Back to school stuff (seriously?!) is creeping into our stores and ads, and we are making a mad dash to cross some stuff off of our bucket lists. But if you’ve delayed doing something fun this summer because of cash flow, don’t worry. There are loads of things to do in Wisconsin that don’t cost a ton of money. Here are 10 (cheap) ideas.
- Apostle Islands (Bayfield)
Jim Sorbie/Flickr For natural beauty like this, you’d think you would be looking at extremely high costs. Of course you can spend more money on a cruise, but kayaking and walking around are totally free.
- Devil’s Lake State Park (Baraboo)
Joshua Mayer/Flickr Large bluffs overlook a 360 acre lake. In addition to hiking and biking, there is a nice beach to hang out on. Camping makes staying in the Dells super cheap.
- St. Croix River
Aaron Carlson/Flickr Wisconsin is full of excellent rivers, but there might not be a better one than the St. Croix. This is one of the best rivers for kayaking. People also love it for river tubing.
- Big Manitou Falls (Douglas County)
Joshua Mayer/Flickr Do go chasing waterfalls. Watch from the scenic overlook as this waterfall tumbles down 165 feet. Don’t miss its younger brother, Little Manitou Falls.
- Washington Island
Joshua Mayer/Flickr You can get to this island by ferry. On it, don’t miss Schoolhouse Beach, one of the best beaches in Wisconsin. The rocks are so smooth and the water is so incredibly clear.
- Whitefish Dunes (Door County)
Wisconsin DNR/Flickr There aren’t too many dunes in Wisconsin, making this place all the more special and fragile. The park is 867 acres, and it is wonderful to walk along.
- Bay Beach Amusement Park (Green Bay)
Bay Beach Amusement Park/Facebook Most amusement park admission costs require you to pick up a second job. Not the case at Bay Beach, where rides cost nickels (really). Rides, a roller coaster and concessions give you that true amusement park experience (without the price tag).
- Perrot State Park (Trempealeau)
Aaron Carlson/Flickr This park is one of the crown jewels of Wisconsin’s Driftless Area. The main things of interest here are Trempealeau Mountain and Brady’s Bluff.
- Wabeno (Forest County)
GreggMP/Flickr Sure, there are loads of cute towns up in northern Wisconsin that are just great during the summer. You’ll love getting out on the lake up here.
- Elroy-Sparta Trail (Wilton)
kenneth casper/Flickr This 32 mile bike trail was one of the first in the nation to convert old train tracks into a bike trail. A really awesome feature of the trail is the tunnels, two of which have giant wooden doors. The doors were there to keep snow out of the tunnels back when they were in operation for trains.
Looking for cheap places to stay on your cheap getaway? Check out this list.
Jim Sorbie/Flickr
For natural beauty like this, you’d think you would be looking at extremely high costs. Of course you can spend more money on a cruise, but kayaking and walking around are totally free.
Joshua Mayer/Flickr
Large bluffs overlook a 360 acre lake. In addition to hiking and biking, there is a nice beach to hang out on. Camping makes staying in the Dells super cheap.
Aaron Carlson/Flickr
Wisconsin is full of excellent rivers, but there might not be a better one than the St. Croix. This is one of the best rivers for kayaking. People also love it for river tubing.
Do go chasing waterfalls. Watch from the scenic overlook as this waterfall tumbles down 165 feet. Don’t miss its younger brother, Little Manitou Falls.
You can get to this island by ferry. On it, don’t miss Schoolhouse Beach, one of the best beaches in Wisconsin. The rocks are so smooth and the water is so incredibly clear.
Wisconsin DNR/Flickr
There aren’t too many dunes in Wisconsin, making this place all the more special and fragile. The park is 867 acres, and it is wonderful to walk along.
Bay Beach Amusement Park/Facebook
Most amusement park admission costs require you to pick up a second job. Not the case at Bay Beach, where rides cost nickels (really). Rides, a roller coaster and concessions give you that true amusement park experience (without the price tag).
This park is one of the crown jewels of Wisconsin’s Driftless Area. The main things of interest here are Trempealeau Mountain and Brady’s Bluff.
GreggMP/Flickr
Sure, there are loads of cute towns up in northern Wisconsin that are just great during the summer. You’ll love getting out on the lake up here.
kenneth casper/Flickr
This 32 mile bike trail was one of the first in the nation to convert old train tracks into a bike trail. A really awesome feature of the trail is the tunnels, two of which have giant wooden doors. The doors were there to keep snow out of the tunnels back when they were in operation for trains.
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