Winneshiek County: Springs, River Views and Cultural History

In Winneshiek County, striking water and rock landscapes meet a layered cultural history. Springs, waterfalls and river views offer a different focus from museums and historic buildings. You can plan your trip around whether you prefer spending time outdoors, are interested in regional history, or would like to combine both.

Springs, Waterfalls and River Landscapes

The 64-acre Malanaphy Springs State Preserve lies along the Upper Iowa River and includes a large spring and a waterfall. A path leads from the parking lot to the spring, which emerges from a fissure in a high rock wall. A series of cascades ends in a ten-foot waterfall. The spring, rock wall and cascades each give the preserve its own character.

Decorah Ice Cave is also designated as a preserve: It covers 3 acres and is home to one of the largest known ice caves in the Midwest. If you enjoy taking in landscapes from different perspectives, the Trout Run Trail offers more scenic views. From there, you can see wooded limestone bluffs, rare algific talus slopes, the Oneota Valley and the Upper Iowa River. Near Bluffton, the bluff landscape also offers views of the river.

Dunning's Spring Park combines a waterfall surrounded by limestone cliffs with a walking path and overlook. It also features a stone bridge built by local stonemason Ted Wilson. The waterfall and stone bridge offer a different perspective from the expansive views along the Trout Run Trail.

Pine Spring Creek runs for two miles through the Heritage Farm of Seed Savers Exchange. Located in Winneshiek County, the site preserves more than 20,000 plant varieties and includes orchards, livestock pastures, gardens and hiking trails through wooded bluffs. The creek has a picnic area, trails and good to excellent opportunities for shore fishing. Since conditions at places like these can change, it is worth checking the latest information before your visit.

Winneshiek County offers visitors hiking, picnicking, canoeing, fishing and winter sports. Activities on land and water are available alongside winter sports; which ones suit your trip also depends on when you visit. To reach the Chuck Gipp Decorah Fish Hatchery, take Trout Run Road for about 1.5 miles from Highway 9, then turn south onto Siewers Spring Road. The distance is approximate. Check road conditions before driving, too.

Local History and Culture

Fort Atkinson State Preserve contains the structural remains and buildings of a military post from the U.S. frontier period in Winneshiek County. Held annually on the last full weekend in September, the Fort Atkinson Rendezvous reenacts life on the Iowa frontier in the 1840s. The program includes costumed interpreters, black powder shooting, crafts, competitions and demonstrations. If you are especially interested in this era, the Rendezvous offers a different perspective from the surviving buildings and remains of the post.

In Spillville, the historic St. Wenceslaus Church was built in 1860 and is considered the oldest Czech Catholic church in the United States. Also in Spillville, the Bily Clocks Museum displays hand-carved clocks depicting moments from history, religion and culture. The museum also includes a dedication to composer Antonin Dvorak.

At the Wood Carving Museum, you can plan your visit around its different opening times: From May 1 through October 31, it is open Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Visits outside these hours are available by appointment. Plan your visit around the seasonal opening hours or an arranged appointment.

In Burr Oak, tours at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Park and Museum cover Laura Ingalls Wilder's time at the Master's Hotel in 1876. The tours focus on a specific period in history. Together with the churches, museums and festivals, they offer different ways to explore the region's cultural history.

Discover more destinations: Decorah, Spillville, O'brien County, Iowa County, Marshall, Calhoun County, Poweshiek County, Allamakee County.

Return to the main travel overview: Iowa.