Merrick State Park

Throw up your gone fishin’ sign—it’s time for Merrick State Park. Set up camp along the lazy Mississippi River, deep in the hills of Wisconsin’s Coulee Region, and you’ll be surrounded by large and smallmouth bass, bluegills, crappies and other species. If kayaking or canoeing floats your boat, explore the quieter backwater river sloughs, where you’ll be fully immersed in a marshy wilderness, surrounded by a variety of fish, birds, animals and plant. Boats that go vroooom test their motors on the main part of the River from two of the park’s boat launches. If you’ve got thick Wisconsin blood, check out the miles of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails as well as top-notch ice fishing.