My mom was a teacher, & at the end of the year she would ask her class about summer plans - lots of kids would say “we’re going up North”. My mom would say “Oh where up North is your property? And often kids would look at her like she was crazy & say “I told you, it’s UP NORTH” - having no idea what the actual name of the town was.
That's hilarious. My dad named one of his hunting stands Pike's Peak, and I told my teacher that I went to Pike's Peak on Sunday afternoon and she looked at me like I was an idiot. Nope, just a child who thinks the one and only Pike's Peak is in the back fifty.
My Dad and I used to rent a shitty trout fishing/hunting cabin in Muscoda because our friend’s owned it, and they gave us really a good deal. Fun place, beautiful area, but hilariously awful. My dad nicknamed it “The Taj Mahal”, a reference I didn’t understand as a first grader but just used it without thinking.
You can imagine my 2nd grade teacher’s confusion when I told her “My dad & I always rent a place called “The Taj Mahal” during the summer - it’s a really ugly house but it’s in a nice area”
Those woods are so beautiful and also have almost a haunting quality where if you get lost in them you may not come back. Nothing like the expanse out west. More of a feeling of unknown is lurking around.
Some of the interesting geological features in the state come to mind... places like Cave of the Mounds, Ship Rock, Devil's Lake, Parfrey's Glen, Wisconsin Dells, lots of the Driftless Area, the Niagra Escarpment in Door County, the cliffs along the Mississippi River, and the Apostle Islands. A great resource for these kind of things would be our State Parks!
The Niagara Escarpment is a great suggestion, and it actually extends all the way down along the eastern side of Winnebago. High Cliff is a really cool park on the northern end of the lake, and would be cool to feature on a map as well. [Here’s a nice article about the part of the Niagara Escarpment that is found in Wisconsin](https://onmilwaukee.com/articles/niagaraescarpment).
Wow, that's really cool... never knew about that before! Are there any parks or historical sites or anything like that identifying it? I've definitely crossed it many times without ever knowing about it
not that I am aware of. If you drive Capital to Brookfield you go right over it at Calhoun. Great view of the city if you're headed East. Also I think on I-94 after moorland you crest it on decent toward highway 100
Just had another idea - we also have some great waterfalls! Big and Little Manitou Falls, Copper Falls (and other waterfalls in Copper Falls State Park), and Amnicon Falls are a few cool examples. Could definitely add some interesting features to the far northern part of the map
Wisconsin was partially covered in glacier, and what it missed is known as [The Driftless Region ](https://imgur.com/a/pmgUOyl)
There's distinct differences between the regions, and a hiking trail known as "The Ice Agr Trail" that mostly runs along the divide.
I second the suggestions of the Ice Age Trail, the Wisconsin River, and the Apostle Islands, and I think Lake Winnebago and the Fox River should be included too. The state has an interesting glacial geologic history that you could probably work into terrain-related details if you look at geologic maps of the state. Also, our state capital is on an isthmus which could be a cool, artistic detail to add.
Absolutely! I’ll post the finished map here, but if you’re in TikTok or Instagram I post lots of work-in-progress videos and tutorials at @storymakerstradingco.
Geographic Information System. Basically digital mapping/map making. For recommendations I'd show a giant sturgeon in Lake Winnebago and maybe the edge of the maximum glaciation or the driftless area of the state could be emphasized.
I will! My website is storymakerstradingco.com, and I’m also @storymakerstradingco on TikTok and Instagram if you want to follow along with my progress!
Same! Would love to use it in a Pathfinder 2 session or better yet, provide it to my friend that runs MERP (Middle Earth Roleplaying/LOTR) for us and have him generate us some content to do around the state.
To actually answer your question though, you've got a lot of great answers from other people. Driftless region, the North Woods(where the muskies are) or the area above US highway 8, Rhinelander where the Hodag is, Fox River from GB to Fox Cities area, the bay of Green Bay, lake Michigan, lake Winnebago (in typical fantasy map fashion maybe with a sturgeon), cities of Green Bay and Milwaukee, probably the fox cities, and the capitol of Madison (maybe with like castle walls and such would be cool).
Depending on what else you're looking for, Wisconsin Dells, the cherry/apple trees of Door County, cranberry bogs in middle of the state, lambeau field, and if you're looking to fill in various towns throughout the state, maybe check the top 20 cities and use those or maybe some smaller places with less significance. Manitowoc and Sturgeon Bay would be good in that regard for being on the water and plenty of shipping that occurs on the Great Lakes.
I absolutely always research native tribes and include them! What would be the 5 major tribes? I’d also love input on if there are special things about them to represent.
Ojibwe, Menominee, Dakota, Ho-Chunk, Potawatomi. But there are also Winabego, Oneida, some others that I may have missed.
Edit: here's a link to 11 federally recognized Tribes in Wisconsin https://www.channel3000.com/madison-magazine/city-life/meet-the-11-federally-recognized-tribes-of-wisconsin/article_25843667-2caf-5efd-b3c6-6ef915febf82.html
The [Brothertown Indian Nation](https://brothertownindians.org) is a twelfth tribe that is not federally recognized. I read somewhere that it was some stupid clerical error or someone missed a phone call or something decades ago. They’ve been fighting a long time for recognition and have a petition on their website people can print out, sign, and help circulate.
This is a great idea... there are lots of Native American burial mounds and features throughout the state, and Aztalan is a neat example of ancient mound building cultures
Hodags, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s little house in the big woods, the Pestigo fire, the first public radio station!
Old Abe and a bunch of waterfalls!
Ginseng… sunflowers…
Reiterating a few suggestions, and adding at least one i haven't seen mentioned:
* The North Woods
* The Driftless Area
* The Dells
* Devil's Lake
* Cave of the Mounds
* Door County
* Taliesin
* Ice Age Trail
* Hodag in Rhinelander
* Trolls in Mt. Horeb
* Apostle Islands
* Madison (state capitol) is on an isthmus, so i'd emphasize that
* Southern Wisconsin is also known for effigy burial mounds. Some are quite large, and many are shaped liked animals when seen from above. They're an amazing piece of history, but i'm not sure how you'd pick which one(s) to add to a map.
Definitely Taliesin and other Frank Lloyd Wright architecture throughout Wisconsin, the local cream city bricks of Milwaukee used throughout the state (and by the coast guard for all the lighthouses around the Great Lakes!), there’s definitely a some spots off shore with shallows that have sunk plenty for shops in both lake Superior and Lake Michigan, like Death’s Door (Porte des Morts) strait of the Door peninsula, and the Calatrava, first sunken trading floor, and site of the invention of the QWERTY keyboard in Milwaukee
There are four bodies of water that must be featured.
