Area & Activities

Activities around the lonesome dove

We can connect you with "experienced local guides" here in the Driftless area.  

Fishing

Our local guides will teach a class on fly fishing for both beginners and/or experienced fishermen.  They will come right to the The Lonesome Dove and teach you on site so you don't have to leave the comfort of your lodging.

Kayaking & Canoeing

Come and experience nature with a canoe or kayak trip down the beautiful Kickapoo River.  Kayak and Canoe Rentals are just 10  minutes away from your lodging.  Viroqua Wisconsin has options such as Drifty's Canoe Rental, Mr Ducks Canoe Rental LLC, Canoe & kayak rental service, or Titanic Canoe Rental.

Hiking

You can hike right outside your lodging on our 96 acres or visit the many forest and parks here in the Driftless area.  Duck Egg County Forest is another option sitting on 707 acres, it is county owned and a nature based recreation property located approximately 9 miles west of Viroqua on Irish Ridge Road.  The Duck Egg property is bisected by a large, deep valley formed by the Springville Branch of the Bad Axe River. This is just one of many hiking options in and around the Lonesome Dove.

Horseback Riding

Bring your own horses with you when you lodge here at the Lonesome Dove or choose from the local options we have.  Three Witches Farm & Stable is another great option just minutes away form the Dove that offer Horseback riding.

Biking

The Driftless Wisconsin area in the southwest region of the state provides many choices for bike riders, from rugged mountain trails to challenging on-road routes to constructed bike trails.

Wine Tasting

There are 10 Wineries within one hour from our location.  

Natural Areas and Parks

The “Driftless Area” of the Upper Midwest derives its name from the fact that it was unglaciated during the most recent glacial event, about 12,000 years ago. The Driftless Area comprises some 13,000 square miles, largely in southwest Wisconsin but extending into southeast Minnesota, northeast Iowa, and northwest Illinois. The continental glacier which covered most surrounding regions did not touch this area, leaving our signature hill and valley terrain intact.  Within a short distance of Soldiers Grove are some incredible attractions, some made by nature, some by man.

Effigy Mounds

At first you see low rises on the landscape. Soon your eye begins to pick out regular patterns in the hills. If you trace the patterns, the hills turn into familiar shapes — animals rising in low relief out of the ground. These effigies are not the work of nature at all but were created by the people who lived here more than 1,000 years ago. Effigy Mounds National Monument in Northeast Iowa was established by presidential proclamation in 1949. The monument preserves a representative and outstanding example of a significant phase of the prehistoric American Indian mound-building culture and protects wildlife, scenic and other natural values of the area.

Visit Effigy Mounds Website

Wisconsin’s Great River Road flanks the majestic Mississippi River as it leisurely winds its way along 250 miles of the Wisconsin west border. Along its way, the road is nestled between the river on one side and towering bluffs on the other, becoming one of the most scenic drives in mid-America. Most of the time the road parallels the river, but when the road does meander a short way from the river, it treats its guests to vistas of rolling farmland and beautiful forested valleys and coulees.

Visit the Wisconsin Great River Road Website

Hogback Prairie (Wisconsin State Natural Area)

Hogback Prairie is situated on a narrow, steep-sided ridge that rises 300 feet above the Citron Valley, a former oxbow of the nearby Kickapoo River. The prairie has an unusual mix of native plants, blending typical dry prairie species with those of moister prairies. The variety of slopes has contributed to the existence of an excellent population of the state-threatened Hill’s thistle and other rare species. To the south the ridge widens and the prairie grades into oak woods and an overgrown savanna with several savanna indicator plant species. Hogback Prairie is owned by the Wisconsin Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.

More Info on Hogback Prairie

Kickapoo Valley Reserve

The Kickapoo Valley Reserve is an 8,569 acre tract of land located between the villages of La Farge and Ontario in southwestern Wisconsin. Enjoy the many wonders of the Reserve, including sandstone outcroppings that tower over the quiet waters of the Kickapoo River, and native plants and animals that abound in all seasons.

More about the Kickapoo Valley Reserve

Courtesy of www.solidergrove.com.  Source:  http://soldiersgrove.com/things-to-do/soldiers-grove-attractions/

Upcoming Driftless Events