How Come You Never Told Me About La Crosse, Wisconsin?
Bluffs, history, a vibrant city—and that mighty river. Here’s a terrific three-day itinerary.
Hello! Spring means travel planning—so here’s the next travel story in my series highlighting nearby destinations.
Now That I’ve Been to La Crosse, Wisconsin, I Want to Return Again and Again
Last autumn, after I’d taken a fresh look at Decorah for this Substack, Dave and I looked ahead to a beautiful stretch of weather and no pressing reason to return home. We decided to pick one more destination—preferably a new find—and settled on La Crosse, Wisconsin.
What a great small city—and a lovely place to base yourself for some bluff hiking and river gazing! While La Crosse is too far from Des Moines (about 4 1/2 hours) for a weekend getaway, I highly recommend adding it to a longer trip to the Bluff Country (aka the Driftless Region). Tack it on to a trip to Dubuque (2.25 hours from La Crosse), Iowa’s Upper Mississippi area (Marquette is 1.25 hours from La Crosse), or Decorah (just over an hour away).
Here’s an itinerary for a three-night stay (though you could easily stay longer—the hiking here is lovely!).
Day 1: Arrive and Explore the Waterfront
Full photo credits: Left photo. Right photo.
Settle into a downtown-area hotel so you can stay on foot for the in-town parts of your stay. Hopefully, you’ll get there in time to take a stroll along the terrific waterfront of Riverside Park, a long stretch of civic pride and beauty with river-level views of that epic waterway.
Day 2: Explore La Crosse and the Bluffs Above
Because this city of just over 51,000 is bordered by bluffs and the Mississippi River, the downtown core has remained dense, and the sprawl doesn’t overwhelm. Spend the day exploring the small city and then taking it all in from Grandad Bluff, 600 feet above the city.
Morning:
—Check out the Riverside International Friendship Gardens at the north end of Riverside Park. Each colorful patch represents plants from another country, and the path winds around to a variety of views of the river.
—Tool around La Crosse. The downtown core swells with bars and good-time joints and retains a funky vibe (it’s a river town and a college town, after all!). There is some shopping, including a terrific independent bookstore, Pearl Street Books. If you can, try to buy something next door at Kroner Hardware to support this historic century-plus-old shop that adds history and gravitas to the town. Have lunch in one of the many casual options downtown.
Afternoon:
—Hop aboard the La Crosse Queen riverboat for a 1.5 hour sightseeing tour. (Daily at 11 and 1:30 p.m.). You might spot herons and bald eagles, or possibly get close to a working river barge, but even if you don’t, there’s something magical about being carried along on the currents of this storied river.
—Head on up to Grandad Bluff above La Crosse. From the lookout, you can see marshes, river channels, bluffs, and the town grid—great features of the Driftless Area rolled into one sweeping view.
Tip: Take a few hikes among the 10 miles of trails, and stay for sunset, if you wish. Packing a dinnertime picnic would serve you well, as there are plenty of picnic areas.
—If you don’t stay on the bluff for sunset, take another stroll along Riverfront Park to enjoy a different light at day’s end as the river and bluffs go dark.
Day 3: Take Me to the River. And Above
A good number of parks lie with in a 30-minute drive. Pack a picnic lunch and head to one or two today.
We spent a lovely day at Perrot State Park, which offered terrific hiking within its 12-mile trail system. The Bluff Prairie East trail rises nearly 460 feet above the river for some of the best views of the river I’ve seen anywhere.
To be honest, this trail is narrow, steep, and downright arduous in places. On the way down, as my elation at the beautiful river-scape turned to thoughts of hard falls and twisted ankles. I decided I probably wouldn’t be doing this one again. But even the more easier first half or so of the trail gets you up high enough for some great views. Proceed further at your own risk!
After all that, we had an exceedingly relaxing picnic near the stone nature lodge and enjoyed simply wandering close to the nearby river channels.
Stay close to the river for the drive there or back so you can pass through the tiny village of Trempealeau. On most days, I doubt there’s a whole lot to do—maybe grab a bite, a drink, a cup of coffee—but the hamlet does have a way of drawing you in. It’s neither quaint nor polished—just a real river town, the kind that makes you wonder what it would be like to live in one of those old apartments above the storefronts and look at the river all day.
Where to Stay—and What About Dinner?
As much as I’m drawn to historic hotels, old-school motels, and local dining scenes, this time I stayed at the Home2 Suites by Hilton La Crosse, downtown, and cooked most of our meals. I’d just spent four straight days eating out while reporting on Decorah, and I’ve learned to balance those stretches with a few days of cooking and eating simply. It keeps me grounded—and, frankly, makes the next round of restaurant meals more enjoyable. For that, I like hotels with kitchens. See my complete list of favorites—Home2Suites is my second-favorite along these lines.
La Crosse has all kinds of casual, bar-grill spots, and I had to smile when I saw that their Buzzard Billy’s was listed as La Crosse’s number-one restaurant on Trip Advisor. When I return—and return, I will—I’ll probably hit up Buzzard Billy’s but also make time for a more refined, chef-driven dinner at The Restaurant at The Charmant Hotel.
Got a Question or Hot Tip about La Crosse and Environs?
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Check Out These Destinations On Your Way There Or Back
Here’s more to do, see, and eat on your way to or from La Crosse:
Check out Decorah—it’s just over an hour from La Crosse:
The Driftless/Mississippi region in upper Iowa tops is one of my favorite destinations in the state:
If your trip there or back takes you near Cedar Rapids, be sure to go to Cobble Hill restaurant.
Iowa City is always worth a least a night or two. Here’s a great itinerary. Just passing through? Stop at Barrett’s in North Liberty for a lovely lunch.
For half a second with that image, I thought Buzzard Billy's had moved to Fourth Street downtown.
Yes! Thank you for this. We went to La Crosse for my husband's birthday weekend in 2011. We mostly went to ride bikes there on the Sparta Trail, but now I think we need to go back to get some hiking in too.