One of the best parts of welcoming the start of a new year is planning a full calendar of upcoming travel. Though there’s certainly no shortage of fantastic places to travel within our country and beyond our borders, there are just as many fantastic places to go in Wisconsin! In fact, Wisconsin is such a big and diverse state that you can plan an entire year’s worth of adventure without going too far.
From the stunning coastal reaches of the Apostle Island National Seashore and Door County in the north to the rolling hills of southern Wisconsin, there are so many places to go in Wisconsin – and there are four incredible seasons of fun in which to enjoy them! There’s much to look forward to this year, and the Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast Association is the perfect partner.
The collection of Wisconsin Bed and Breakfasts, Inns, and Boutique Hotels within our organization represent some of the best places to stay in Wisconsin – particularly if you’re looking to elevate your stay from ordinary to extraordinary. Yes, you can find hotels in most of these top places to go in Wisconsin. But why stay somewhere boring when you can instead stay somewhere with a fascinating history and/or a fantastic individual flare?
The diversity within our Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast collection is one of the best things about them. With unique accommodations just as cozy and comfortable as home and warm, friendly hospitality, it’s easy to see why so many new guests have turned to Wisconsin Bed and Breakfasts as their preferred lodging of choice in recent years.
Our Innkeepers would love nothing more than to be your guides to this incredible state. As you start planning your adventures in 2023, we’re rounding up some of the top places to go in Wisconsin that are worth adding to your list. When you find your favorite, compliment your stay with lodging at one of our unique Wisconsin Bed and Breakfasts today!
Stay With Us in the Top Places to Go in Wisconsin
If you’re from Wisconsin or have visited the Badger State before, you already know just how beautiful it is. However, with so many major destinations in each corner of the state, and plenty of smaller hidden gems in between, you’ve likely missed a few worthwhile places to go in Wisconsin!
Top-rated cities like Milwaukee, Madison, and Green Bay, and even other destinations like Door County, are some of the more obvious places to go in Wisconsin. But how about small towns like Two Rivers, Wausau, Waupaca, Sparta, La Crosse, Baraboo, and more? These small destinations are Wisconsin’s beating heart, and each offers visitors something unique.
Below, we’ve broken our state up into three main regions: Northern, Central, and Southern Wisconsin. For these regions, we’ve listed a few of the top places to go in Wisconsin. We include the most popular destinations, but we’ve also included a few other places to go in Wisconsin that are more than worth considering.
Where will your adventures take you in 2023?
Northeastern and Northwestern Wisconsin
Two of the best places to visit in Wisconsin are found in northern Wisconsin, famed for its quiet and tranquil Northwoods and beautiful stretches of shoreline along Lake Superior and Lake Michigan.
Northeastern Wisconsin is home to arguably one of the most popular places to go in Wisconsin, Door County. This part of the state is known for its breathtaking Wisconsin State Parks, gorgeous miles of coastline for kayaking and beach walks, abundant cherry and apple orchards, and many picturesque lighthouses. It’s perfect for outdoor adventures, romantic getaways, and lighthearted vacations to someplace new.
In contrast, the northwestern part of the state is home to another of the top-rated places to go in Wisconsin, Bayfield. Bayfield is a beautiful small town with plenty of coastal charm, but it’s perhaps best known as the gateway to the famed Apostle Island National Lakeshore. The waters surrounding the Apostle Islands are prized for their kayaking, but the islands themselves are home to gorgeous beaches, historic lighthouses, and plenty to explore.
Inland of Door County and Bayfield, you’ll find the pristine, untouched paradise known as Wisconsin’s Northwoods. This part of the state is replete with hundreds of lakes, streams, and other waterways – a veritable outdoor enthusiast’s dream and one of the top places to go in Wisconsin.
Central and East Central Wisconsin
Drive east to west across Central Wisconsin, and you’ll see how dramatically this state can vary from one region to the next. Like its neighbors to the North, Central Wisconsin is home to even more of the top places to go in Wisconsin.
