Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Viroqua, this bucolic town in the heart of the Driftless region, is becoming quite an attraction for those who love silent sports throughout the country. What once, not long ago, was a sleepy community known only to a small group for the abundance of quiet and challenging cycling roads (both gravel and paved), paddling, mountain biking, and fly fishing, is now a Mecca of sorts for those in Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and Chicago needing a break from urban life. Throw in the fact there are gourmet farm-to-table restaurants, an award-winning coffee roaster, a well-established food co-op, a bookstore, and a knowledgeable bicycle/outdoor store, and you might just feel you’ve arrived in heaven—at least from spring to fall.
On summer weekends, most of the cars seem to be carrying bikes, canoes, or fishing equipment. But the gentler-temperature months are not the only time to visit this region. Winter, from the two locals I interviewed, offers its own kind of magic. And for those looking for beauty, more solitude, and outdoor activities (without bugs), winter might just be the best time to make a trip there.
Wintertime Viroqua Pleasures
Laura Hrubes, a well-known fixture in the gravel and mountain bike community throughout the Midwest, calls Viroqua home. Moreover, she’s in love with winter and all that the season brings; she competes in several fat biking ultras each year. “The sky in the Driftless region in this area,” Laura said, “is really dark and there’s not a lot of ambient light when you get outside of town. The stars are so bright at night in the winter sky it’s just unbelievable. There’s a quietness in winter that is so different from the rest of the year, like the world just slows down a little bit. It’s so comforting to bundle up in warm clothes and everything feels a bit more adventurous, and then it’s such a treat to come inside and have a hot cocoa. Being outside in the snow makes you feel like a kid again.
“Winter just makes you feel alive! One of the things I’m looking forward to most of all is riding my fat bike on the groomed trails at the Veteran’s Hills fat bike trail in Viroqua. When conditions are good with snow, it’s one of my favorite places to fat bike anywhere, and the Vernon Trails team does an amazing job with the grooming. I think the loop is about 5 miles and there’s a little bit of everything: lots of climbing, tight windy trails through the trees, amazing downhills―all of it. It’s 100% fun and worthy of a trip to Viroqua on its own. I’m also really looking forward to snowshoeing and maybe even cross-country skiing at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve (KVR). That’s a special place twelve months a year.
“There’s a trail called the Ice Cave Trail that’s worth a hike in the winter, and some ice caves that form at Wildcat Mountain Park as well. I’m excited to explore them all this winter!”
For Laura, who loves outdoor events, the area offers her so many great options even in the dark months. “Bluedog Cycles (bluedogcycles.com) puts together a fun last hurrah of mountain biking at the KVR in November called the PUKE (Peddling Up The Kickapoo Epic) ride that’s worth putting on your calendar. The KVR also hosts a Winter Fest in January that is an amazing family-friendly event, with the opportunity to participate in lots of outdoor activities. It’s on January 11th this year; check out: kickapoovalley.wi.gov/Events/Annual-Events/Winter-Festival.
“Norskedalen in Coon Valley hosts a Candlelight Hike later in the winter that’s dreamy and fun. Occurring in either February or March depending on conditions, it used to be known as the Candlelight Snowshoe Hike; while you can still snowshoe the event, skiing and regular hiking are now welcome as well. For updates, go to: norskedalen.org/events/candlelight-snowshoe-hike.
“One of my favorite winter events in Viroqua is the Twinklefest Parade, which is the Friday night after Thanksgiving. Area businesses and groups make floats, decorate everything with lights, and have a big parade down Main Street. It’s silly, charming, and joyful, meaning it’s a perfect start to the holiday season and a beautiful reminder of what makes Viroqua so special―the people here.”
Through trial and error, Laura has become quite talented at staying comfortable and warm despite cold temperatures. I enjoy asking folks who participate in winter activities what their stay-comfortable tricks are and Laura said, “Planning what to wear and dressing in layers is important. Keeping your hands and feet warm is a big part of staying comfortable and safe. Bring things like chemical hand warmers and extra layers. Wear your boots a bit on the large side to help your feet stay warm. A face mask and goggles can protect your skin [and eyes] and help you stay comfortable and avoid frostbite. Also, make sure you have a headlamp handy so you can feel safe and secure being outside when it gets dark. Try some short outings till you feel more comfortable with your gear and what works for you to stay warm. Putting some time into preparation can make those nervous feelings disappear and you will feel ready for anything winter has to offer.”
Pete Taylor, owner of Bluedog Cycles (which just celebrated their 19th year in business), has not only been supplying the community with their bike, outdoor clothing, and silent sports equipment needs year-round, but also organizes year-round outdoor events and helps build and maintain the Vernon Trails network. While living in Boise, Idaho, Pete and his wife, Alycann, started missing and craving the seasons. “We moved back to the [Viroqua] area nineteen years ago. The quiet Driftless area gets even quieter around here in the winter and the stars pop. The crisp air feels great and the mountains around here become nicely defined when only the oaks are holding their leaves. You can see the trails everywhere. The fat biking scene is fantastic.
“There are miles of groomed [trails] and even more miles of human-packed. Getting out on a gravel bike on a windless day is pretty amazing also. We just don't have any traffic and our roads are the best. Snowshoeing and Nordic skiing, both on and off-trail, are amazing around here as well. And we're only 30 minutes from Mount La Crosse which offers great lift-assist stuff. We used to host a pretty great candlelit snowshoe stomp, but it ran its course so to speak. But there are a couple of places around here that do that type of thing. Norskedalen and Wildcat State Park are beautiful venues that light up the snow and invite people to enjoy.
“There's definitely a crew that works diligently at stomping down some singletrack with snowshoes so they can fat bike. It's not advertised like the Veteran Hills machine-groomed stuff is, but it's epic. That occurs at Sidie Hollow, which happens to be one of the best trail networks in the Upper Midwest, in my biased opinion. The Kickapoo Valley Reserve is another place that everybody should explore. They allow recreation out there, but it doesn't get much promotion, so we take care of that on our end. This is the same 9,000 acres that we host the P.U.K.E. Forty-four miles of backcountry trail that most people don't know anything about. In wintertime, there’s an 8-mile loop that can be ridden on a fat bike. Simply one of the most beautiful chunks of property in the country.
“Also designated as a dark sky location, this is where the astronomers go to hang out at night. The Reserve may be home to a couple of hidden gems in the sense of snowshoeing and ice caves. You can get a map showing the more popular and easier-to-visit ice caves, but there are so many more out there. You just have to get off-trail to find them.”
If the winter wonderland pictures that Laura and Pete have painted don’t make you want to run/bike/ski/snowshoe as fast as you can to the Viroqua area, I’m not sure what will. I joke with others to keep this region a secret. To tell no one and help keep it a hidden gem. But in all honesty, beautiful things must be loved and shared with those who will appreciate it.
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