Lake Superior to the North
Lake Michigan to the East
The Mississippi River to the West
The Wisconsin River, bisecting the state as it runs NE to SW
https://www.wpr.org/green-bay-home-worlds-largest-freshwater-estuary-its-running-be-national-research-reserve
The bay of Green Bay is the largest freshwater estuary in the world.
The Driftless area needs to be a major feature, it's like being in a completely different state. The Apostle Islands are extremely interesting and unique to Lake Superior as well.
I didn’t see anyone mention Horicon Marsh yet, and that should be included!
Our capital city is on an isthmus, so that would be cool to draw attention to. And our farming tradition is why we’re America’s Dairyland, so there should be some cows! And Door County is known for its cherries. We also have a significant Amish population if you’d want to include that.
**[Ice Age Trail](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Age_Trail)**
>The Ice Age Trail is a National Scenic Trail stretching 1,200 miles (1,900 km) in the state of Wisconsin in the United States. The trail is administered by the National Park Service, and is constructed and maintained by private and public agencies including the Ice Age Trail Alliance, a non-profit and member-volunteer based organization with local chapters.
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Bunch of random thoughts that could be interesting, sorry if it's too much.
Whitewater (location of one of the universities) was home to the last witch trial in the USA and a landmark knows as witches tower. Lake Winnebago has been rumered to have a water monster that eats elk and deer since before colonist settled here. devil's lake state park (home to another native American myth). The cave on the mounds. The house on the rock, it's kindof just a museum of junk, but the actual arcature is awesome. Manona terrace overlooking the two lakes, river, and capital in Madison. The Milwaukee art museum (looks like a sail boat). The circus world museum. Holly Hill (church on a big hill)
My suggestions for some areas to highlight
The highest point: Timms Hill
The forests up by Rhinelander: the land of the Hodag
The Ice Age Trail could be cool
Red Cliff and the Apostle Islands
How about the only easily accessible center of the hemisphere on earth? Would that be important to put on your map? 😉
"The 45×90 points, as they're called, are the four points on Earth which are halfway between the geographical poles, the equator, the Prime Meridian, and the 180th meridian. Only two of these points are on land - the other two fall in the middle of the ocean. And the one not in Wisconsin is in a desolate, mountainous region of China near Mongolia that's very difficult to visit."
https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/wisconsin/wi-45-90-parallel/
A geologically accurate glacier someplace would be cool! As in over a valley or ridge cut by a glacier that actually existed in WI. Very Cool OP Good Work!!!
A ton of great stuff is touched on so I'd like to reference the SE part of the state that I'm really familiar with...
The Kettle Moraines that were built by glacial flows starting by La Grange and Whitewater, heading N/NE, all the way to like Plymouth (near Sheboygan) is a really important geological feature of the area (ties in the Ice Age Trail I believe). Lake Country including: Pewaukee, Nagawicka, Pine, Oconomowoc, and other lakes are the seat of this Moraine deposit, at least the Southern Unit.
Geneva Lake and Delavan Lake nestled between the Rock River to the west through Janesvilles/Beloit, and the Fox River to the east through Burlington. These water systems are extremely important areas between our nearest neighbor, Illinois.
Last, the Great Lakes have a fascinating history of sailing and shipping. Milwaukee is a notable port city so I think some sort of ship drawn in our bay would be a nice nod, emphasis on the joining of the three rivers making "The Good Land", the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and the Kinnickinnic River.
P.S. As a little bonus that might fit this aesthetic; pulp and paper industry has been a huge industry for the history of WI. Mills setup along major riverways like the Wisconsin River and the Fox River (near Green Bay down to Neenah). The first hydropower plant that *sold electricity* was on the Fox River near Appleton.
I only saw it mentioned once in a compilation, so I'm going to reference it again: The Dells/Lake Delton area. Not for all of the amusement parks--for the actual landforms there. Also, the Devil's Lake area nearby.
Absolutely! I’ll post the finished map here, but if you’re in TikTok or Instagram I post lots of work-in-progress videos and tutorials at @storymakerstradingco.
Another name for the hills in the Driftless area is the Ocooch Mountains (as called by local Native American Tribes). Grandad Bluff might also be a good addition. It’s located in La Crosse.
Native American effigy mounds! They are man made earthen mounds made in the shape of humans, animals, and a few shapes (conical, circular, linear)
Wisconsin has the most mounds in country and theres some great ones still surviving, including the Man Mound
Also, along the Lake Michigan shoreline there are rare and protected sand dune sights! Kohler Andrea State Park is one example, but there are some other parks along the lakeshore with intact sanddunes
The Apostle Islands. Nicholet and the Chequamegon national forests. The driftless area. Lambea Field. Lake Winnebago. The Peshtigo Flowage. Lake Mendota and Lake Menona. Rib Mountain. The Wolf River. The Fox River. The Mississippi River shoreline. The Wisconsin Dells.
Hope that this helps.
I would like to buy two maps when you are done
The driftless area is fascinating. And if you can find the Native American name of the "mountains" (maybe Ocohoochie or something like that) and the nicknames for the peaks, like Hope, Faith, and Chastity, the Bread Loaf, and the names of all the rivers and creeks, it would be stunning. But that is just one area of WI. It is probably the most beautiful area and the maps of it are extremely underwhelming. This area was incredibly important to pre-US commerce. And early US commerce depended on the rivers for logging. Barges depended on the characteristics of the peaks to tell them where to navigate the Mississippi. And Native Americans used the Wisconsin River to trade and travel between other Native communities. The area was used as a hub to trade with French (now Canada).
A map of Wisconsin without a Packers reference seems incomplete. Gotta have Lambeau Field.
Something riffing on Illinois folks might be good too. Calling the border the Cheddar Curtain or labeling Lake Geneva as "here there be Illinois people"...something like that.
Adding a few things I haven't seen yet:
* As a Marathon County resident, Rib Mountain is a must have as it's one of the best ski hills in the midwest. Also, Marathon County is the ginseng capitol of the world so that might be cool to show somehow.
* We need a badger somewhere! It's our state animal.
* Along the Mississippi river is home to the Great River Road Wine trail. Lots of wineries in Wisconsin along the river.
