The Wisconsin Speleological Society has some suggestions for things to do in Wisconsin and the western Upper Peninsula.

We've divided our suggestions into a number of categories- Geologic sites, Nature sites, Cultural sites, and A Good Place To Eat sites.

Geologic Sites:

Cave of the Mounds

If you're passing near Madison, Wisconsin, make sure to pay a visit to this National Natural Landmark.

Cave Point County Park

If you're visiting Door County, make sure to stop by here.

Crystal Cave

Just east of Minneapolis/St. Paul.

The Dells of the Eau Claire River

Granddad Bluff- Lacrosse, WI

Kickapoo Indian Caverns

Mill Bluff State Park and SNA

Natural Bridge State Park and SNA

Parfrey's Glen

The Ice Age National Scientific Reserve

The greatest variety of glacial landforms on the planet are found here in Wisconsin.

Kettle Moraine State Forest- North Unit

Kettle Moraine State Forest- South Unit

Dells of the Wisconsin River SNA

Devil's Lake State Park

Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest

The Blue Hills Felsenmeer

An ancient quartzite gorge slowly disintegrated through frost action across many millennia to form this deep talus valley. The talus is over 60 feet deep in the base of the valley.

St. Peter's Dome

An excellent guide to the geology of Michigan- this Adobe document is just over 1.4mb.

The Lake Ellen Kimberlite Pipe

If you are interested in unique geologic features, make sure to visit the Lake Ellen Kimberlite exposure, near Crystal Falls, MI. An uncommon surface outcrop of kimberlite, the volcanic material in which diamonds are found.

The Keewenaw Peninsula has an extensive copper mining history. The Delaware and Quincy Mines offer tours as well.

The Ridges Sanctuary

Wisconsin Sand Barrens- Blue River, WI

Fonforek Glen

Wequiock Falls

Langlade Bear Caves

Oakfield Ledges SNA and the Niagara Escarpment

Ledgeview Nature Center

Cherney Maribel Caves County Park and SNA

The DNR map at the weblink is a bit dated, as camping is not currently allowed at the county park. Camping is available nearby at the Devil's River Campground.

The Blue Hills- Rusk County,WI

Observatory Hill SNA

Roche-A-Cri State Park and SNA

Interstate State Park

Nature Sites:

The Estivant Pines; the upper Midwest's best remnant of old-growth timber- managed by the Michigan Nature Association.

The Brockway Mountain Drive

Accessable from Copper Harbor and Eagle Harbor, MI, this is one of the most spectacular roads in the upper Midwest, climbing over 700' from the lake.

Crex Meadows Wildlife Area

Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge and State Wildlife Area

International Crane Foundation

Millie Mine bat flights- Iron Mountain, MI

The Apostle Islands

Blue Mounds State Park

Waterfalls of Wisconsin and the Western UP

Wildcat Mountain State Park

Squirrel River Pines SNA

Governor Dodge State Park and Pine Cliff SNA

Powers Bluff County Park and SNA

Wyalusing State Park

One of Wisconsin's most beautiful parks, at the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers.

Cultural Sites:

The Gottschall Rock Shelter

Effigy Mounds Grand Tour(WI), and Effigy Mounds National Monument(IA)

The Neville Museum- Green Bay

The Milwaukee Art Museum

John Muir County Park

Whilst California may claim him as their native son, John Muir's formative years were spent in Wisconsin.

Aldo Leopold's Shack

If you consider yourself a conservationist, you should consider a visit to The Shack as a kind of pilgrimage; the spot where the wisest conservation book ever written- A Sand County Almanac- was compiled.

Washington Park Velodrome

The oldest operating bicycle racing track in North America is in Kenosha, WI.

EAA Air Museum- Oshkosh

Little Bohemia

The Rhinelander Hodag

The Hodag was born in Rhinelander, Wisconsin in 1896. In one of the most rapid migrations in vertebrate history, the Hodag has now populated caves in almost every part of North America.

House on the Rock

Alex Jordan, founder of House on the Rock, fancied himself a Frank Lloyd Wright type.

And then there is Taliesin-

Frank Lloyd Wright's remarkable estate near Spring Green. Other Wright structures of note in the state are the Seth Peterson cottage at Mirror Lake State Park, the Jacobs House in Madison, and the S.C. Johnson Building in Racine.

Little Norway

Pendarvis and Mineral Point

Platteville Mining Museum

St. John's Mine

Wisconsin's first lead mine.

Mound Culture Parks- Aztalan State Park

Off The Beaten Path- The strange, and sometimes unusual aspects of America's Dairyland.

Ellis Nelson

One of the most unique metal sculptors in America displays his work in his front yard in Muscoda, Wisconsin- on the lower Wisconsin River. Very reasonably priced, and beautiful and unique as well.

RoadAmerica- Elkhart Lake, WI

One of North America's most challenging motorsports venues.

Brewery Tours- Leinenkugel, Point, Sprecher, New Glarus

Good Places To Eat Sites:

Mr. Perkins's Soul Food Restaurant- Milwaukee

For you cavers passing through Milwaukee, this is a must for a lunch stop. Killer fritter style corn bread, and the best peach cobbler ever. And the griddle fried creamed corn.... Mmm...

The Norske Nook

28 varieties of the best pies on the planet, bar none. And the food is great, too.The original is in Osseo, with locations in Rice Lake and Hayward.

The Unique Cafe- Boscobel

The Red Rooster Cafe- Mineral Point

Famous Dave's BBQ

The original Famous Dave's BBQ is just east of Hayward, Wisconsin; Dave is a member of the Lac Courts Oreilles Ojibwe, and soon to be Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. And his BBQ is really good, too!

Paul Bunyan Restaurants

In Minoqua and the Wisconsin Dells- all-you-can-eat breakfasts and dinners presented in a logging camp cookshack format. All-you-can-eat spells CAVERS, I think ;-)

Racine- The Home of Kringle. And while in Racine, take a tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Johnson Wax Building.

The Wisconsin Fish Fry

Uplands Cheese

Of Wisconsin's many fine cheeses, this small operation's Pleasant Ridge product was judged the best cheese in America in 2003.

The Wisconsin Speleological Society