Discover Bluff Country along the Great River Road - great in Summer and magical in Fall!
We have loved our day trips along the Great River Road so we thought we'd make a weekend of it. We explored the best of La Crosse, WI & Winona, MN and wanted to share our favorite places!
Suncrest Gardens Pizza Farm
Before we made our way to La Crosse or LAX as they call it, we stopped for an delicious dinner at Suncrest Gardens Pizza Farm. We were blown away at the setting, they had a huge garden, U-pick flowers and a breathtaking view! We've been to 3 pizza farms this year and this tops it for ambiance! There was a live performer, all sorts of drink options with a separate bar area & outstanding pizza! This was our runner up for pizza, maybe because our first pizza farm experience can't be beat, but it was VERY close! Overall, probably my favorite pizza farm that I can't wait to go back to!
Granddad Bluff Valley Trail
There are SO many trails to choose from that are just minutes away from downtown La Crosse so we definitely aren't experts in the area, but we loved the Granddad Bluff Valley Trail. The trailhead is before you get to Granddad Bluff Lookout, which most people do, but we like to work a little harder for our views. There are a few different trailheads off this parking lot, but you want to walk towards the very wide trail that looks like a car could drive down. From there, you will get a first look of the beautiful views. The trail is a little hard to find, but look to your left and you'll find a narrow trail that heads down into the valley. From there just follow the path to the bluffs and adventure as much as you can based on your comfort zone! We decided to take the trail out and back because there was thunder rolling in, but there is a loop that wasn't as clearly defined.
Granddad Lookout
The rain came pouring down as we made our way back to our car and it's just a short drive to Granddad Lookout so it was almost empty with viewers. We visited for a short time as the rain stopped and the on-lookers came retreating in.
La Crosse Blufflands via Quarry Trail
The Hixon Forest is impressive, especially for being so close to a moderately large city. There are a lot of different trails to choose from. We use the All Trails App and it didn't even come close to covering all the different options you have. We definitely enjoyed this hike, but I feel like we missed the major views in the Hixon Forest so be sure to grab a map.
Grounded Café
One of our all time favorite coffee shops in MN is in La Crosse! It's hard to find a place we both like and we LOVED Grounded Cafe! Suberb coffee!
608 Brewing Company
We had heard of 608 Brewing Co, but it definitely doesn't get the hype that it deserves! We visited the night we drove in and found out that they were doing a bottle release with one of the breweries we visited in California last year, Moksa Brewing Co. So we knew we'd have to try and snag a bottle! Not only were their anniversary stouts delicious they are killing it with their Hazy IPA and Smoothie Sours! A definite must for quality beer!
Pearl Street Brewing
Pearl Street Brewing is located in the old La Crosse Boot factory building. It's definitely got that unique, old school brewery feel. I was tempted to get a flight, but their boards were huge so we decided to go with 3 small pours. 2 experimental sours, 1 hazy ipa. I kind of wish we stuck to some of their staples, but it was still a fun stop. They have a small outdoor space in the back alley, very quaint & private feeling...maybe because it was 95 degrees out ha.
World's Largest 6 Pack
If you love beer & history, this landmark is a must! In 1969, the G. Heileman Brewery built six 54' storage tanks. Whether by design or a grand idea, a year later, the tanks were painted to resemble cans of Old Style Lager beer, and the tanks was proclaimed the "World's Largest Six Pack." After changes of ownership & a bad paint job, in 2003 they brought back the World's Largest Six Pack, with their new brand, La Crosse Lager.
Other things to do in La Crosse
River Front Walk - take a nice stroll along the riverside, be sure to visit all the Pelican statues.
Turtle Stack Brewing - in the heart of downtown, but it was unfortunately was closed during our visit.
La Crosse Distilling - this place looked amazing, but was also closed.
The Old Crow - stop by for some rare whiskey tastings, they have an amazing selection.
Thanks for checking out all the fun things to do in La Crosse. Make sure to read our post about Things to do in Winona, MN next and check out our other itineraries below. For more content on each location, visit our Featured Stories on Instagram!