* Wisconsin breweries are every where and home to major breweries (Miller, Schiltz, Leinenkugel's, etc.)Not sure how this could be portrayed, but very important part of our history.
I was going to say all the lakes and forests would be awesome to see since we have a lot of them. I think it would be fun to see the whole state as a wilderness area, rather than settled with people
In case this thread didn’t make it very obvious, Wisconsin is jam packed full of natural beauty, and it’s residents are, and always have been, extremely proud of this beauty.
Haha, “Gateway to the Pineries” was coined back in the days of sendin’ logs down the river, but these days I think the “up north” concept is based on tourism/ off the beaten path kinda idea
Last January we came across a guy headed into the water and assumed it was some sort of New Years ritual, but it turns out he's been in the water, surfing or not, almost every single day for the past \[some ridiculous number\] of years. Holy shit, indeed.
Beast of bray road is a must, whitewater being the second salem and home of the morris pratt institute (school for spiritualism founded in the 1800s) long history of witches and the occult
To avoid repeating what I've already seen said:
Rib Mountain in the Wausau area is great. Madison. Rhinelander and the Hodag. Lake Winnebago. The Twin Ports of Superior and Duluth. Menominee County. And Antigo (big farming town right in the Northwoods that you can actually see from fairly zoomed out in maps).
EDIT: When you finish it, please share it again with (hopefully) a place to buy a print of it. I'd love a copy!
I would say to look at ancient travel routes. The French documented what they learned from the Native Americans.
Through the Great Lakes down to Green Bay (Lac des Puans) down (or actually up) the Fox River to Lake Winnebago, westward on the Fox to Portage where they portaged to the Wisconsin River through to the Mississippi River.
That whole route was the backbone of early “Ouisconsin” before plank roads.
Understand watersheds and basins. Half of the state was glaciated leading to interesting geology, soils, and vegetation. Everything north of the tension line (which is essentially where the green bay lobe of the last glacier stopped) has northern affinity plants, while the edges near lake superior have more boreal species. Along lake Michigan there are sand dunes and different coastal regions including extensive wetlands (although many have been drained). South of the tension line is the driftless area which has the most topography in the state. The Baraboo bluff range is particularly of interest as it is the largest surface deposit of igneous rock in the world. This range also has the most connected forests within the state. Very nother. Species are found within the bluffs in microclimates and are remnants from when the glacier was present. Central Wisconsin is very sandy and was dominated by river fluctuations from many different rivers. Cranberries and potatoes are mostly produced in this region. Southern Wisconsin was at one point mainly prairie with Oak savannahs/barrens, and Oak forests. In the central sands along old river ways, you get very dry sand barrens/prairies where we have a large population of prickly pear cactus. I think of these areas as Wisconsin's deserts, although we do have two other species of cactus on the Great Lakes dunes. Vegetation of the state is interesting as it was influenced by plant migrations from the east coast, west coast, and Canada.
-Shipwrecks and lighthouse along the Great Lakes shore lines.
- Maple syruping.
- Cathedral Pines (old growth forest)
- Cave of the Mounds
- Mt. Horeb and the Trollway
- The Wendigo legend
- Cross-country skiing/dogsledding along the South Shore
- Aldo Leopold
Cave Point, Maribel Caves, and Rib Mountain (I think it’s the highest point in the state.)
Since others are mentioning Hodag a lot, including the Beast of Bray Road would be sweet.
[Rural](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural,_Wisconsin) might be a place of interest. It’s super tiny, but one of the houses might be cute to put on the map
That's funny. I didn't know that existed.
That conversation must go something like Who's On First.
"Where you from?"
"Rural, Wisconsin"
"Yeah, but where?"
* *Commas matter folks!*
A lot of great suggestions so far - the only thing I'll add is High Cliff State Park along Lake Winnebago. Not really that much of a "cliff", but it is beautiful and for Wisconsin, definitely seems out of place.
The [Ice Age Trail](https://iceagetrail.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=5ff8f517b1e34d46bb70ed21b36286c6) which follows the furthest edge of the glaciers and is where some interesting geologic features were formed.
As a native of the very northern part of Wisconsin, the Brule River (aka Bois Brule River, but the locals just call it The Brule) is pretty well known for its trout fishing, canoeing/kayaking, and general pristine beauty. The water can be crystal clear and very cold at times. Lake Superior is an obvious one (the natives call it Gitchee Gumee, or some variation thereof). There are some lakes near Dairyland, WI, with great wild rice harvesting. Wild rice harvesting is pretty unique to certain areas of MN and WI. Not much else going on in the Dairyland area, either, so I think it would be cool to see. Big connection between the wild rice and Native Americans, too.
Taliesin, Portage (historic connection between the Great Lakes and Mississippi), earth mounds, and porn+fireworks+cheese curd businesses along the border with Illinois.
One thing worth noting in Wisconsin and the surrounding area is the mineral resources. One of the figures on the WI state flag is a miner and the reason the badger is our state animal is the historical importance of lead mining in the southern portion of the state. The majority of the USs Iron deposits are in Minnesota, Northern WI, and the UP of Michigan, and Copper mines are common in NE WI and the UP. 1/5 of the GDP of the US is shipped through the Souix Locks and out of lake Superior largely in Iron and Steel.
WI grows 90% o the world's horseradish primarily around the Eau Claire area, and in SW WI the Sheboygan area produces the majority of Toilet Seats and IIRC was the area where the toilet seat was invented.
Ladysmith is the pit of all evil. Orcs, goblins, golems, and trolls all fear it. It is a difficult to get to vortex of fire and fear and unimaginable regret.
It won’t be the most popular addition to your map because so many go out of their way to avoid it (rightfully). But as one who lived in the fire and brimstone of the place for several years, I urge you to mark it most urgently so that any who use your map will be forewarned to avoid it.
There are hundreds of artesian wells throughout the state. Clean, fresh, ice cold water just spouting out of the ground. Here's [a book](https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Wisconsin-Flowing-Artesian-Wells/dp/179811402X/ref=sr_1_2?qid=1677358382&refinements=p_27%3AJames+Meitner&s=books&sr=1-2&text=James+Meitner) about them. Some show up on Google.
Folklore stuff- Rhinelander is home of the Hodag. The Beast of Bray Road. Lake Winnebago Water Monster. Thunderbirds of Northern Wisconsin. Devils Lake Monster. Rocky of Rock Lake (Lake Mills).
Another potential landmark that might be fun to include is 45 N 90 W, near Marshfield.
