7 Underrated Small Towns to Explore in Wisconsin
Tucked between Minnesota and Michigan, Wisconsin is perhaps the most underrated state in the Great Lakes Region. Yes, many people know Milwaukee and Madison, and those who know American football know Green Bay, but few are aware of the towns thriving in those cities' shadows. They range from a rockin' river retreat with a rock island to a cavernous community with a Tolkienesque Trollway. Dig up these "underground" towns in the Badger State.
Algoma
Situated on the far eastern side of the state, Algoma is a lesser-known locale on Lake Michigan. It is home to roughly 3,200 people and whimsical attractions like Wienke's Market, Steele Street Trading Co and Gallery, the Algoma Light, and the von Stiehl Winery. The last of those has been operating since 1967 and is considered Wisconsin’s oldest licensed winery. Though part of Kewaunee County, Algoma is the entranceway to Door County, which covers a peninsula characterized by beaches, bluffs, and caves and the many ways to see them, such as by car, boat, plane, trolley, and Segway. Open up to an excursion in an unsung enclave of America.
Amherst
Amherst is a little patch of loveliness in the Tomorrow Valley. Tomorrow is when you should visit Amherst, but the 19th century is what said village might evoke thanks to its ancient storefronts and rustic Mill Pond. Throw yourself into this throwback atmosphere or else break the facade by boating on the Mill or patronizing the modern businesses hidden inside the historic haunts. Ambrosia Pub & Grill serves comfort food from an unassuming Main Street structure, while The Local Goat Company peddles local fare from just outside downtown. Arguably Amherst's best biz is Central Waters Brewing, which has been crafting sustainable beers for 26 years. After exploring the village, check out the neighboring town of the same name. One of its highlights is 143-acre Lake Emily Park.
Trempealeau
Trempealeau is a town, an adjacent village, and their shared county. According to the Wisconsin Historical Society, that unique, multi-purpose name comes from the French phrase "La montagne qui trempe a l'eau," which in turn comes from an Indigenous translation of "soaking mountain" or "mountain separated by water." Sure enough, this region is overlooked by Trempealeau Mountain, a 425-foot-tall rock island separated by the Mississippi and Trempealeau rivers. To see one of the Mississippi River's only "mountains," head to Trempealeau the village, fuel up at Sullivan's Supper Club or the River Cafe, and then tramp northwest to Trempealeau the town, which contains Perrot State Park. Perrot is where Trempealeau Mountain and its woodlands are preserved as the Trempealeau Mountain State Natural Area. To uncover more overlooked natural gems, hop on over to the Minnesota side of the Mississippi, on whose bluffs exist Great River Bluffs State Park.
Viroqua
Viroqua is another unique name that applies to both a city and town in extreme western Wisconsin. As of the 2020 Census, the town has 1,744 residents and the city has 4,504. Naturally, Viroqua the city is a bit livelier. It boasts such bustling businesses as the Historic Temple Theatre, Ewetopia, the Viroqua Food Co+op, Driftless Books & Music, and the Driftless Café. Like most communities in the "Driftless Area" of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois, Viroqua is surrounded by scenic wonders. Drift out of the bookstore and café and into Sidie Hollow Park, Wildcat Mountain State Park, the Duck Egg County Forest, and, of course, the mighty Mississippi.
Black Earth
If Tomorrow Valley is Wisconsin's Shire, Black Earth is its Mordor. Do not be afraid: that comparison is in name only. Black Earth is a green oasis that refers to a village and a town in south-central WI. The greenest spaces in and around those communities include Morton Forest, Salmo Pond County Park, and the Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie State Natural Area. Only about 2,000 people live in what we imagine are holes in this countryside, which makes its massive, modern establishments extra surprising. The village of Black Earth hosts the Black Earth Children's Museum, which is a community-supported museum with over 50 handmade exhibits, as well as The Shoe Box, which carries some 300,000 shoes as the "Midwest's largest shoe store." A sculpture of King Kong presides over Black Earth from atop The Shoe Box.
Prairie du Chien
Yet another underrated community in the Driftless Area (so named because of the absence of glacial drift), Prairie du Chien has been concealed and suppressed by the Mississippi and Wisconsin river bluffs. But what it lacks in geographic mobility it makes up for in natural, commercial, and nominal excellence. While going for a walk in "Dog's Meadow," grab a doggy bag from Simply Cafe, pull the hair of the dog at Fort Mulligan's Grill Pub, and get dog tired after a tour of the Villa Louis Historic Site, which is a restored 19th-century estate on a Mississippi island that is accessible by bridge. Prairie du Chien is the Best in Show of western WI.
Mount Horeb
Mount Horeb should be the climax of your Middle Earth—er, middle Wisconsin, adventure. This 8,000ish-person village is located 10 miles south of Black Earth, so it should take just four hours for your fellowship to reach it on foot. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by a group of trolls. No, we are not trolling you. Thirty-six carved and sculpted trolls guard landmarks like the Mount Horeb Public Library and the Grumpy Troll Brewpub as part of the "Trollway," a trail that was blazed to increase tourism and honor Norwegian settlers. The resulting carvings and festivities (the Thirsty Troll Brew Fest runs each September) earned Mount Horeb the distinction of "Troll Capital of the World."
But Mount Horeb's troll identity is not hollow. Well, it literally is. Just a few miles west of town is a 750-foot-long cavern called Cave of the Mounds that looks like the birthplace of the 36 trolls. Who knew such a magical place existed in rural Wisconsin?
We hope you did not mind us badgering you about underrated Wisconsin towns. Trempealeau, Viroqua, Amherst, Black Earth, Algoma, Prairie du Chien, and Mount Horeb deserve attention for their natural and commercial wonders, especially Trempealeau Mountain in the first community and the Grumpy Troll Brewpub in the last. As such, we implore you to dig for the Badger State's treasures rather than stay surface level during your next vacation.
