Lodging

Turn the Whole Weekend into a Vacation Getaway

While the epicenter of your travels might be the KCF, here are a bunch of other things you can do to turn the trip into a great vacation.

We love the Kickapoo Country Fair for obvious reasons, so forgive us for saying: it’s only one of many good reasons to pack your stuff, grab the kids and come on out to the Driftless Area. For one of the best resources on area history, activities, and lodging, go to: http://www.driftlesswisconsin.com

The Kickapoo Valley Reserve and Wildcat Mountain State Park (both within minutes of the KCF), provide camping and miles of trails for hiking and horseback riding. Wildcat has a separate campground designed exclusively for horse owners who trailer their animals here to enjoy the fantastic trail system.
http://kvr.state.wi.us/
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/specific/wildcat/

Canoeing/kayaking opportunities abound, from the big waters of The Big River (as we call the Mississippi) to the pastoral upper reaches of the Kickapoo River, all of it within ten to thirty minutes of the KCF. There are boat rental services, or BYO-boat.
Lest we forget to pamper the anglers among you, there are fishing opportunities galore on our rivers. The Upper Mississippi River is home to over 119 species of fish – including favorite sport fish like walleye, sauger, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, northern pike, bluegill, and crappies. http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/gmu/mississippi/fish.htm

Fly fishing the Driftless Area is a not-to-miss on the anglers “life list.” The area’s unique geology has created a huge concentration of fertile spring creeks nestled in the valleys and coulees. Hundreds of miles of cool, fertile streams exist here thanks to the long term work of dozens of local groups, Trout Unlimited, and the DNRs of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa.

The Driftless Area has wonderful Bed and Breakfasts, supper clubs, log cabins, cottages, campgrounds and other great places to stay and eat. Many of these are not on the main roads, so don’t forget to check out http://www.driftlesswisconsin.com for opportunities.