About The Wisconsin Dells

The Dells of the Wisconsin River also called the Wisconsin Dells is a 5 mile gorge on the Wisconsin River in southern Wisconsin in the United States noted for its scenic beauty, in particular for its unique sandstone rock formations and tributary canyons. The cliffs, some over 100 feet high, and side canyons are closed to the public to protect sensitive ecological features. The viewing of the rock formations by water is a popular tourist attraction in the area. The nearby city of Wisconsin Dells is the center of summer tourist activity, much of it in the form of the theme parks unrelated to the river features.

The cultural history of the area stretches back several thousand years, from early Paleo-Indian people to the more recent Native American peoples, such as Ho-Chunk, Sac, and Menominee, who left behind effigy and burial mounds, camps and village sites, garden beds, and rock art.  The Dells were made famous in 1886 by the photographer H. H. Bennett, who took the first stop-action photo of his son jumping onto Stand Rock.

Wisconsin Dells was founded as Kilbourn City in 1857 by Byron Kilbourn, who is notable for also founding Kilbourntown, one of the three original towns at the confluence of the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic Rivers that joined to become Milwaukee. Before the establishment of Kilbourn City, the region around the dells of the Wisconsin River was primarily a lumbering area until 1851, when the La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad was chartered with Kilbourn as its president. The railroad made plans to bridge the Wisconsin River near the river’s dells, and a boomtown named Newport sprang up at the expected site of the bridge in 1853. The population of this new city quickly swelled to over 2,000, but when the railroad finally came through the area in 1857 it took nearly everyone by surprise by crossing the river a mile upstream from the site of Newport. As a result, Newport was rapidly turned into a ghost town as the settlers flocked to the new city at the site of the railroad bridge, Kilbourn City. Gradually, tourism became a large part of Kilbourn City. To make it easier for tourists to identify Kilbourn City with the natural landscape it was famous for, the name of the city was changed to Wisconsin Dells.  Things to do in the Wisconsin Dells ~ Click  Here

Cedar Lodge is a resort located on the Wisconsin River in the Wisconsin Dells. Cedar Lodge is a distinctive alternative to the everyday. Here, you’ll find spacious lodge rooms, suites and villas all with river views. Charming, modern log cabins tucked neatly into the woodlands. Activities and amenities capable of satisfying both a child’s need for fun and your desire for relaxation. All nestled in a magnificent setting along the sandy shores of the Wisconsin River.