Wisconsin is a beautiful state any time of year. Okay February is generally disgusting. But fall… Fall is the time when the monochromatic landscape changes to rainbows. When the hills come alive with color. When the trees put on a show that feels like it is just for you. Fall is a showstopper in Wisconsin. And one of our favorite things to do is take one of these fall road trips in Wisconsin.
The rolling hills of Wisconsin with farmlands ripe for harvest make fall the perfect time to explore this beautiful state that we call home. These fall road trips in Wisconsin are some of our favorite road trips in the state. We try to take at least one each year and several of these have been so pleasant that we’ve taken them multiple times. Check out the full list below!
When To Take A Fall Road Trip in Wisconsin
The Wisconsin tourism website does a great job of keeping track of the fall color show on their website here. You can see which areas are in their peak. And before the color show starts, it gives you a guesstimate when the peak color show will be based on past years. We use this tool each year to help us decide when to take our fall road trips in Wisconsin.
The Great River Road
This Wisconsin road trip starts in La Crosse and winds its way up the Mississippi River to Hager City. This is a slow roll of a fall road trip. One where you can just stop whenever you choose as it lacks any must-visits. However, this is our favorite of all the fall road trips in Wisconsin!
Some of our favorite stops along this road trip are the many wineries. They even have a nice little wine map to help you visit them all. Fountain City and Pepin are great little cities to stop in at, with some of our favorite restaurants along the route. Maiden Rock and Stockholm are both charming small towns where you can stroll the streets in under an hour and visit small antique shops.
The Wisconsin Dells
This is not so much a road trip as a location for wandering. Here you can visit the numerous tourist destinations or you can explore the many outdoor adventures that the Wisconsin Dells has to offer. We love to visit the state parks in the area and take advantage of the many hiking trails. Another fun thing to do in this area is to take a boat ride along the river to see the colors from the water!
Devil’s Lake State Park
Devil’s Lake State Park and Baraboo are located just south of Wisconsin Dells. You can even combine the two fall road trips in Wisconsin to make one multi-day trip to the area. Devil’s Lake is one of Wisconsin’s most popular state parks. But fall is a slower time of year for this park so it makes it a great time to visit. That, in addition to the miles of hiking trails along the beautiful lake, make this a picturesque place to visit in the fall.
Wausau and Stevens Point
This fall road trip in Wisconsin takes you to a popular winter ski area. However, in the fall, this hilly area is perfect for leaf peeping.
This road trip starts in Wausau where you can ride the chair lift to the top of Rib Mountain for a view of the trees. Then you can do some hiking in Hogarty at the Dells of Eau Claire where you’ll immerse yourself in the forest for a few hours. Don’t forget to end your road trip in Stevens Point where you can finish your day at one of the many breweries there.
Hayward
Hayward is another great destination for a fall road trip because of the many surrounding forests. Once in Hayward, you can explore the town or you can drive the Great Divide National Scenic Highway through the nearby Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. This drive is perfect for leaf peepers and is clearly marked with clear fall foliage scenic route signs.
Iron County Waterfalls
This is a great multi-season road trip in Wisconsin. We’ve done this in the spring, summer and fall. While each season holds it’s own charms, if you’re visiting Wisconsin for the leaves, these dense forests will give you the colors you’re looking for. This road trip includes Copper Falls State Park, along with many other waterfalls. This Wisconsin road trip is great for people looking to get away from civilization and explore nature.
Door County
Door County is one of the best places to visit in Wisconsin! This island county is a great location for tourists due to the variety of things to do. And in the fall, you’ll get the tourist infrastructure combined with the fall leaves. This is perfect fall road trip in Wisconsin for families and we’ve put together a three day road trip through Door County here. We love looping through this island and visiting the many state parks to see the leaves and stopping at the many orchards for fresh apple pies.
American Legion State Forest
A drive through the American Legion State forest is perfect for the fall. I mean it’s a forest, what better place for a fall road trip! This road trip starts in Tomahawk and loops its way through the forest before ending in Rhinelander. There aren’t many places to stop along this road trip, but the scenery is beautiful. You’ll get to see some of the cranberry marshes and pass by numerous lakes. At the end of your road trip, consider visiting Rhinelander to visit the logging museum to learn about the history of the forest.
Prairie du Chien to Madison
This is one of the most popular fall road trips in Wisconsin. This hilly route is great as it allows you to get grand sweeping views of the area, plus it makes for fun driving! Along this route you can visit Tower Hill State Park and Blue Mound State Park. Both of these parks are great places to visit for hiking amongst the fall colors. Another show stopper is the famous Tailspin built by Frank Lloyd Wright and House on the Rock an unusual home built by Alex Jordan Jr. These two homes makes this the perfect fall road trip for lover of architecture.
Lake Superior Scenic Byway
Drive from Superior to Ashland along the Lake Superior shoreline for beautiful views of the lake on your left and fall colors on your right. Don’t forget to stop and enjoy the charming town of Bayfield, one of our favorite Wisconsin towns. This road trip ends in Ashland, and from here you can easily add on the Iron County waterfall road trip or visit Hayward on your way home.
We hope this has inspired you to visit Wisconsin this fall and has given you plenty of inspiration for your own fall road trip through Wisconsin. If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave them in the comments section below.
