Dunn County: Discover Nature, River Landscapes and Culture
Accommodation in Dunn County
Dunn County combines vast natural areas, river landscapes and a diverse regional history. Between the Red Cedar River, nature parks, historic museums and practical cultural offerings, you will find a variety of ideas for a trip. If different interests come together in your family, you can choose your vacation rental or vacation home based on the experiences you want: active days on trails and by the water can be planned alongside museum visits and historical discoveries.
Natural Areas Along the Red Cedar River
A notable landscape area is Dunnville Barrens, a 633-acre State Natural Area within the Dunnville Wildlife Area. The wildlife area also contains an 80-acre restoration area with pine and oak barrens. It includes Sparrow's Perch, a scenic overlook that provides a distinctive landmark in the landscape.
For stays focused on the water, the Dunnville Wildlife Area on the Red Cedar River along County Highway Y offers a large accessible boat launch. You can find additional waterfront experiences at Lambs Creek Park, which has 250 feet of shoreline. The park is located at the site of a former 25-foot waterfall. Lake Menomin Park and Pineview Park also showcase different aspects of the local waterscape: Lake Menomin Park covers 147 acres and includes approximately 34 acres of native prairie grassland, while Pineview Park has four acres on Lake Eau Galle as well as 400 feet of shoreline.
Trails, Winter and Water Activities
The Red Cedar State Trail passes through the Dunnville Wildlife Area and is open to hikers and cyclists in summer. In winter, seven miles of the trail between Menomonie and Downsville are groomed for cross-country skiing. The trail also makes combined cycling and paddling trips possible; sections of the former railroad right-of-way run parallel to the Red Cedar River. These different uses help you plan your travel period and preferred daily rhythm more precisely.
Lake Menomin Park offers more than five miles of mountain biking trails with varying levels of difficulty. At the Red Cedar River, Myran Park provides opportunities for canoeing, river tubing and fishing. Anyone who wants to combine a focus on water and nature with a more leisurely park loop can include Lambs Creek Park, Pineview Park or the areas around Lake Menomin in their personal travel plans.
History to See and Experience
Dunn County is also suitable for days when physical activity is not the main focus. Fulton's Workshop combines regional history and technology with a hands-on makerspace. Visitors can explore topics from science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. Materials and tools are available, allowing visitors to create their own projects to take home. The Discover Dunn County app adds another perspective with a 13-stop rally focused on the history of Dunn County.
The Downsville Community Museum preserves and presents the history of the community and offers educational programs as well as other educational opportunities. At the Mabel Tainter Theater, guided tours focus on the theater, the history of the Tainter family and the surrounding community. The Colfax Railroad Museum has a growing collection of railroad equipment from railroads that served western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota. At the Rassbach Museum, the regional history presented ranges from burial mounds dating back a thousand years to the present-day communities of Dunn County.
The Caddie Woodlawn Historical Park also adds a historical focus to the trip. The Woodhouse family home was moved to the park from a neighboring farm in 1970. The park and the house there have seasonal daylight opening hours from spring through fall. The parks of Dunn County are open from sunrise to sunset; reservations are not required for any of the parks.
Which Accommodation Fits Your Travel Plans?
When looking for accommodation in Dunn County, it is worth first deciding on the focus of your trip. For an active itinerary involving cycling, hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing or paddling, the trails, parks and river sections described above are the main attractions. If you would like to combine nature and history, you can also consider museums, the Mabel Tainter Theater, Fulton's Workshop or the historic site at Caddie Woodlawn Historical Park.
You can include the towns of Boyceville and Menomonie as additional destinations when orienting yourself within Dunn County. This allows you to base your search for a vacation home or vacation rental on the experiences that are particularly important to you for your trip, without limiting your stay to just one season or one activity.
For the overarching travel overview: Wisconsin.
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