Blake Walsh

15 Best Things to Do in Reedsburg, WI

  • Published 2022/08/13

Did you know that the city of Reedsburg, Wisconsin has 18 beautiful parks and accessible trails with a scenic view of the Baraboo River?

Platted in 1852, the area officially became a town in 1868.

Likewise, the place gets its name from one of the early settlers in the city, David C. Reed.

Right on the Baraboo River, you can enjoy kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and swimming.

Reedsburg is a city in Sauk County.

It is also a bird city with significant bird conservation.

The city is also known for its historic infrastructure.

Both residential and commercial buildings started construction in the city between 1873 to 1920.

The parks also house several well-maintained trails where you can go hiking, camping, biking, and picnicking.

If you’re planning on taking a trip, check out the best things to do in Reedsburg!

Enjoy Bird Watching at the Webb Park

A pavilion on the grounds of Webb Park

JackFromReedsburg, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Reedsburg is a bird city.

When you visit, you can enjoy bird watching at Webb Park on North Webb Avenue.

Try putting some food on your hand to lure the birds, and some of them will eat straight from your palm.

The sound of birds chirping also helps you relax in the park.

Its highlights are the municipal swimming pool and a few tennis courts where locals and visitors also play.

Of course, you can try picnicking at the park, with its picnic shelters, grills, and tables.

The park also has restrooms, walking trails, a playground, and a sand volleyball.

Established in 1951, Webb Park provides a nice retreat from downtown.

Stay at Valley Springs Farm Bed & Breakfast

One of Reedsburg’s best hotels is Valley Springs Farm Bed & Breakfast.

It sits on the beautiful County Road, a home away from home.

The hotel brings you comfortable beds, beautiful decor, and delicious farm-to-table food during your stay.

It’s a gorgeous farm hotel where you hear nothing but the sound of animals.

Its hotel rooms house a front porch, an enclosed sunroom, a lower patio, a campfire, flower and vegetable gardens, and a swing and slide set for the kids.

Don and Dorothy Harms own this 255-acre property, which has operated since 2015.

The Valley Springs Farm Bed & Breakfast is also close to the 400 State Bike Trail.

Go there if you want to take a leisure walk or ride your bike towards the lakes.

Explore the 400 State Trail

Plenty of wildlife and bountiful scenery are among the scenic views you can see on the 400 State Trail.

Enjoy the wetlands, sandstone outcroppings, bountiful pastures, and rolling croplands that will make your exploration worthwhile.

The 22-mile rail trail also features a seven-mile horse trail where you can enjoy horseback riding.

The 400 State Trail officially opened in June 1993.

Its namesake is a Chicago – Northwestern passenger train, which used to travel 400 miles from Wisconsin to Chicago and Minneapolis and back.

You will also need a trail pass before biking or horseback riding on the trail.

If you need a bike, you can also rent one from one bike rental close to the area.

You can find the 400 State Trail between Reedsburg and Elroy.

Buy Art at BC Arts Gallery

BC Arts Gallery exhibits many different artworks by local and regional artists.

These artworks are reasonably priced, especially since many talented artists make them in Reedsburg and the entire Sauk County.

The paintings, ceramics, sketchings, found art, and sculptures are among the best original artworks you can’t find elsewhere.

There are also unique items that you can buy for your friends and loved ones.

BC Arts Gallery is at Railroad Street.

Check Out the Norman Rockwell Exhibit at the Voyageur Inn and Conference Center

Prolific artist Norman Rockwell has an extraordinary work of art that has earned renown across the world.

You can find a vast collection of his artworks at Voyageur Inn and Conference Center.

Visit the center and see the art free of charge.

Ranging from the pre-World War I era to images of 60s and 70s rock stars, you can fill your eyes with his fantastic work of art at the hotel.

Born in New York in 1894, Normal Rockwell has delighted the world with his talent.

The Voyageur Inn and Conference Center is on the beautiful Viking Drive.

Visit the Pioneer Log Village

Cabins at Pioneer Log Village

Aaron of L.A. Photography / Shutterstock.com

Don’t miss the Pioneer Log Village in Reedsburg, where you can glimpse the early settlers’ lives in the area.

The 52-wooded-acre houses four log cabins, a log store, a log church, a blacksmith shop, a logging library, a one-room schoolhouse, and a museum.

Local families donated all these buildings in the area that features the artifacts, heirlooms, memories, keepsakes, and collections of the city’s early settlers.

The Pioneer Log Village is part of the Reedsburg Area Historical Society, established in February 1966.

It’s nestled in State Highway 23/33.

Dine at Greenwood’s Cafe

For more than 40 years, Greenwood’s Cafe has prided itself in serving homemade meals for breakfast and lunch.

Enjoy its delicious homemade omelets, toasts, bagels, coffee, and its famous special pies.

You can taste its homemade wraps, sandwiches, soup, and salads with delectable juices and other beverages for lunch.

Its family-friendly and welcoming atmosphere will let you stay longer and ask for more delicious homemade meals.

Established in 1974, Greenwood’s Cafe is close to Thirsty Beaver Sports Bar.

Grab a Beer or Two at Thirsty Beaver Sports Bar

A few steps from Greenwood’s Cafe on Walnut Street sits a bar where you can find delicious craft beers for a night of relaxation.

Thirsty Beaver Sports Bar offers cocktails and craft beers that you can pair with a bowl of crunchy salty peanuts.

It offers a great selection of beer that you can enjoy while watching the big games on many of its TV sets.

The bar also hosts occasional pool tournaments as well as DJ gigs.

