Wyalusing State Park

Wyalusing State Park is one of the most scenic and historic parks in Wisconsin, perched atop high, forested bluffs at the dramatic confluence where the Wisconsin River pours into the mighty Mississippi in the far southwestern corner of the state. From clifftop overlooks some 500 feet above the water, the park offers sweeping, breathtaking vistas across the broad, island-braided river valley — one of the finest views in the Upper Midwest.

One of Wisconsin’s oldest state parks, Wyalusing preserves not only spectacular scenery but a landscape rich in human history, including ancient Native American effigy and burial mounds built atop the bluffs more than a thousand years ago. Forested trails wind along the bluff rim and down into wooded valleys past springs and rock formations, while the rivers below draw paddlers, anglers and birders to one of the great migratory flyways. With its grand confluence vistas, ancient mounds and abundant nature, Wyalusing is a treasured jewel of southwestern Wisconsin.

Wyalusing State Park offers superb recreation — hiking forested bluff-rim and valley trails to spectacular overlooks of the Wisconsin-Mississippi confluence, past springs, rock formations and ancient mounds, plus camping (including clifftop campsites with grand views), paddling a canoe trail through the river sloughs, fishing, birding and picnicking. The combination of breathtaking river-valley vistas, ancient effigy mounds, varied trails and rich birdlife along the Mississippi flyway makes Wyalusing a premier destination for hikers, paddlers, campers and nature lovers in southwestern Wisconsin.

Spring and fall are prime — spring for wildflowers and the great bird migration along the Mississippi flyway, and fall for spectacular color across the river-valley bluffs, one of the most beautiful times for the overlooks. Summer offers green trails, paddling and clifftop camping, and winter quiet beauty and eagle-watching along the rivers. The grand confluence vistas reward visits year-round; spring migration, fall color and the soaring eagles of winter are highlights at this scenic bluff-top park.

Wyalusing, established in 1917 as one of Wisconsin’s earliest state parks, preserves a landscape of deep human history at the strategic confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers — a place used by Native peoples for thousands of years, who built effigy and burial mounds atop the bluffs more than a thousand years ago. The confluence was a key route for early explorers, including Marquette and Joliet, who reached the Mississippi near here in 1673. The park protects the mounds, the bluffs and the grand vistas as a treasured natural and cultural landmark.

Wyalusing State Park crowns high bluffs of ancient sandstone and dolomite that rise some 500 feet above the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers, part of the rugged, unglaciated ‘Driftless Area’ of southwestern Wisconsin that the last glaciers bypassed, leaving deeply carved river valleys and steep bluffs. The rivers, cutting through the layered rock over vast time, created the dramatic valley, the island-braided channels and the clifftop vantage points. The Driftless terrain gives the park its grand topography and sweeping confluence views.

Wyalusing is renowned for birdlife, perched along the great Mississippi Flyway — bald eagles, turkey vultures, warblers and countless migratory birds fill the bluffs and river valley, especially in migration, while the park’s forests host white-tailed deer, wild turkey and foxes, and the rivers and sloughs support fish and waterfowl. The combination of bluff-top forest and the vast river confluence makes the park an outstanding place for birding and wildlife watching, with soaring eagles and vultures along the cliffs a memorable sight.

Wyalusing State Park protects a rich Driftless Area ecosystem of bluff-top and valley forest, springs, rock formations, prairie remnants and the vast river confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi. The varied terrain of the unglaciated landscape supports diverse plant and animal life, and the rivers and floodplain form a vital corridor along the Mississippi Flyway, exceptionally important for migratory birds. Protecting the bluffs, the forests, the springs and the river confluence sustains both the ecology and the spectacular scenery of this significant southwestern Wisconsin park.

Wyalusing State Park, with its grand vistas over the Wisconsin-Mississippi confluence and its ancient Native American effigy and burial mounds, holds a place of deep natural and cultural significance in Wisconsin. One of the state’s oldest parks, set at a confluence used by Native peoples for millennia and reached by early explorers, it blends breathtaking scenery with profound human history, making it a treasured landmark where the story of the great rivers and the people who lived along them is preserved atop the bluffs.

Wyalusing State Park is in far southwestern Wisconsin near Prairie du Chien and Bagley, off US-18 and County Road C, where the Wisconsin River meets the Mississippi. A Wisconsin state park vehicle admission sticker is required. The park offers bluff-top and valley trails, overlooks, campgrounds (including clifftop sites), a canoe trail, picnic areas and an interpretive center. The bluff trails involve steep terrain. Check the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for admission, reservations, trail conditions and access before visiting.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources protects the bluffs, forests, springs, ancient mounds and river-confluence habitats of Wyalusing State Park. Visitors help by staying on trails to protect the fragile bluff vegetation and steep slopes, respecting and never disturbing the sacred effigy and burial mounds, keeping back from cliff edges, packing out everything, protecting the rivers’ water quality, and respecting wildlife along the flyway. Protecting the bluffs, the mounds and the river confluence sustains both the ecology and the cultural and scenic significance of this treasured park.

Wyalusing’s bluff trails and overlooks have steep, dangerous drop-offs some 500 feet above the rivers — stay on trails, keep well back from cliff edges, watch footing on steep, rocky, sometimes slippery terrain, and supervise children closely, as falls from the bluffs would be fatal. Carry water on the strenuous bluff trails, wear sturdy footwear, and be mindful of ticks and poison ivy in summer. On the rivers, wear a life jacket and respect the currents. Take care on clifftop campsites near the edges.

A Wisconsin state park vehicle admission sticker is required. Stay on designated trails and back from cliff edges. Do not disturb, climb on or collect from the sacred effigy and burial mounds — treat them with respect. Camp only in designated campsites with reservations. Follow Wisconsin fishing and paddling regulations. Pets must be leashed. Drones generally require authorization. Collecting is prohibited. Pack out all trash. Check the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for current rules, reservations and conditions before visiting.

The historic city of Prairie du Chien — Wisconsin’s second-oldest city, at the confluence — lies near the park, with the Driftless Area’s bluffs and valleys, the Mississippi River, Effigy Mounds National Monument across the river in Iowa, and the Wisconsin River corridor within reach. The cities of Madison and Dubuque are within reach. Wyalusing State Park anchors a scenic and historic region of the great river confluence and the unglaciated Driftless landscape in southwestern Wisconsin.

Stand at the bluff-top overlooks for breathtaking views of the Wisconsin River pouring into the Mississippi — visit in spring or fall for bird migration and color, or reserve a clifftop campsite for a grand-view stay. Hike the bluff and valley trails to springs and ancient mounds (which you should respect and never disturb), paddle the canoe trail through the sloughs, and watch for eagles and vultures. Wear sturdy footwear, keep back from cliff edges, and bring a park sticker.