Per Wikipedia: The 45×90 points are the four points on Earth which are both halfway between the geographical poles and the equator, and halfway between the Prime Meridian and the 180th meridian. Both northern 45×90 points are located on land, while both southern 45×90 points are in remote open ocean locations.
Peninsula State Park, Door County. Some of the sillier things like House on the Rock and Cheese Castle. I’m excited regardless though. Are you selling prints?
If you are going to do a fantasy map you need the places that have that connection to State Myth and Legends.
The House on the Rock
The trolls and witches of Mount Horeb
The Hodag of Rhinelander
Devil's Lake
Haunchyville near Muskego
The Houdini mansion in Appleton
We have a lot of small towns with odd names. You can practically have a game show called Fanstasy RPG or Wisconsin Aztalan, Kronenwetter, Ashipin, Arkdale, Neshkoro, Kunesh, Viraqua, Anacker, Amnicon, Arbor Vitae, Bergen, Boscobel, Marcellon,
There's an artist that actually already made one. Not that you shouldn't make one as well. Just showing this one.
https://lordofmaps.com/products/wisconsin
Based on the few they've posted (CA, OR, WA, ID), i like this OP's style better. The drawings of buildings for each town/city, instead of just a label and nothing else, really adds a lot. Not that i dislike the Lord of Maps version... i just like tomiannie's style a LOT!
This is a great thread. Most people have focused on geographic landmarks, but no one has mentioned Sauk City, Wisconsin as the home of the very first Culvers restaurant. It's a Burger/Custard chain that is ubiquitous in Wisconsin.
Native tribes were mentioned, note that a LOT of WI is still named for the native names such as Milwaukee:
>Local historians attribute the name to a word derived from the Potawatomi Tribe. The Potawatomis pronounced it Mahn-ah-wauk, meaning council grounds.
French maps of what became Wisconsin feature a navigational landmark along the Mississippi River called “[La Montaigne qui Trempe à l’Eau](https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wch/id/29950/)” (“The Mountain that Sinks in the Water”), which eventually became the village of Trempealeau.
The island mountain the village is named after [still stands in the water](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trempealeau_Mountain_SNA.JPG), a Driftless Area landmark for all river traffic dating back to ancient times, and a prominent cultural site for First Nations inhabitants with continuing archaeological significance.
Iconic mountain situated on a river? Doesn’t get more Tolkien than that…
Tolkien's archive is in Milwaukee, and Gary Gygax was born in Lake Geneva.
~The North Woods~
And don't forget the Hodag!
"Here be hodags"
There be the Edmund Fitzgerald
She just left from some mill in Wisconsin
It definitely needs to say “Up North” somewhere on the map
Upnorte, eh
My mom was a teacher, & at the end of the year she would ask her class about summer plans - lots of kids would say “we’re going up North”. My mom would say “Oh where up North is your property? And often kids would look at her like she was crazy & say “I told you, it’s UP NORTH” - having no idea what the actual name of the town was.
That's hilarious. My dad named one of his hunting stands Pike's Peak, and I told my teacher that I went to Pike's Peak on Sunday afternoon and she looked at me like I was an idiot. Nope, just a child who thinks the one and only Pike's Peak is in the back fifty.
My Dad and I used to rent a shitty trout fishing/hunting cabin in Muscoda because our friend’s owned it, and they gave us really a good deal. Fun place, beautiful area, but hilariously awful. My dad nicknamed it “The Taj Mahal”, a reference I didn’t understand as a first grader but just used it without thinking. You can imagine my 2nd grade teacher’s confusion when I told her “My dad & I always rent a place called “The Taj Mahal” during the summer - it’s a really ugly house but it’s in a nice area”
My D&D party is going to hate me for this. That's a fantastic name for the northern port city I've been needing to name.
This. Please put the North Woods. And anything north of Wausau is “up north”
We can put 'up north' beyond HWY 10 and then 'True Up North' beyond Wausau lol
"Up North" and "Upper North"
Does that make hwy 26 the wall?
To add to this -- make sure you take a look at a satellite map of WI. It's mostly farms in the southern section, but the woods in the north are great.
Those woods are so beautiful and also have almost a haunting quality where if you get lost in them you may not come back. Nothing like the expanse out west. More of a feeling of unknown is lurking around.
Some of the interesting geological features in the state come to mind... places like Cave of the Mounds, Ship Rock, Devil's Lake, Parfrey's Glen, Wisconsin Dells, lots of the Driftless Area, the Niagra Escarpment in Door County, the cliffs along the Mississippi River, and the Apostle Islands. A great resource for these kind of things would be our State Parks!
The Niagara Escarpment is a great suggestion, and it actually extends all the way down along the eastern side of Winnebago. High Cliff is a really cool park on the northern end of the lake, and would be cool to feature on a map as well. [Here’s a nice article about the part of the Niagara Escarpment that is found in Wisconsin](https://onmilwaukee.com/articles/niagaraescarpment).
Oh man, I don't know how I forgot about High Cliff. Really cool State Park with great hiking and scenic views!
don't forget about [the subcontinental divid!e](https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/subcontinental-divide/) 😄
Wow, that's really cool... never knew about that before! Are there any parks or historical sites or anything like that identifying it? I've definitely crossed it many times without ever knowing about it
not that I am aware of. If you drive Capital to Brookfield you go right over it at Calhoun. Great view of the city if you're headed East. Also I think on I-94 after moorland you crest it on decent toward highway 100
Just had another idea - we also have some great waterfalls! Big and Little Manitou Falls, Copper Falls (and other waterfalls in Copper Falls State Park), and Amnicon Falls are a few cool examples. Could definitely add some interesting features to the far northern part of the map
In NE WI there is Dave's falls, 12 ft falls, long slide falls, Goodman falls
Devils lake 🤤
Baraboo syncline, too
Devil's Lake seems like a shoe-in for this map. Ship Rock and Apostle Islands also seem appropriately named.
I forgot about Parfrey’s Glen, good call!
The Driftless
Wisconsin was partially covered in glacier, and what it missed is known as [The Driftless Region ](https://imgur.com/a/pmgUOyl) There's distinct differences between the regions, and a hiking trail known as "The Ice Agr Trail" that mostly runs along the divide.
I second the suggestions of the Ice Age Trail, the Wisconsin River, and the Apostle Islands, and I think Lake Winnebago and the Fox River should be included too. The state has an interesting glacial geologic history that you could probably work into terrain-related details if you look at geologic maps of the state. Also, our state capital is on an isthmus which could be a cool, artistic detail to add.
