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 A
Gathering of Rivers and Stories…
Crawford County...lies among the steeply chiseled bluffs and rugged valleys of the region
known as the Driftless Area of southwest
Wisconsin. Knit together by a series of meandering rivers and trout-filled
tributaries, Crawford County offers the first-time visitor places that
soothe the soul, and the seasoned visitor reasons enough to return again and
again. Here you will find vistas that inspire your imagination, communities
that welcome your coming, and special respites away from the hectic pace of
city life.
The rivers
define Crawford County. The Mighty Mississippi, running powerfully along
its western edge; the Wisconsin coursing along its southern boundary; and
the Kickapoo winding its way through its heart, give the land its ambiance
and appeal. The rivers carried the area’s first explorers and lured the
first inhabitants to their banks, and from these intrepid pioneers came
the stories of adventure,
perseverance, and success that tell our history.
The story of
Crawford County has been a long
time in the making. The county’s unique
topography is the result of escaping the land-flattening glaciers
of the last ice age some 10,000 years ago,
 thereby earning the “Driftless”
designation. This rugged terrain played host to a long lineage of
prehistoric Indians, including a culture whose animal-shaped burial mounds
are preserved at Effigy Mounds National Monument across the river in
Marquette, Iowa, and several Native American tribes: including the Ho-Chunk, Mesquakie, and Dakota. Marquette and Joliet arrived in 1673, drawing behind
them the French-Canadian voyageurs, entrepreneurs, and traders and in turn,
the military interests of the French, British and Americans. They came to
explore or seek fortune, to barter their goods at the annual Rendezvous – an
assemblage of traders and trappers still celebrated today – and many stayed
to live out their lives in this special place.
 A host of activities celebrates the rich
history of
Crawford County. Historical
buildings, attractions, and markers located throughout the county offer the
traveler a path through a fascinating tale of human exploration and
settlement. For those interested in genealogy, the Wisconsin Travel Center
in Prairie du Chien has a map of cemeteries compiled by the Lower Wisconsin
River Genealogical and Historical Research Center, providing a window into
our ancestral past.
Rivers, streams, and woodlands present the visitor with an extensive choice
of outdoor activities. Among
the most popular are boating on the Mississippi, canoeing on the Kickapoo,
fishing of all types – including fly fishing and ice
 fishing,
eagle watching along the river, hiking through a county or state park, game
hunting, horseback riding, camping, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling.
If it’s “infotainment” you’re after, then the making of cheese or wine
presents a deliciously educational experience.
Completing the story are the people
who live here today, from the shopkeepers, innkeepers and restaurateurs who
welcome you through their doors, to the artists and artisans
 who choose this
extraordinary setting for daily inspiration. These are the people that
make this place
–
Crawford County – feel like
home.
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