Baraboo, Wisconsin is the county seat of Sauk County in this Midwest state. Sitting on the river of the same name, this city is home to over 12,500 people. The area was home to a Kickapoo village as far back as 1665, but the modern community traces back to Abe Wood in 1838 and the village of Adams. A sawmill started the year after, and the current name was adopted in 1852. Locals today will remind you that when the legendary singer Johnny Cash covered Hank Snow's "I've Been Everywhere," he mentions Baraboo by name in the song.
To learn a bit about the history of the area, visit the Mid-Continent Railway Museum. This living museum is an outdoor facility where you can learn about how life was for small towns on the short lines during the historical heyday of railroading.
The Ringling Brothers Circus started in Baraboo in 1884, leading to the "Circus City" nickname. Now, you can explore Circus World. This 64-acre facility has six historic circus wagons, 30 permanent structures, seven former winter quarters buildings, more than 260 different exhibit wagons, and the former shed complex for the Ringling Bros. Circus Train.
Stop at the Little Village Cafe for a restored 1940s diner featuring a quirky atmosphere but with a homey feel.
It's open for brunch through dinner with a wide variety of soups, entrees, drinks, and desserts. The Driftless Glen Distillery Restaurant is more upscale as a bar and bistro for a cozy, refined ambiance where you can try beer, spirits, and cocktails with your jambalaya or creme brulee, among other dishes.
Campgrounds Near Baraboo, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Dells KOA Holiday sports a setting with a country feel even though it's only a mile from the downtown area of Wisconsin Dells. Back-ins and pull-through sites are both available, and multiple sites offer full hookups. Others still feature water and electricity. Site amenities include bike rentals, a playground, an arcade, a splash pad, and a dog park.
Fox Hill RV Park & Campground sits on 50 acres of picturesque wooded land. Hiking trails give you some exercise, but you can also just hang out at the fenced dog area or dip in the heated swimming pool. Weekends feature pancake breakfasts, and the RV sites include both pull-throughs and back-ins that give you access to full hookups, showers, and Wi-Fi.
Bonanza Camping Resort is close to Wisconsin Dells, famous as the Waterpark Capital of the World. You'll also be close to duck boat tours and over 90 breweries, restaurants, and wineries. Grab food on-site at the snack bar or country store, or get in some exercise and fun with the basketball court, heated swimming pool, and mini golf course. Just under a hundred sites feature full hookups, laundry facilities, fire rings, bath houses, and an RV dump and sanitation station.
State Parks Near Baraboo, Wisconsin
If you want a great view of southern Wisconsin, go to the highest point in the lower half of the state at Blue Mound State Park. Summer visitors can enjoy a swimming pool, but you can go any month of the year for the more than 20 miles of trails where you can go hiking, cross-country skiing, and off-road biking. Climb Sioux quartzite cliffs for elevated views of the prairie and grazing herds of bison.
For fun on the water, head to the Wisconsin Dells region to visit Mirror Lake State Park, which is home to more than 2,000 acres of recreation on and off the water. The lake is named for its normally calm demeanor, as it reflects the surrounding shorelines of woods, wetlands, a swimming beach, and 50-foot-high sandstone cliffs. Go kayaking, canoeing, and fishing on the water, and get back on land for biking, hiking, and cross-country skiing.
While you're in the Wisconsin Dells region, you might also want to check out Rocky Arbor State Park. It's only 244 acres in size, but it's got wooded camping, a playground, a picnic space, and a mile of hiking. Set in between sandstone bluffs and pine trees, the setting is a beautiful place to spend time in. The park is close to a major interstate, so it's easy to get to. The main entrance is closed in the winter, but you can park with a sticker outside the gate and head in for snowshoeing and skiing. The Rocky Arbor Loop is an easy 30-minute hike with a minimal elevation gain for those into running or bird-watching.
National Sites Near Baraboo, Wisconsin
For a rare glimpse into history from before European colonization, visit Effigy Mounds National Monument. Over 200 prehistoric mounds were built here, many of them over a thousand years ago. Their shapes resemble many things, but a lot of them are animals sacred to Native Americans. Learn about the cultural and natural features of the Monument at the visitor center, or just get a map of the available hiking trails. The Yellow River Boardwalk is a one-mile roundtrip that offers wildlife viewing in a marsh, but the Fire Point Loop is where to hike for two miles that include two effigy mounds, two dozen other mounds, and a pair of scenic views overlooking the Mississippi River.
Herbert Hoover National Historic Site is a historical experience right off of Interstate 80 in West Branch, Iowa. The former president was born here but orphaned by the age of nine. The modern memorial tells the story of his character and political career, and you can easily spend half a day here exploring. Start with the visitor center to learn about the self-guided tours through the points of interest on the grounds. Historic buildings, Hoover's gravesite, and the Presidential Library and Museum are all open to the public.
The Ice Age National Scenic Trail is a remnant of a time when mammoths, glaciers, and saber tooth cats roamed this part of the continent. The former edge of the glacier is a 1,200-mile trail, and over half of it is finished and open for hikers looking to learn geological history while trekking through some of the most idyllic scenery Wisconsin has to offer. Hiking, wildlife viewing, and sightseeing are always in season, and some trail segments permit snowmobiling and biking.
National Forests Near Baraboo, Wisconsin
Head to the northern half of Wisconsin to visit the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Enjoy 1.5 million acres of forest across 10 counties. The quiet campgrounds here are your chance to detach from the hustle and bustle of civilization and reconnect to nature for a while. These woodlands are available all year long for motorized trail riding, and there are multiple sporting activities possible on both land and water.
Hiawatha National Forest is waiting for you in the wilderness of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Here, you can visit the shorelines of three Great Lakes, as there are undeveloped shores along Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior. Visit six historic lighthouses, or enjoy the 200 inches of annual snowfall. When it's warm, four unique islands offer relaxation and enjoyment.
Ottawa National Forest features a vast wilderness with a number of amazing waterfalls. Annual average snowfall is over 200 inches, so you can spend a good part of the year doing winter activities. They include dog-sledding, ice fishing, snowmobiling, and both Nordic and Alpine skiing. Fishing is also in abundance here, with 500 different named lakes and over 2,000 miles of waterways. Hike your way to 18 named waterfalls throughout the year, but know that spring might be the best time to see them. Spring melt from all the snow feeds the waterways, and there are more miles of occasional or intermittent streams than there are perennial streams. See for yourself how over 200,000 acres of wetlands feed three Great Lakes and even the headwaters of the Mississippi River.
