La Crosse: Parks, Trails and Culture

La Crosse offers a range of options for planning your trip: scenic views and hiking trails, a beach on the Mississippi River, wetlands, landscaped gardens and cultural history. Each place has a different focus.

Bluffs, Views and Outdoor Activities

Grandad Bluff Park is known for its scenic views; it also has hiking trails along the bluffs. Grandad Bluff is also the starting point for an annual New Year's Eve celebration with fireworks. Pettibone Park offers something different: it has a beach on the Mississippi River and a 27-hole disc golf course. While views and trails along the bluffs are the focus at Grandad Bluff, Pettibone's specific park amenities include a beach and disc golf.

Wetlands and Trails

Myrick Park covers 22 hectares and consists mostly of wetlands; it lies within the La Crosse Area Comprehensive Fishery Area. The adjacent city park includes a trail system through a marsh along the La Crosse River, with platforms for wildlife viewing. The two park areas therefore offer different points of interest: the wetlands of Myrick Park on one hand, and trails and viewing platforms in the marsh on the other.

Beyond individual parks, La Crosse's park system includes more than 70 miles of paved and natural-surface trails. This citywide figure adds the range of trail surfaces across the entire park system to the specific landscape features of individual parks.

Gardens and Historic Buildings

The Riverside International Friendship Gardens are a collection of public gardens in La Crosse's Riverside Park. Each garden honors one of La Crosse's sister cities through plants, sculptures, architecture and water features. Sister-city ties and design are closely connected here: each garden's features reflect the city it honors.

Both preservation and historical context are central to the Hixon House Museum. The La Crosse County Historical Society maintains the exterior and interior as they were in the 1880s. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974: the 1880s refer to the period the house is intended to reflect, while 1974 is the year it was added to the register.

The Pump House is housed in a building constructed in 1880 as a municipal water pumping station and converted into a cultural center in 1977. Unlike the Hixon House, its historical focus is the repurposing of a technical building; the Hixon House focuses on preserving the condition of the 1880s.

Exhibits and Programs for Children

The Children's Museum of La Crosse offers interactive exhibits on three floors for children ages 1 to 10 accompanied by adults. Age and adult supervision are practical considerations when planning a visit with children. The museum also offers holiday programs and other special programs. If you plan to attend a particular program, check the dates in advance.

The La Crosse Region

At the regional level, the La Crosse landscape is shaped by dramatic cliffs, deep valleys, limestone ridges and winding waterways. The region is also located along the Great River Road National Scenic Byway. This regional perspective complements the individual parks, gardens and cultural sites with a view of the broader landscape.

Discover more destinations: West Salem, Onalaska, Bangor

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