La Crosse, Wisconsin

Booming sawmills, fur trading, and boat building, once made La Crosse once one of the busiest steamboat ports on the Mississippi River. Today, it remains a great place to take a riverboat cruise into the scenic Wildlife Refuge of the Mighty Mississippi! Our unique Wildlife Eco-Tours and Backwater Cruises depart from beautiful Riverside Park in downtown La Crosse.

Our Mississippi River backwater cruises will take you off of the main-channel of the river and into areas such as: Broken Arrow, Swift Creek, Mormon, and Running Sloughs. We explore the outskirts of Goose Island, beaver lodges, lotus fields, and eagle habitat, including nests.  Now's the time to get outside and see the plants and animals that live in the Upper Miss Wildlife Refuge! As always, our cruises are 100 percent guided and narrated by qualified and experienced wildlife naturalists.

Are you looking for a fun evening with majestic scenery, wildlife, and great sunsets? Try one of our Saturday evening Wildlife Sunset Cruises. It's the same cruise as our "Wildlife Eco-Tour", but during the nature-filled evening hours and just a great time to be on the river!

Carry-on's of food and drinks are allowed and welcomed during all of our cruises. We also permit coolers to be carried on, but we ask that you keep them reasonably sized.

We are located on at the south end of Riverside (across from the Radisson Hotel) and there is ample free parking throughout the area. If you need driving directions, please scroll down and use our interactive map at the bottom of the page.

Cruises and Rates

2010 Schedule of Cruises (for cruise descriptions, see below)

Private Charters will be available for groups of 25 or larger beginning Mid-April and continuing through early November. Call for more information.

Wednesday (June - October)

1 1/2-hr Wildlife Eco-Tour: 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Adults (12+): 14.99; Youth (4-11): 9.99; Child (3 & under)/ free

Thursday (June - October)

1 1/2-hr Wildlife Eco-Tour: 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Adults (12+): 14.99; Youth (4-11): 9.99; Child (3 & under)/ free

Friday (June - October)

1 1/2-hr Wildlife Eco-Tour: 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Adults (12+): 14.99; Youth (4-11): 9.99; Child (3 & under)/ free

2-hr Wildlife Sunset Cruise: 6:30 -8:30 pm (June - August)
Adults (12+): 19.99; Youth (4-11): 14.99; Child (3 & under)/ free

Saturday (May - October)

2-hr Wildlife Eco-Tour: 2 - 4 pm
Adults (12+): 19.99; Youth (4-11): 14.99; Child (3 & under)/ free

2-hr Wildlife Sunset Cruise: 6:30 - 8:30 pm (June - August)
5 - 7 pm (Sept. 4 - Oct. 2)
Adults (12+): 19.99; Youth (4-11): 14.99; Child (3 & under)/ free

Sunday (May - October)

2-hr Wildlife Eco-Tour: 10 am -12 pm
Adults (12+): 19.99; Youth (4-11): 14.99; Child (3 & under)/ free

Specialty Cruises for 2010

NEW in 2010! Backwater Speaker Series
Celebrate our new partnership with La Crosse's Myrick Hixon EcoPark. Enjoy stories and hands-on lessons with our special guests while exploring the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Departing from downtown La Crosse, Wisconsin, these Saturday morning cruises are designed for adults and older students who want a comfortable yet engaging experience on the river, as well as access to experts in scientific research, conservation, and Mississippi lore. This summer's lineup includes:

Saturday, June 12, 9am-12pm
Birds of the Mississippi Flyway Cruise w/ Jon "Hawk" Stravers, Audubon Iowa.
North America offers four major flyways for migrating birds racing up and down the Western Hemisphere. Unfettered by high mountains, the Mississippi River Valley is a critical route, shuttling millions of raptors, songbirds, waterfowl, and more. As spring migrants reach their peak, join avian researcher Jon "Hawk" