Overview
The Northwest Wisconsin region, also known as "Indianhead County" (because of the outline made by its western border), is in Wisconsin.
3 sights · 7 things to do · 2 places to eat
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Northwest Wisconsin
Crystal Cave
Ice Age Interpretive Center
Glacial history - exhibits, videos, live and stuffed animals.
National Eagle Center
Ice Age Trail
Statewide hiking path.
Wise Nature Center
Hands-on learning stations, interpretive displays of local fauna and flora, live animal exhibits, and a butterfly house.
CountryFest
A country music festival held in the fourth weekend in June.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 83°F; winter lows dip to about 9°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jun and Aug. (climate data from nearby Saint Paul)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- EAU Chippewa Valley Regional Airport, Eau Claire — 24 mi away. Directions
- MSP Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field, Minneapolis — 72 mi away (major hub). Directions
Sample 3-day trip
- Day 1: Eau Claire — Chippewa Valley Museum, Schlegelmilch-McDaniel House, Idea Gardens.
- Day 2: Altoona — Hobbs Observatory, Ski Sprites Water Ski Team, Lake Altoona County Park.
- Day 3: Ashland — Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, Ashland Ore Dock, Mural Walk.
Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.
Food for you
Click on the city name for restaurants in: *Chippewa Falls *Eau Claire *Menomonie
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Places in Northwest Wisconsin
Eau Claire
City / town · 97 listings
Altoona
City / town · 22 listings
Ashland
City / town · 17 listings
Hudson
City / town · 13 listings
Ladysmith
City / town · 13 listings
Chippewa Falls
City / town · 12 listings
Washburn
City / town · 12 listings
Neillsville
City / town · 9 listings
Spooner
City / town · 8 listings
Rice Lake
City / town · 6 listings
Stockholm
City / town · 5 listings
Baldwin
City / town · 4 listings
Prescott
City / town · 4 listings
Spring Valley
City / town · 4 listings
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Park · 3 listings
Ellsworth
City / town · 3 listings
Menomonie
City / town · 3 listings
Superior
City / town · 3 listings
Cornucopia
City / town · 2 listings
River Falls
City / town · 2 listings
St. Croix Falls
City / town · 2 listings
Black River Falls
City / town · 2 listings
Augusta
City / town · 1 listings
Bayfield
City / town · 1 listings
Osseo
City / town · 1 listings
Pepin
City / town
Madeline Island
City / town
Cities
- Altoona
- Ashland
- Baldwin
- Bayfield
- Black River Falls
- Chippewa Falls
- Cornucopia
- Eau Claire
- Ellsworth
- Hudson
- Ladysmith
- Menomonie
- Neillsville — great little town
- Osseo
- Pepin
- Rice Lake
- River Falls
- St. Croix Falls
- Spooner
- Stockholm
- Superior
- Washburn
Get in
- Chippewa Valley Regional Airport (EAU)
See
The National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum in Hayward, northeast of Spooner, is a museum in dedicated to promoting fresh water fishing, housed in the world's largest muskie sculpture.
Do
Chippewa Valley
Click on the city name for things to do in: *Chippewa Falls *Eau Claire *Menomonie
Chippewa Valley Festivals and Events
Click on the city name for festivals and events in: *Chippewa Falls *Eau Claire *Menomonie
These listings are presented in chronological order.
Northland
St. Croix Valley
Do Crex Meadows Wildlife Area
A wide variety of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects also reside here. The rare sedge marsh and brush prairie habitats make the area a utopia for wildlife which, in turn, makes Crex a paradise for bird watchers, naturalists, botanists, hunters, trappers, and all the other hearty explorers who are interested in the great bounty that nature offers.
Eat
Chippewa Valley
Click on the city name for restaurants in: *Chippewa Falls *Eau Claire *Menomonie
Eat The Creamery
Just off the Red Cedar State bike path.
Northland
St. Croix Valley
Twin Ports
Subregions
- Chippewa Valley. Located in the southeastern part of the region. Major cities are Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, and Menomonie.
- Coulee Region. The northern tip of the Coulee Region is in the southern part of Northwest Wisconsin. The rest, including the city of La Crosse, is in the Southwest Wisconsin region.
- Northland. Includes Rice Lake, Barron, Chetek, Spooner, Hayward.
- St. Croix Valley. Located along the western edge of the region (bordering Minnesota). The major city is Hudson.
- Twin Ports. Located in the northwestern part of the region. The major cities are Superior and, across the river in Minnesota, Duluth.
- Bayfield Peninsula Bounded on the north and east by Lake Superior and the south by Chequamegon Bay. The shoreline includes the villages of Port Wing, Herbster, Cornucopia, and Redcliff, and the small cities of Bayfield and Washburn. The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is on the northern tip of the peninsula mainland and 21 adjacent islands in Lake Superior.
Nearby
Chisago County
City / town · 13 listings · 46 mi away
Bayport
City / town · 1 listings · 49 mi away
Stillwater
City / town · 13 listings · 50 mi away
Afton
City / town · 6 listings · 51 mi away
Wabasha
City / town · 4 listings · 54 mi away
Red Wing
City / town · 18 listings · 54 mi away
Forest Lake
City / town · 4 listings · 59 mi away
Woodbury
City / town · 7 listings · 59 mi away
My experience
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