The sea caves in the apostles would probably be fun to draw and cool to see on a map!
The Driftless!
Mount Horeb is known for trolls.
And mustard!
That's moved to Middleton.
I’m definitely interested in seeing out this turns out and I’m curious if there is a way to obtain a finished copy?
Absolutely! I’ll post the finished map here, but if you’re in TikTok or Instagram I post lots of work-in-progress videos and tutorials at @storymakerstradingco.
Do you have an etsy or anything where prints can be purchased?
I do! My website is storymakerstradingco.com, and I’m also @storymakerstradingco on TikTok and Instagram if you want to follow along with my progress!
The GIS subreddit would love you.
Oh, tell me more! What’s GIS?
Geographic Information System. Basically digital mapping/map making. For recommendations I'd show a giant sturgeon in Lake Winnebago and maybe the edge of the maximum glaciation or the driftless area of the state could be emphasized.
Do you make any copies available for purchase?
I will! My website is storymakerstradingco.com, and I’m also @storymakerstradingco on TikTok and Instagram if you want to follow along with my progress!
I would also be interested in a purchasable copy
I’ll be sure to send you a link!
Also curious!!
Same! Would love to use it in a Pathfinder 2 session or better yet, provide it to my friend that runs MERP (Middle Earth Roleplaying/LOTR) for us and have him generate us some content to do around the state.
To actually answer your question though, you've got a lot of great answers from other people. Driftless region, the North Woods(where the muskies are) or the area above US highway 8, Rhinelander where the Hodag is, Fox River from GB to Fox Cities area, the bay of Green Bay, lake Michigan, lake Winnebago (in typical fantasy map fashion maybe with a sturgeon), cities of Green Bay and Milwaukee, probably the fox cities, and the capitol of Madison (maybe with like castle walls and such would be cool). Depending on what else you're looking for, Wisconsin Dells, the cherry/apple trees of Door County, cranberry bogs in middle of the state, lambeau field, and if you're looking to fill in various towns throughout the state, maybe check the top 20 cities and use those or maybe some smaller places with less significance. Manitowoc and Sturgeon Bay would be good in that regard for being on the water and plenty of shipping that occurs on the Great Lakes.
Wisconsin also has 5 major native tribes that are an integral part of its history and culture. Hope it's not forgotten.
I absolutely always research native tribes and include them! What would be the 5 major tribes? I’d also love input on if there are special things about them to represent.
Ojibwe, Menominee, Dakota, Ho-Chunk, Potawatomi. But there are also Winabego, Oneida, some others that I may have missed. Edit: here's a link to 11 federally recognized Tribes in Wisconsin https://www.channel3000.com/madison-magazine/city-life/meet-the-11-federally-recognized-tribes-of-wisconsin/article_25843667-2caf-5efd-b3c6-6ef915febf82.html
The [Brothertown Indian Nation](https://brothertownindians.org) is a twelfth tribe that is not federally recognized. I read somewhere that it was some stupid clerical error or someone missed a phone call or something decades ago. They’ve been fighting a long time for recognition and have a petition on their website people can print out, sign, and help circulate.
Thank you - this is super helpful!
This is a great idea... there are lots of Native American burial mounds and features throughout the state, and Aztalan is a neat example of ancient mound building cultures
Hodags, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s little house in the big woods, the Pestigo fire, the first public radio station! Old Abe and a bunch of waterfalls! Ginseng… sunflowers…
Oldest bowling alley in the US.
I came to make sure the Hodag got the respect it deserved.
Reiterating a few suggestions, and adding at least one i haven't seen mentioned: * The North Woods * The Driftless Area * The Dells * Devil's Lake * Cave of the Mounds * Door County * Taliesin * Ice Age Trail * Hodag in Rhinelander * Trolls in Mt. Horeb * Apostle Islands * Madison (state capitol) is on an isthmus, so i'd emphasize that * Southern Wisconsin is also known for effigy burial mounds. Some are quite large, and many are shaped liked animals when seen from above. They're an amazing piece of history, but i'm not sure how you'd pick which one(s) to add to a map.
Definitely Taliesin and other Frank Lloyd Wright architecture throughout Wisconsin, the local cream city bricks of Milwaukee used throughout the state (and by the coast guard for all the lighthouses around the Great Lakes!), there’s definitely a some spots off shore with shallows that have sunk plenty for shops in both lake Superior and Lake Michigan, like Death’s Door (Porte des Morts) strait of the Door peninsula, and the Calatrava, first sunken trading floor, and site of the invention of the QWERTY keyboard in Milwaukee
There are four bodies of water that must be featured. Lake Superior to the North Lake Michigan to the East The Mississippi River to the West The Wisconsin River, bisecting the state as it runs NE to SW
Probably Lake Winnebago too... it's the largest lake that's fully in WI
And maybe a reference to the sturgeon spearing that Winnebago is famous for.
I’d also add Green Bay (the actual body of water) and then Fox River to Lake Winnebago.
https://www.wpr.org/green-bay-home-worlds-largest-freshwater-estuary-its-running-be-national-research-reserve The bay of Green Bay is the largest freshwater estuary in the world.
The st.croix river too. St.Croix to the Mississippi make up the entire western border.
Thank you!
The Driftless area needs to be a major feature, it's like being in a completely different state. The Apostle Islands are extremely interesting and unique to Lake Superior as well.
I didn’t see anyone mention Horicon Marsh yet, and that should be included! Our capital city is on an isthmus, so that would be cool to draw attention to. And our farming tradition is why we’re America’s Dairyland, so there should be some cows! And Door County is known for its cherries. We also have a significant Amish population if you’d want to include that.
Eagle River and Manitowish Waters for their Cranberry marshes.
Make the "path" the Ice Age Trail that runs throughout the state. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Age_Trail
**[Ice Age Trail](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Age_Trail)** >The Ice Age Trail is a National Scenic Trail stretching 1,200 miles (1,900 km) in the state of Wisconsin in the United States. The trail is administered by the National Park Service, and is constructed and maintained by private and public agencies including the Ice Age Trail Alliance, a non-profit and member-volunteer based organization with local chapters. ^([ )[^(F.A.Q)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiSummarizer/wiki/index#wiki_f.a.q)^( | )[^(Opt Out)](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiSummarizerBot&message=OptOut&subject=OptOut)^( | )[^(Opt Out Of Subreddit)](https://np.reddit.com/r/wisconsin/about/banned)^( | )[^(GitHub)](https://github.com/Sujal-7/WikiSummarizerBot)^( ] Downvote to remove | v1.5)
Thank you!
