How to Travel to Wisconsin

Ethan Schowalter-Hay

Wisconsin beckons travelers with its plentiful lakes, extensive forests, glacial landforms, and unique culture (from ice-fishing to Packer worship). Situated in the upper Midwest, the state can be reached through a variety of transportation options.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Tickets (if traveling by plane, bus, train, or ferry)
Tickets (if traveling by plane, bus, train, or ferry)

Step 1

Fly in. Wisconsin's largest city, Milwaukee, hosts General Mitchell International Airport, a major airline hub. Green Bay has Austin Straubel International Airport. Numerous regional and municipal airports are scattered throughout the state.

Step 2

Hop a bus or train. Several bus lines service the state. Amtrak and Metra offer passenger rail service, like the Empire Builder, and there are a variety of excursion trains.

Step 3

Come by boat. Wisconsin is bounded on three sides by water: the Mississippi River, Lake Superior, and Lake Michigan. The Lake Express auto ferry crosses Lake Michigan to connect Milwaukee with Muskegon, Michigan; the Lake Michigan Carferry crosses the lake between Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and Ludington, Michigan. The Cassville Ferry across the Mississippi brings passengers between Cassville, Wisconsin, and Turkey Creek, Iowa. Other ferries service in-state traffic.

Step 4

Drive in. Four Interstate routes cross Wisconsin: I-94, I-90, I-39, and I-43. Road densities are greater in the southern part of the state than the more thinly-settled northern portion.

Step 5

Use your own foot-power. Wisconsin is a great state for outdoor enthusiasts, criss-crossed as it is by many recreational trails. Two of these are national scenic trails: the Ice Age (within the state) and the North Country (stretching from North Dakota to New York). Wisconsin's rural routes especially are attractive to long-distance bicyclists.

Tips & Warnings

Be sure to check weather conditions if traveling during Wisconsin's sometimes-ferocious winters: roads may be closed and flights delayed or canceled.

Resources

North Country National Scenic Trail

Article Written By Ethan Schowalter-Hay

Ethan Schowalter-Hay is a writer and naturalist living in Oregon. He has written for the "Observer," the Bureau of Land Management and various online publishers. He holds a Bachelor of Science in wildlife ecology and a graduate certificate in geographic information systems from the University of Wisconsin.

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