Thirsty Beaver Sports Bar is a popular spot in Reedsburg and has operated in the city as early as 2010.

See the Ruminant – the Grand Masticator by Karl Unnasch

On Harvest Park in downtown Reedsburg sits Karl Unnasch’s masterpiece, called Ruminant – The Grand Masticator.

It’s an anthropomorphic installation made with the shell of a reclaimed combine harvester that incorporates backlit stained glass and art glass.

The masterpiece wants to honor and stress the importance of agriculture, which is now a permanent fixture of Reedsburg.

Americans for the Arts honors this masterpiece, which used to be a temporary display in the cornfield of the Reedsburg area during the 2013 Farm/Art DTour.

It’s now one of the city’s centerpieces.

Many local and national artists consider it the “Eiffel Tower” of Reedsburg for its significance in arts and agriculture.

You should see the Ruminant – the Grand Masticator at nighttime to see the epic backlit glass panels.

Set up Camp at Sandstone Ridge Campground

Reedsburg has three different campgrounds, including Sandstone Ridge Campground by the Mirror Lake State Park.

The campground offers 68 sites with pit and flush toilets and drinking water.

It’s close to a fishing pier, beach, boat landing, and the Lakeview Trail that connects the campground to day-use sites.

It’s also open even during winter while other campgrounds are inaccessible.

Enjoy the gorgeous pine and oak trees around the campground and use its picnic tables and fire ring while you’re there.

Bring your family to the Sandstone Ridge Campground!

Other Things to Do Nearby

Go Fishing at Lake Redstone

Sunset reflecting on Lake Redstone

Anne Harris / Shutterstock.com

In the beautiful village of La Valle, Wisconsin, sits Lake Redstone, a 635-acre artificial reservoir, which is only 19 minutes away from Reedsburg.

The lake’s construction began in 1964 with a watershed from Juneau County that fills the reservoir.

What makes it more beautiful is the excess water from the watershed that creates cascading falls flowing into the Baraboo River.

At the lake, you can go fishing.

Try to catch different varieties of fish like panfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, and walleye, among others.

You’re good to go if you’re following the lake’s fishing regulations.

Also, there are picnic and swimming areas at the lake where you can enjoy yourself with your family and friends.

Spend a day outdoors at Lake Redstone!

Have Some Wine at Baraboo Bluff Winery

Baraboo Bluff Winery is in the gorgeous city of Baraboo, Wisconsin, which is only 16 minutes away from Reedsburg.

You can find this award-winning winery on the northwest range, where you’ll see the exceptional view of its vineyard.

At the winery, you can have long picnics to taste its unique wines with your friends, family, and pet dogs!

It has also begun reducing its carbon footprint because of the solar panels powering its tasting room.

The winery also uses sugar cane to make its corks, and its slushie cups are biodegradable.

Enjoy its award-winning Chardonnay, Bella Vista Rosa, Sweet Serendipity, Baraboo Blush, and many more.

Fred and Jill Quandt established the Baraboo Bluff Winery in 2015.

It also has a sister company, the Broken Bottle Winery.

Tour around Carr Valley Cheese

Carr Valley Cheese has seven different locations, including one in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, 23 minutes from Reedsburg.

The company entered the cheese-making business in 1902.

Today, Sid Cook, the master cheesemaker, owns and operates the cheesemaking company with his family.

He is the fourth generation of the Cook family to step in.

Its award-winning cheeses are one in a million, including the aged cheddar and cocoa Cardona.

Carr Valley Cheese remains one of Wisconsin’s cheese companies that makes cheeses using traditional methods.

You can tour the factory where you can watch the cheesemakers from the window.

Buy from one of its notable and famous cheeses, alongside its jellies, jams, syrup, butter, and other accompaniments.

Bring your family to Carr Valley Cheese for a day of cheesy fun.

Go Horseback Riding at Canyon Creek Riding Stables

You can find Canyon Creek Riding Stables in Lake Denton, Wisconsin, 22 minutes from Reedsburg.

The stable offers a 200-foot tunnel that leads to the beautiful Lost Canyon, where you can see old rock formations.

While riding, you’ll pass by the Boot Hill Cemetery to Tombstone, where a sheriff gives you a short description of the town.

Likewise, on your way back to the stable, you can see the gorgeous cascading waterfalls.

The guided horseback riding tour will also let you encounter many different kinds of wildflowers along the well-maintained trail.

The stable also has a petting zoo where you can feed and pet the animals.

The horseback riding tour takes 45 minutes to an hour.

Enjoy the trip while getting closer to nature and the wildlife.

Saddle up with Canyon Creek Riding Stables!

Learn about Big Cats at Wisconsin Big Cat Rescue

If you’re a lover of wildlife and you want to see different varieties of felines, you should visit Wisconsin Big Cat Rescue.

Find the rescue center at Rock Springs, Wisconsin, 13 minutes from Reedsburg.

See tigers, lions, leopards, liliger, and lynx at the rescue center and enjoy a close but safe encounter.

You can also learn the big cat’s stories and how they ended up in the center.

Initially, the center welcomed picture-taking with the big cats.

However, they realized that guests taking photos of the cats stressed them out.

Owners Jeff and Jenny Kozlowski immediately stopped this activity and asked for help from animal rescues in the U.S.

Established in 2005, Wisconsin Big Cat Rescue continues to educate guests about big cats and how to protect them.

Final Thoughts

Reedsburg, Wisconsin, is a magnificent city with lots of activities and fun things to do around.

If you’re planning a vacation in the midwest, consider taking a trip to this beautiful city.

Book your trip today and discover the best things to do in Reedsburg!

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