Marker
  • La Crosse District Visitor Center and Office
    (608) 779-2399
    N5727 County Rd Z Onalaska, WI 54650
  • Wildflowers bloom in the restored prairie outside of the La Crosse District Visitor Center of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
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    Stop in to enjoy FREE interactive exhibits for all ages! Discover native wildlife, habitats on the refuge, and the natural and cultural history of the area. Walk on water as you step over a glass floor "river bed" to see what's going on in the water below! Relax and listen to oral histories about life on the river and enjoy a short film illustrating the refuge through the seasons. Chat with a refuge volunteer or staff member to answer questions about the refuge. Visit the non-profit Prairie Wind Nature Store, operated by the Friends of the Refuge - Mississippi River Pools 7 & 8.

    The Visitor Center is surrounded by about 180 acres of restored prairie with two miles of mostly flat trails winding through native grasses and flowers. More than 40 species of flowers bloom by mid-summer. A paved loop and paved trail guide visitors to the Lake Onalaska Overlook, offering views of the Mississippi River backwaters. Bald eagles, songbirds, and many species of water birds move through the river across the year! 

    Indoor and outdoor scavenger hunts are available at the front desk! Federal recreational lands passes and Federal Duck Stamps may be purchased with cash or check. "Let's Go Outside" backpacks containing nature journaling activities and a pair of binoculars may also be check-ed out at the front desk for use on the prairie trails. 

    We are very excited to offer a Junior Refuge Manager and BARK Ranger program available in-person at the La Crosse District Visitor Center! Pick up a Junior Refuge Manager activity sheet at the front desk and complete five of the nine activities to earn a free badge. 

    The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge Junior Refuge Manager badge features a blue and gold eagle with wings spread over the name of the refuge and the US Fish and Wildlife Service logo.
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    Your canine companions can become a B.A.R.K Ranger and earn a free bandana too! B.A.R.K. Rangers and their human companions help make the refuge a great place for people and wildlife by bagging their waste, always staying on a six-foot leash, respecting wildlife, and knowing which trails they're permitted to go on. Please call ahead so a staff member or volunteer can arrange to meet you and your pet outside the Visitor Center to be sworn in, 608-779-2399. 

    Two smiling visitors pose holding their BARK Ranger certificates next to their leashed dogs wearing BARK Ranger bandanas
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    Driving Directions

    From Dakota, Minnesota:

    Head east on I-90.
    Take exit 3B, follow WI-35N. (4.7 miles)
    Turn LEFT at stoplight onto County Road OT. (.6miles)
    Turn LEFT at the first stop sign onto County Road ZN. (1.1 miles) 
    Continue to the junction of County Roads ZN and Z. (.2 mi)
    Turn RIGHT onto County Road Z and use the left turn lane to turn LEFT and enter the Visitor Center parking lot.

    From Sparta, Wisconsin: 

    Head west on I-90
    Take Exit 3 for US-53S/WI-35 Toward La Crosse/Onalaska. (.1mi)
    Keep Right at the fork and merge onto WI-35N (4.1 mi)
    Turn LEFT at the stoplight onto County Road OT. (.6 mi)
    Take the LEFT at the first stop sign onto County Road ZN. (1.1)
    Continue to the stop sign and the junction of County Roads ZN and Z. (.2 mi)
    Turn RIGHT onto County Road Z and use the left turn lane to turn left and enter the visitor center parking lot.

    Visitor Center Hours
    Summer hours (May - October): Tuesday - Saturday
    9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
    Winter hours (Nov - April): Tuesday - Friday
    9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
    Closed on Federal holidays
    Closed on Federal holidays
    Nature Store Hours
    May - October: Tuesday - Saturday
    9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
    November - April: Tuesday - Friday
    9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
    Note
    We recommend calling ahead to ensure the Nature Store is open as it is run by our Friends group