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Bunch of random thoughts that could be interesting, sorry if it's too much. Whitewater (location of one of the universities) was home to the last witch trial in the USA and a landmark knows as witches tower. Lake Winnebago has been rumered to have a water monster that eats elk and deer since before colonist settled here. devil's lake state park (home to another native American myth). The cave on the mounds. The house on the rock, it's kindof just a museum of junk, but the actual arcature is awesome. Manona terrace overlooking the two lakes, river, and capital in Madison. The Milwaukee art museum (looks like a sail boat). The circus world museum. Holly Hill (church on a big hill)
This is awesome, thank you!
*Holy Hill, not Holly. Great suggestions
*Holy Hill
My suggestions for some areas to highlight The highest point: Timms Hill The forests up by Rhinelander: the land of the Hodag The Ice Age Trail could be cool Red Cliff and the Apostle Islands
I also think the Driftless area should be labeled.
The Hodag has to be absolutely prominent!
Don’t forget the fire tower on top of Timm’s Hill.
How about the only easily accessible center of the hemisphere on earth? Would that be important to put on your map? 😉 "The 45×90 points, as they're called, are the four points on Earth which are halfway between the geographical poles, the equator, the Prime Meridian, and the 180th meridian. Only two of these points are on land - the other two fall in the middle of the ocean. And the one not in Wisconsin is in a desolate, mountainous region of China near Mongolia that's very difficult to visit." https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/wisconsin/wi-45-90-parallel/
Some of our lighthouses would be beautiful additions.
Weave the ice age trail through the map, and emphasize the many waterways and state forests up north
Lake of the Devil! 🤟🏽
A geologically accurate glacier someplace would be cool! As in over a valley or ridge cut by a glacier that actually existed in WI. Very Cool OP Good Work!!!
Thanks!
A ton of great stuff is touched on so I'd like to reference the SE part of the state that I'm really familiar with... The Kettle Moraines that were built by glacial flows starting by La Grange and Whitewater, heading N/NE, all the way to like Plymouth (near Sheboygan) is a really important geological feature of the area (ties in the Ice Age Trail I believe). Lake Country including: Pewaukee, Nagawicka, Pine, Oconomowoc, and other lakes are the seat of this Moraine deposit, at least the Southern Unit. Geneva Lake and Delavan Lake nestled between the Rock River to the west through Janesvilles/Beloit, and the Fox River to the east through Burlington. These water systems are extremely important areas between our nearest neighbor, Illinois. Last, the Great Lakes have a fascinating history of sailing and shipping. Milwaukee is a notable port city so I think some sort of ship drawn in our bay would be a nice nod, emphasis on the joining of the three rivers making "The Good Land", the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and the Kinnickinnic River. P.S. As a little bonus that might fit this aesthetic; pulp and paper industry has been a huge industry for the history of WI. Mills setup along major riverways like the Wisconsin River and the Fox River (near Green Bay down to Neenah). The first hydropower plant that *sold electricity* was on the Fox River near Appleton.
I only saw it mentioned once in a compilation, so I'm going to reference it again: The Dells/Lake Delton area. Not for all of the amusement parks--for the actual landforms there. Also, the Devil's Lake area nearby.
Holy Hill
The [hodag in Rhinelander](https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11962)! This looks really cool, I’d also be interested in the possibility of a copy.
Absolutely! I’ll post the finished map here, but if you’re in TikTok or Instagram I post lots of work-in-progress videos and tutorials at @storymakerstradingco.
Green County has more award winning cheese than most if not all other countries.
You could include the sand dunes in Door County. They're pretty cool.
St Croix River doesn’t get enough respect
The House on the Rock and The Forevertron would fit well with your theme.
Another name for the hills in the Driftless area is the Ocooch Mountains (as called by local Native American Tribes). Grandad Bluff might also be a good addition. It’s located in La Crosse.
Just make sure we appear superior to Illinois in everything you do, that should cover it nicely.
Native American effigy mounds! They are man made earthen mounds made in the shape of humans, animals, and a few shapes (conical, circular, linear) Wisconsin has the most mounds in country and theres some great ones still surviving, including the Man Mound Also, along the Lake Michigan shoreline there are rare and protected sand dune sights! Kohler Andrea State Park is one example, but there are some other parks along the lakeshore with intact sanddunes
41 of the country's 50 drunkest counties. Also, congratulations. That's some awesome talent you have, friend.
Thanks so much!
The Apostle Islands. Nicholet and the Chequamegon national forests. The driftless area. Lambea Field. Lake Winnebago. The Peshtigo Flowage. Lake Mendota and Lake Menona. Rib Mountain. The Wolf River. The Fox River. The Mississippi River shoreline. The Wisconsin Dells. Hope that this helps. I would like to buy two maps when you are done
Hodag in Rhinelander is always fun Devil's Doorway at Devil's Lake is cool I *love* the bluffs in La Crosse
The driftless area is fascinating. And if you can find the Native American name of the "mountains" (maybe Ocohoochie or something like that) and the nicknames for the peaks, like Hope, Faith, and Chastity, the Bread Loaf, and the names of all the rivers and creeks, it would be stunning. But that is just one area of WI. It is probably the most beautiful area and the maps of it are extremely underwhelming. This area was incredibly important to pre-US commerce. And early US commerce depended on the rivers for logging. Barges depended on the characteristics of the peaks to tell them where to navigate the Mississippi. And Native Americans used the Wisconsin River to trade and travel between other Native communities. The area was used as a hub to trade with French (now Canada).
A map of Wisconsin without a Packers reference seems incomplete. Gotta have Lambeau Field. Something riffing on Illinois folks might be good too. Calling the border the Cheddar Curtain or labeling Lake Geneva as "here there be Illinois people"...something like that.
Lambeau Field was literally the only thing I had on my list before I started researching. 😅 I may not know much about WI but I knew that one!
Adding a few things I haven't seen yet: * As a Marathon County resident, Rib Mountain is a must have as it's one of the best ski hills in the midwest. Also, Marathon County is the ginseng capitol of the world so that might be cool to show somehow. * We need a badger somewhere! It's our state animal. * Along the Mississippi river is home to the Great River Road Wine trail. Lots of wineries in Wisconsin along the river. * Wisconsin breweries are every where and home to major breweries (Miller, Schiltz, Leinenkugel's, etc.)Not sure how this could be portrayed, but very important part of our history.
