Road Trip Through Trempealeau County, Wisconsin: A Scenic Fall Drive

Featured Photo by Trempealeau County Tourism

Road Trip Through Trempealeau County, Wisconsin: A Scenic Fall Drive

Trempealeau County

With incredible scenic views and a variety of ways to explore scenic drives throughout the county, Trempealeau County is a great destination for a fall drive to see the changing Autumn colors of the Wisconsin countryside. Trempealeau County features scenic routes that cruise through a number of towns and villages, and all that characterizes these welcoming communities. These routes also offer wonderful scenic views of the Trempealeau waterways and parks, giving travelers an excellent glimpse at the fall beauty of the area when the leaves start turning bright reds, yellows, browns, and oranges. Use this guide to craft your own fall scenic drive through Trempealeau County, or follow each leg of the route to make a loop of the entire county, starting and ending in Trempealeau, Wisconsin. Be sure to explore the cities and plan for some fun stops along the way!

Map by Trempealeau County Tourism

Travelers in Trempealeau County who wish to take a scenic drive can start at any place in the county and explore the routes on their own. But a great place to start your journey is in the river town of Trempealeau, especially if you would like to make a loop out of your drive and travel throughout the entire county. The historic village of Trempealeau is located on the mighty Mississippi River, and the first short stint of the drive will take you on Highway 35, better known as the Wisconsin Great River Road. From Trempealeau, this scenic route will take you to Arcadia, and you’ll be able to see the mighty river against the beautiful backdrop of colorful fall leaves as the season changes. Passing through Centerville and Tamarack, travelers will get a glimpse at the lush rolling hills, farmland, wildlife areas and waterways that make up this region of Trempealeau County. A few places to stop along the way include Ferguson’s Orchard and Winghaven Pizza Farm. Right before coming into Arcadia, there is a nice hilltop overlook where you can pull over and take in some of the fall scenes while stretching your legs.

Photo by Trempealeau County Tourism

In Arcadia travelers can stop for a bite to eat, or head to Soldiers Walk Veterans Memorial Park or another park if they packed a picnic. When they’re ready to get back on the road, travelers will head back out by taking Highway 95 east out of Arcadia until they reach County Road N. The next community on this scenic route will be the city of Independence, before eventually heading up to Eleva. But along the way to these welcoming communities you will pass by more lush countryside, farmlands, natural scenes such as Square Bluff and of course beautiful displays of bright red, orange, yellow, and brown leaves on the trees lining the roads. Independence is another great community to stop in along your drive with parks, waterways, and welcoming establishments. When you are ready to head to Eleva, the scenic route will take you to the most western region of the county past the Borst Valley Wildlife Area, Elk Creek, and Trout Creek. This area is also characterized by lush wooded areas and farmland. Eventually, you will reach Eleva, a small, historic town in the northwestern point of the county. Eleva Lake Park is a great place to get out and walk around for a short break, or if you’re traveling with kids Eleva Playground is another option.

Photo by Trempealeau County Tourism

After spending some time in Eleva, the next leg of the scenic drive will start taking you back around the loop to your starting point. You will want to take Highway 10 all the way across the top of Trempealeau County until you come into Osseo. This route takes you across the width of the top of the county and passes through downtown Strum, past Strum Lake, and nearby the Buffalo River State Trail. Osseo is a great Trempealeau County community with a historic downtown area that is worth checking out. On your way out of town, you will get a glimpse of Lake Martha and pass through many farms on the outskirts of Osseo on Highway 53. Along this road, you can find more wildlife areas, including King Creek and Tollefson Marsh, another wayside where you can stop to take in some views and the Buena Vista Overlook on the way to Whitehall. There is lots to do in Whitehall including a number of beautiful parks, breweries and bars, cafes, restaurants, and more.

Photo by Trempealeau County Tourism

From Whitehall there are a variety of ways to get back to Trempealeau, but there are two main scenic routes. The first route takes you back toward Arcadia and follows the same route you originally came through. Or you can finish the full scenic route loop on the opposite side of the county which will take you through Blair, Ettrick, and Galesville before finally arriving back in Trempealeau. If you choose the latter of the two routes, your next destination will be the town of Blair. On your way you will pass Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area and a third wayside along Highway 53 for stopping and looking at the natural scenery and the colorful fall leaves. If you want to stop at a park in Blair, Riverside Memorial Park by Lake Henry is a good place to make a pit stop. From there travelers will head towards Ettrick, taking the scenic route on County Road S past beautiful fall trees and scenes on both sides of the road. If you would like to stop for a drink, Tenba Ridge Winery can be found along the way.

Photo by Trempealeau County Tourism

Once you reach Ettrick, your scenic drive will take you through the charming downtown area before heading back out of town and onto County Road D. You’ll pass Decorah Peak, Decorah Mound, more farmland, lush rolling hills, and plenty of forested areas decorated in fall colors on your way to Galesville. The historic downtown area is a must-visit Galesville staple, but there are also great outdoor places to see like Marinuka Lake and a number of parks. Plus Galesville has restaurants to stop into for dinner, depending on what time you make it to town on your scenic drive. From Galesville, travelers will enter the last leg of the drive back to Trempealeau by taking Highway 54 out of town. The scenic route will take you past the airport and more farmland, before getting back on K, which will take you back into historic Trempealeau.

Photo by Trempealeau County Tourism

Take time to have fun in the beautiful natural landscape of Trempealeau County! Enter to win a trip at https://co.trempealeau.wi.us/visitors/index.php. Learn more about scenic drives and routes, and more to do in Trempealeau County at Trempealeau County Tourism.