Central Wisconsin is what we like to call “river country.” Here, you’ll find popular attractions like the Waupaca Chain O’LAkes Area – which is easily one of the top places to go in Wisconsin if you enjoy spending time on the water. You’ll also find wonderful towns like Stevens Point and Wausau, which are excellent destinations for hiking, biking, and various winter sports. In fact, Wausau is home to the Midwest’s premier ski resort, Granite Peak Ski Area.
If you’re looking to spend some time on the beach, don’t miss the charming coastal towns of East Central Wisconsin. This part of Wisconsin is home to great towns like Two Rivers and Sheboygan, the “Malibu of the Midwest.” Both of these top-rated places to go in Wisconsin are located on Lake Michigan. This is also where you’ll find Lake Winnebago, the biggest inland lake in the state and a fantastic place to enjoy some of the best year-round fishing in Wisconsin.
Southeastern, South Central, and Southwestern Wisconsin
Finally, we have southern Wisconsin, an area with just as many fantastic rural destinations as urban adventures. Like the rest of the state, this region is packed with great places to go in Wisconsin and some truly geographically diverse destinations!
First, we’ll start in the Southeastern Part of the state, where you’ll find even more miles of Lake Michigan to explore. The biggest city in the state, Milwaukee, is located here, with a healthy dose of art, culture, and, of course, beer. Get out of the city, though, and you’ll find plenty of lakes, valleys, and high forested moraines to explore, including those at the beautiful Kettle Moraine State Forest.
In this south-central part of the state, you’ll find one of the other most popular cities in Wisconsin and one of the top-rated places to go in Wisconsin, the capital city of Madison. Madison offers a unique blend of small-town charm and big-city amenities. It’s packed with great museums, fantastic restaurants, a vast network of walking and biking trails, and plenty of natural beauty. Madison is just one part of the south-central part of the state, though.
Head out of the city, and you’ll find other top-rated places to go in Wisconsin, including Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin and the American Player’s Theatre near Spring Green, Devil’s Lake State Park near Baraboo, Horicon Marsh, the Wisconsin Dells, the Wisconsin River, and so much more.
Finally, venture into southwestern Wisconsin, and you’ll quickly see why it’s one of the top places to go in Wisconsin. This area is unique in itself. This is where you’ll find Wisconsin’s Driftless Region, an area filled with rolling hills and dramatic river bluffs – geologic features that are remnants of Wisconsin’s last ice age. This part of the state is an outdoor lover’s dream, home to top places to go in Wisconsin, like the Great River Road, the Elroy-Sparta Trail, the Lower Wisconsin River, and so much more.
Why Choose a Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast
While we promise each of these places to go in Wisconsin offers visitors plenty of things to do, they also offer something else: They are home to at least one Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast. There’s a lot to love about staying at our Wisconsin Bed and Breakfasts, but it starts with the friendly welcome you’ll receive upon arrival.
Wisconsin Bed and Breakfasts go far beyond offering a comfortable place to rest your head. Their accommodations are diverse, and many offer a fantastic range of value-added amenities to make your stay exceptional. There are few better ways to wake up in the morning than to the wafting aromas of breakfast being made fresh for you, and this is what you’ll find at many of our Inns.
Beyond serving a delicious breakfast, most Wisconsin Bed and Breakfasts also include other amenities in the cost of your stay, including things like parking, WiFi, cozy robes, coffee/tea bars, daily snacks, and even sometimes a wine and/or appetizer reception in the afternoons!
Most importantly, though, our Wisconsin Bed and Breakfasts offer friendly service that is second to none. Our Innkeepers are local experts who are more than happy to help you plan your stay and offer a level of personalized attention that is unheard of at most large lodging chains. Each Inn is also licensed and inspected, so you are guaranteed the best and safest place to stay in Wisconsin.
With so much great value to be found at our Wisconsin Bed and Breakfasts, is it any wonder why so many of our properties are rated as the best places to stay in Wisconsin? It’s only helped by the fact that so many of the top places to go in Wisconsin are found near at least one of these fantastic Inns. Where will your next adventure take you? Browse through our collection of Inns, and book your room today!