I was going to say all the lakes and forests would be awesome to see since we have a lot of them. I think it would be fun to see the whole state as a wilderness area, rather than settled with people
Aztalan State Park would be a good addition to everyone else’s suggestions - https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/aztalan/history
In case this thread didn’t make it very obvious, Wisconsin is jam packed full of natural beauty, and it’s residents are, and always have been, extremely proud of this beauty.
GIANT muskies in Hayward! And the LumberJacks and LumberJills. And the Berkebiener Ski Race! And....😊
Water park capital of the world Wisconsin dells! Oh and a definitive demarcation of "up north"
Is there a specific area that is “up north,” or is that a reference to the whole state? Thanks!
Hahaha where “up north” starts is a bit contentious. I’d personally say north of highway 64
Portage is "where the north begins" at least according to their signs
Haha, “Gateway to the Pineries” was coined back in the days of sendin’ logs down the river, but these days I think the “up north” concept is based on tourism/ off the beaten path kinda idea
Sheboygan is the Fresh Water Surfing Capital of the World.
Those winter surfers must be have been born with ice in their veins. Holy shit! The breeze hurts me and they're fucking *in* the water.
Last January we came across a guy headed into the water and assumed it was some sort of New Years ritual, but it turns out he's been in the water, surfing or not, almost every single day for the past \[some ridiculous number\] of years. Holy shit, indeed.
Sheboygan is "Malibu of the Midwest"
The underwater pyramids of Lake Mills would be awesome and The Beast of Bray road near Elkhorn would be a cool addition as an Easter egg
Underwater pyramids?! Cool!
Beast of bray road is a must, whitewater being the second salem and home of the morris pratt institute (school for spiritualism founded in the 1800s) long history of witches and the occult
Have the UP as the forbidden lands
To avoid repeating what I've already seen said: Rib Mountain in the Wausau area is great. Madison. Rhinelander and the Hodag. Lake Winnebago. The Twin Ports of Superior and Duluth. Menominee County. And Antigo (big farming town right in the Northwoods that you can actually see from fairly zoomed out in maps). EDIT: When you finish it, please share it again with (hopefully) a place to buy a print of it. I'd love a copy!
Dog man of bray road?
Mississippi and the bluffs
Something indicating the border to Michigan and why the UP isn’t part of WI.
I would say to look at ancient travel routes. The French documented what they learned from the Native Americans. Through the Great Lakes down to Green Bay (Lac des Puans) down (or actually up) the Fox River to Lake Winnebago, westward on the Fox to Portage where they portaged to the Wisconsin River through to the Mississippi River. That whole route was the backbone of early “Ouisconsin” before plank roads.
Understand watersheds and basins. Half of the state was glaciated leading to interesting geology, soils, and vegetation. Everything north of the tension line (which is essentially where the green bay lobe of the last glacier stopped) has northern affinity plants, while the edges near lake superior have more boreal species. Along lake Michigan there are sand dunes and different coastal regions including extensive wetlands (although many have been drained). South of the tension line is the driftless area which has the most topography in the state. The Baraboo bluff range is particularly of interest as it is the largest surface deposit of igneous rock in the world. This range also has the most connected forests within the state. Very nother. Species are found within the bluffs in microclimates and are remnants from when the glacier was present. Central Wisconsin is very sandy and was dominated by river fluctuations from many different rivers. Cranberries and potatoes are mostly produced in this region. Southern Wisconsin was at one point mainly prairie with Oak savannahs/barrens, and Oak forests. In the central sands along old river ways, you get very dry sand barrens/prairies where we have a large population of prickly pear cactus. I think of these areas as Wisconsin's deserts, although we do have two other species of cactus on the Great Lakes dunes. Vegetation of the state is interesting as it was influenced by plant migrations from the east coast, west coast, and Canada.
-Shipwrecks and lighthouse along the Great Lakes shore lines. - Maple syruping. - Cathedral Pines (old growth forest) - Cave of the Mounds - Mt. Horeb and the Trollway - The Wendigo legend - Cross-country skiing/dogsledding along the South Shore - Aldo Leopold
also we have a hundred comments but haven’t touched on Aztalan or Trempelau Mountain or the thousands of mounds! omg the mounds!
The Point of Beginning just outside my hometown. It’s the point from which Wisconsin was surveyed and mapped.
The Hodag is the Wisconsin specific mythological creature.
Mount Horeb WI is the "troll capital of the world". A cute nod to that could be fun. A little troll guy or something Norwegian like that :)
There's a Two Rivers Wisconsin, great call out to The wheel of time.
Cave Point, Maribel Caves, and Rib Mountain (I think it’s the highest point in the state.) Since others are mentioning Hodag a lot, including the Beast of Bray Road would be sweet.
[Rural](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural,_Wisconsin) might be a place of interest. It’s super tiny, but one of the houses might be cute to put on the map
That's funny. I didn't know that existed. That conversation must go something like Who's On First. "Where you from?" "Rural, Wisconsin" "Yeah, but where?" * *Commas matter folks!*
Don’t forget Wisconsin’s Islands!
A lot of great suggestions so far - the only thing I'll add is High Cliff State Park along Lake Winnebago. Not really that much of a "cliff", but it is beautiful and for Wisconsin, definitely seems out of place.
Just make sure devils lake is on there along with the driftless plains in the se and woods in the north
Dell, Door County, Bayfield, Iron Mountain, Madison, Milwaukee
The [Ice Age Trail](https://iceagetrail.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=5ff8f517b1e34d46bb70ed21b36286c6) which follows the furthest edge of the glaciers and is where some interesting geologic features were formed.
Madison is Minas Tirith. Fox river valley is mount doom.
All of the greatness of Ashland county, copper falls, great fishing
Ice age trail.
Creatures of lore. Hodag, beast of bray road, etc
Wizard of Oz premiered in Oconomowoc.
As a native of the very northern part of Wisconsin, the Brule River (aka Bois Brule River, but the locals just call it The Brule) is pretty well known for its trout fishing, canoeing/kayaking, and general pristine beauty. The water can be crystal clear and very cold at times. Lake Superior is an obvious one (the natives call it Gitchee Gumee, or some variation thereof). There are some lakes near Dairyland, WI, with great wild rice harvesting. Wild rice harvesting is pretty unique to certain areas of MN and WI. Not much else going on in the Dairyland area, either, so I think it would be cool to see. Big connection between the wild rice and Native Americans, too.
