Wisconsin Dells

A resort town beside the Wisconsin River's sandstone gorges, billed as the Waterpark Capital of the World; after a gorge boat tour, go hiking at Devil's Lake State Park.

Wisconsin Dells is in south-central Wisconsin, about an hour's drive from the state capital, Madison, and about 3 hours from Chicago, and it's the Midwest's best-known family vacation town. "Dells" refers to the roughly 8 km sandstone gorge the Wisconsin River has cut here, where water and weathering have carved the cliffs into strange rock formations, deep ravines and pillars; in the 19th century, photographer H.H. Bennett's images turned it into a tourist destination. Today the town calls itself the "Waterpark Capital of the World." Along Wisconsin Dells Parkway are large outdoor parks such as Noah's Ark and Mt. Olympus, plus resorts with indoor waterparks such as Kalahari, Great Wolf Lodge and Wilderness Resort, so you can play in the water even in winter. The classic outing is an Upper Dells boat tour, going ashore to walk Witches Gulch and watching a dog leap across the gap at Stand Rock, or riding an amphibious WWII Duck as it plunges into the river; downtown Broadway is lined with fudge shops and retro amusement stores. There's plenty of nature nearby: Mirror Lake State Park is good for paddling, while Devil's Lake State Park, about 25 minutes south, has a glacial lake and quartzite bluff trails and is the most popular state park in Wisconsin; Circus World museum and the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, and the steam trains in North Freedom, are also worth a half day. Seasons: Jun–Aug is peak season for the parks and boat tours, with crowds and high prices; Sep–Oct is fall foliage season and the best time for hiking; most outdoor parks and boat tours run May–Oct, while winter is all about indoor waterparks and cross-country skiing. Getting there: you'll need a car, via Interstate 90/94; the town's attractions are spread along the Parkway. Plan on 2–3 days, book summer weekend lodging well ahead, and buy a vehicle pass for the state parks.

Top sights

Dells Boat Tours (Upper Dells & Stand Rock) – Boat through the sandstone canyons of the Wisconsin River, step ashore into the narrow Witch's Gulch, and watch trained dogs leap across a…
Noah's Ark Waterpark – The largest outdoor waterpark in the United States, with about 50 slides, including one of the longest indoor-outdoor coaster-style water s…
Kalahari Resort Wisconsin Dells – A large Africa-themed resort with one of the largest indoor waterparks in the United States, plus an indoor amusement park. You can swim he…
Devil's Lake State Park – Wisconsin's most popular state park. A deep blue glacial lake is ringed by 150-meter quartzite cliffs, and boulder trails such as Balanced…
Great Wolf Lodge Wisconsin Dells – The first location of the Great Wolf Lodge chain, a forest-lodge-style resort with an indoor water park and magical treasure-hunt games tha…
Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park – A Greek mythology-themed complex with multiple wooden roller coasters, go-kart tracks, and indoor and outdoor water parks, all on one ticke…
Wilderness Resort – A sprawling resort with several indoor and outdoor water parks, two golf courses, and indoor play areas, which bills itself as the largest…
Original Wisconsin Ducks – Sightseeing vehicles converted from World War II amphibious trucks, which drive through forest trails, plunge down the riverbank into the W…
Downtown Wisconsin Dells (Broadway) – The main street next to the boat docks, lined with fudge shops, candy stores, souvenir shops, wax museums, and haunted houses, with an even…
Tommy Bartlett Exploratory – A science playground with more than a hundred hands-on interactive exhibits, where you can see a real backup core module of the Russian Mir…
Lost Canyon – A horse-drawn wagon ride through a narrow sandstone canyon about 1.5 km long, with tall walls on both sides that in some places nearly brus…
Mirror Lake State Park – A long, narrow, still lake surrounded by sandstone cliffs, with a mirror-like surface that is ideal for canoeing and paddleboarding, and ho…
Rocky Arbor State Park – A small state park on the edge of the Dells, where a roughly 1.6 km loop trail winds through pines along the sandstone cliffs of an old riv…
Parfrey's Glen State Natural Area – Wisconsin's first state natural area, a narrow sandstone gorge carpeted with moss, with a stream running through it that ends at a small wa…
Circus World Museum – The former winter quarters of the Ringling Bros. circus, with the world's largest collection of circus parade wagons, and in summer, daily…
International Crane Foundation – The only place in the world where you can see all 15 crane species at once, including the whooping crane, red-crowned crane, and white-nape…
Mid-Continent Railway Museum – An outdoor railway museum in North Freedom where you can ride a steam train through farmland and forest in the Baraboo Hills, with many res…
Riverside & Great Northern Railway – A 15-inch narrow-gauge steam train on the northern edge of the Dells, running along an old rail bed through sandstone cuttings and pine for…
Natural Bridge State Park – The largest natural sandstone arch in Wisconsin, under which a rock shelter was once home to Native Americans about 10,000 years ago, one o…
Wollersheim Winery & Distillery – A 19th-century winery on a hillside above the Wisconsin River, with stone cellars open for tours, producing some of the state's best-known…

Where to eat

Del-Bar Supper Club – A classic supper club run by the Wimmer family since 1943, housed in a prairie-style building designed by a Frank Lloyd…
Ishnala Supper Club – A seasonal supper club on the shore of Mirror Lake in Mirror Lake State Park, whose brandy Old Fashioned has been named…
Moosejaw Pizza & Dells Brewing – A three-story pizzeria styled like a northwoods lodge and the only brewpub in Wisconsin Dells, popular with families, w…
MACS Macaroni and Cheese Shop – A Wisconsin homegrown mac and cheese specialty shop on Broadway, serving a range of flavors in cast-iron skillets at bu…