the Wisconsin Great River Road and excellent views of the Mississippi River.
Things to Do
Want to learn all about how massive barges transport their cargo? Take a tour of Lock & Dam #8 in Genoa or Lock & Dam #9 in Lynxville. If you’re lucky, you’ll see these massive shipping vessels go through the locks (which take barges from the higher elevations of the river to the lower and vice versa) and have a chance to chat with the lockmaster and barge workers.
Another fun attraction in Genoa is the Clements Fishing Barge, which is right offshore from Lock & Dam #8. Cast for perch, walleye, bass, catfish, and more, watch bald eagles soar overhead, and enjoy a hamburger or hot dog while you’re on board.
Also nearby is the Genoa National Fish Hatchery and Great River Road Interpretive Center, which shares the history of the land and people of southwestern Wisconsin and highlights the importance of the Mississippi River to trade and travel. There are also two aquariums where visitors can see aquatic species common to the Mississippi River.
Sugar Creek Bluff State Natural Area just south of Ferryville offers visitors a 1.5-mile hike that ends in a panoramic view of the Mississippi River Valley. Keep your eyes peeled for bald eagles and other birds and wildflowers in spring, summer, and fall.
Gays Mills—a small village about 20 minutes east of Ferryville in the middle of Crawford County—has a rich apple-growing history and boasts more than 1,000 acres of apple orchards, as well as fun fall events like the annual Apple Festival.
Soldiers Grove in the northeastern part of the county sits along the Kickapoo River and is a popular spot to visit for fall colors in September. It’s also home to the annual Driftless Area Art Festival, which highlights the visual, performing, and culinary arts of Wisconsin’s Driftless Region.
Art lovers and antique hunters should visit Wauzeka along the Wisconsin River in the southern part of Crawford County.
Places to Eat
All that adventure on the Wisconsin Great River Road and throughout Crawford County is sure to make you work up an appetite. Here are some great restaurants you can find along the route:
Prairie du Chien
Ferryville
De Soto
(Photo: Sunset over the Mississippi River in Ferryville/Jackson Kinney)