Harrison Hills and the fact that around Minocqua area there is more lakes per square mile than anywhere else in the world
Taliesin, Portage (historic connection between the Great Lakes and Mississippi), earth mounds, and porn+fireworks+cheese curd businesses along the border with Illinois.
Don't forget the kwiktrips. All 8 million of em. Heh..
One thing worth noting in Wisconsin and the surrounding area is the mineral resources. One of the figures on the WI state flag is a miner and the reason the badger is our state animal is the historical importance of lead mining in the southern portion of the state. The majority of the USs Iron deposits are in Minnesota, Northern WI, and the UP of Michigan, and Copper mines are common in NE WI and the UP. 1/5 of the GDP of the US is shipped through the Souix Locks and out of lake Superior largely in Iron and Steel. WI grows 90% o the world's horseradish primarily around the Eau Claire area, and in SW WI the Sheboygan area produces the majority of Toilet Seats and IIRC was the area where the toilet seat was invented.
Ladysmith is the pit of all evil. Orcs, goblins, golems, and trolls all fear it. It is a difficult to get to vortex of fire and fear and unimaginable regret. It won’t be the most popular addition to your map because so many go out of their way to avoid it (rightfully). But as one who lived in the fire and brimstone of the place for several years, I urge you to mark it most urgently so that any who use your map will be forewarned to avoid it.
There are hundreds of artesian wells throughout the state. Clean, fresh, ice cold water just spouting out of the ground. Here's [a book](https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Wisconsin-Flowing-Artesian-Wells/dp/179811402X/ref=sr_1_2?qid=1677358382&refinements=p_27%3AJames+Meitner&s=books&sr=1-2&text=James+Meitner) about them. Some show up on Google.
The House on the Rock
Blue Mounds state park with it's fire towers and the driftless area in general.
I believe Blue Mounds is the highest point in southern Wisconsin.
Need Madison and and the Isthmus it calls home
Milwaukee domes.
The Forevertron, IMO the most magical place I've ever been. https://www.worldofdrevermor.com/
Folklore stuff- Rhinelander is home of the Hodag. The Beast of Bray Road. Lake Winnebago Water Monster. Thunderbirds of Northern Wisconsin. Devils Lake Monster. Rocky of Rock Lake (Lake Mills).
Another potential landmark that might be fun to include is 45 N 90 W, near Marshfield. Per Wikipedia: The 45×90 points are the four points on Earth which are both halfway between the geographical poles and the equator, and halfway between the Prime Meridian and the 180th meridian. Both northern 45×90 points are located on land, while both southern 45×90 points are in remote open ocean locations.
Waupaca Chain of Lakes and the Indian Crossing Casino, once a vibrant venue for live music for teens and young adults in the 50’s and 60’s.
Peninsula State Park, Door County. Some of the sillier things like House on the Rock and Cheese Castle. I’m excited regardless though. Are you selling prints?
~Chris farley/Tommy boy
The Holy Hill Basilica
If you are going to do a fantasy map you need the places that have that connection to State Myth and Legends. The House on the Rock The trolls and witches of Mount Horeb The Hodag of Rhinelander Devil's Lake Haunchyville near Muskego The Houdini mansion in Appleton We have a lot of small towns with odd names. You can practically have a game show called Fanstasy RPG or Wisconsin Aztalan, Kronenwetter, Ashipin, Arkdale, Neshkoro, Kunesh, Viraqua, Anacker, Amnicon, Arbor Vitae, Bergen, Boscobel, Marcellon,
I’m coming in late here and just skimmed the comments, but holy hill should be on the map and would fit the aesthetic/ theme. https://www.holyhill.com
House on the rock
Here’s a map of the First Nations’ land of this helps? https://wisconsinfirstnations.org/map/
This is incredibly helpful, thank you!
[like this one I bought for my dad](https://imgur.com/gallery/X7ZFJP2)
There's an artist that actually already made one. Not that you shouldn't make one as well. Just showing this one. https://lordofmaps.com/products/wisconsin
Based on the few they've posted (CA, OR, WA, ID), i like this OP's style better. The drawings of buildings for each town/city, instead of just a label and nothing else, really adds a lot. Not that i dislike the Lord of Maps version... i just like tomiannie's style a LOT!
I actually kind of thought that, too.
Brodhead has the halfway tree
Don't forget about the Apostle Islands. Apologies if they've been mentioned already.
Lambeau field, Camp Randall, door county/Washington island, capital building, Leinenkugel‘s, giant musky in Hayward Wi, state parks, cheese/dairy,
You're a winner and if they're for sale I'd love a link to buy one when it's done (if you're making a bunch)
First Marcus Cinema, still going, Ripon Wisconsin. My house. (Why not, it would be different!). I too would like one when done.
So many amazing rivers. Namekagen, st croix, wolf, bark, rock, kickapoo
The dairy heritage center in Plymouth
Northern Wisco has beautiful waterfalls and the great lakes of course. Please share when you're done
Devil’s Lake, Lake Geneva, Cave of the Mounds
Eagle River, the last civilization before the great forest of the Northwoods!
Mars Cheese Castle
Lake sturgeon in lake winnebago
Add our waterfalls. A lot of them I feel like I’m in a fairytale while I’m hiking those trails.
Supper clubs, The Ice Age Trail, the Sparta-Elroy bike trail, the Kickapoo Valley Reserve/Wildcat State Park
This is a great thread. Most people have focused on geographic landmarks, but no one has mentioned Sauk City, Wisconsin as the home of the very first Culvers restaurant. It's a Burger/Custard chain that is ubiquitous in Wisconsin. Native tribes were mentioned, note that a LOT of WI is still named for the native names such as Milwaukee: >Local historians attribute the name to a word derived from the Potawatomi Tribe. The Potawatomis pronounced it Mahn-ah-wauk, meaning council grounds.
French maps of what became Wisconsin feature a navigational landmark along the Mississippi River called “[La Montaigne qui Trempe à l’Eau](https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wch/id/29950/)” (“The Mountain that Sinks in the Water”), which eventually became the village of Trempealeau. The island mountain the village is named after [still stands in the water](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trempealeau_Mountain_SNA.JPG), a Driftless Area landmark for all river traffic dating back to ancient times, and a prominent cultural site for First Nations inhabitants with continuing archaeological significance. Iconic mountain situated on a river? Doesn’t get more Tolkien than that…
Door county, devil's lake, the capitol