Welcome to Wisconsin

Despite the fact it produces more than a quarter of the country’s cheese, the Dairy State is much more than a land of crumbly cheddar and gourmet Gouda. Bordered by a pair of Great Lakes (Superior to the north, Michigan to the east) and peppered with more than 15,000 inland lakes, Wisconsin is as much a destination for adventurers as it is for cheese lovers.

Big city Milwaukee sits on the scenic shores of Lake Michigan à la Chicago. It’s stuffed with microbreweries, features a vibrant downtown neighborhood and is renowned for its jam-packed calendar of yearly festivals. Don’t miss the Milwaukee Art Museum, Pabst Mansion, the Harley-Davidson Museum or the Milwaukee County Zoo.

In Green Bay, be sure to take in a Packers game at Lambeau Field, visit the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame and spend a day at Bay Beach Amusement Park. Further inland, the buzzing college town (and state capital) of Madison is home to an abundance of museums, theaters and walkable downtown streets.

Adventure

The Badger State is home to 47 state parks, 13 state forests, five national wildlife refuges and a pair of national parks. In short, you’ll find no shortage of places to lace up your hiking boots, paddle your canoe, cast your fishing lure or pitch your tent.

Among the most popular destinations in the state is the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in northern Wisconsin. The Lake Superior park comprises 21 idyllic islands and 12 miles of mainland shore, making this a great spot for kayaking, canoeing, boating and swimming. The islands and the mainland are also home to more than 50 miles of official hiking trails, linking together a smattering of old lighthouses, logging camps and farm sites.

Another popular spot for outdoor adventure is any point along the 1,200-mile Ice Age National Scenic Trail. It cuts through scenic river valleys and skirts lakes along the edge of where the massive Ice Age glacier that covered much of North America once reached.

In southern Wisconsin, Devil’s Lake State Park is home to ancient rocky bluffs, an informative and interactive Nature Center and the oldest natural area in the state—Parfrey’s Glen.

Other popular parks and destinations include Cave Point County Park and Peninsula State Park just north of Green Bay, Grandad Bluff near La Crosse in western Wisconsin, Geneva Lake Shore Path in southern Wisconsin and Wisconsin Deer Park in central Wisconsin.

Entertainment

If you’re looking for a wet and wild time, head for the Wisconsin Dells, known as a Midwest’s center of family-friendly entertainment and waterslides. It’s also home to awe-inspiring geographic formations that rise majestically on each side of the Wisconsin River. Catch a waterskiing show, then explore the surrounding areas for wine tasting and wildlife preserves.