Ecotourism spots are a highlight among Midwest tourism’s plentiful travel options offering visitors plenty of nature to interact with
If you’re looking for your travel group to experience the best Midwest tourism has to offer, ecotourism may be the perfect fit. This increasingly popular form of tourism emphasizes low-impact travel to natural areas, allowing travelers to immerse themselves in and learn about beautiful natural elements while still conserving the environment.
Ecotourism is Front and Center Boosting Midwest Tourism
The various opportunities the Upper Mississippi River Valley can provide ecotourists make it an especially great region to explore. Here are five places that have plenty of activities and resources for your ecotourism group.
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1. St. Croix National Scenic Riverway
Paddleboat rounds Angle Rock in the Dalles, an ecotourism gem of the Midwest tourism offerings
St. Croix Fall, Wisconsin
The St. Croix and Namekagon rivers form the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, offering clean water that runs for more than 200 miles. Various amphibians, fish, birds, and other animals populate the Riverway, and over 700 species of plants can be found around its edges. Whether you go by paddleboard or river boat, your group can navigate the waters and see some of the least-developed countries in the region. If fishing is of interest, trout, muskies, and smallmouth bass are just a few of the many fish that attract anglers from all over to this space.
The surrounding land is ripe for exploration as well, as your group can hike along the two rivers or travel through the woods on one of the seven trails that are open year-round. If you’re interested in camping, the Riverway is surrounded by campsites scattered in a way that will sustain multi-day trips. You can also learn more about the area’s history through markers like chipping stations, burial mounds, and rock art that evidence a human occupation that started thousands of years ago.
2. Effigy Mounds National Monument
Effigy Mounds National Monument is an otherworldly Midwest tourism spot that offers ranger-led walking tours
Marquette, Iowa
Positioned in a scenic section of the Upper Mississippi River Valley, Effigy Mounds National Monument is home to over 200 preserved mounds that many see as sacred, including the 20 culturally associated American Indian tribes. Your group can view the mounds through longer excursions on steep hiking trails or brief walks on more accessible paths, engaging with this ecotourism site by pondering the background and meanings of the mounds as you journey around the Monument. Ranger talks and guided tours are both options throughout the summer.
Hiking trails will also lead your group to points such as Twin Views or Hanging Rock, which both supply overlooks of the Mississippi River Valley. Additionally, a large variety of animals reside in the region due to the Monument protecting both upland and wetland habitats, so creatures such as whitetail deer and turkeys can be commonly seen during hikes. If your group is looking to learn more about the area, the visitor center houses several exhibits that introduce the Monument’s history and showcase artifacts.
3. Maquoketa Caves State Park
A field trip group explores the Upper Dance Hall cave at Maquoketa Caves State Park in Iowa. Photo credit: Phil Roeder/Flickr
Maquoketa, Iowa
One of Iowa’s earliest state parks and a consistently popular spot in Midwest tourism, Maquoketa Caves has been drawing in visitors since the 1860s. Covering 370 acres located among tall bluffs and hardwood trees, the park’s six-mile trail system allows hikers to take in its scenery and also access approximately thirteen caves, a higher number than any other of Iowa’s state parks. Formed from years of water erosion on limestone bedrock and known for their distinctive flowstone and dripstone formations, some of these caves can be easily toured by guests, like the over 1,000-foot “Dancehall Cave”, while others require crawling in more confined spaces that may appeal to more dedicated spelunkers.
Other highlights include the “Natural Bridge,” which towers 50 feet above Raccoon Creek, “Balanced Rock,” a 17-ton rock that appears to defy gravity as it rests on a tiny base, and two caves feature natural springs flowing out of them. Additionally, the new interpretive center is open on weekends over the summer and can help your group learn more about park history and the cave formations’ geology. Camping reservations can be made online for either electric or non-electric sites.
4. Audubon Center at Riverlands
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers visits the Audubon Center at Riverlands in Missouri. Photo credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
West Alton, Missouri
Located on the banks of the Mississippi River and near its convergence with the Missouri River, this center is a faithful ecotourism draw that aims to connect its guests to the beauty and significance of this confluence and inspire the conservation of the ecosystem. Being placed within the 3,700-acre Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, a constantly shifting variety of 300 species of birds live or migrate throughout the area depending on the time of year. With more than 8.5 miles of trail, your group can hike through different environments like prairies, marshes, and bottomland forest habitats, with bird blinds and other opportunities to view wildlife available throughout.
The native plant garden showcases different flowers, sedges, and grasses, while Ellis Bay offers kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing and canoeing. Inside the Center itself, there are bird checklists, trail maps, exhibits, and educated staff that can further enhance your visit. Spotting scopes to view birds are also available for when bad weather rolls around.
5. Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore transforms into a stunning landscape with ice caves ready to explore. Photo credit: The Cut/Flickr
Sand Bay, Wisconsin
Comprised of 21 islands and 12 miles of mainland at Wisconsin’s northern tip, the dispersed nature of the Apostle Islands provides numerous attractions for visitors to interact with and a sense of remoteness compared to other ecotourism spots. For those wishing to explore the islands and their surrounding waters, water taxis, sailing, boat tours, and guided kayak trips and rentals are all available. Sea kayaks are a particularly popular mode of transportation and give users access to the mainland sea caves, unique structures that have been naturally carved into cliffs and can be surveyed in both the summer and the winter. Stunning wintertime landscapes include Apostle Island’s ice caves, a unique exploration of nature’s wonders.
Additional activities on the water include fishing, which has occurred around the islands for centuries, and scuba diving. If your group is interested in traversing the land itself, the islands have over fifty miles of maintained trails that lead to points like lighthouses, old farm sites, and overlooks, while there are also many beaches that are fit for further trekking and camping on 18 of the 21 islands and the mainland.
Ecotourism Stands Out in the Midwest
The different combinations of hiking trails, unique natural formations, abundant wildlife, informative resources, campsites, and various modes of traversal ecotourists can find throughout the Midwest exemplify just how much the region has to offer with regard to ecotourism. These places will allow your group to deeply and respectfully engage with natural settings and make memories that will surely leave you motivated to explore even more.
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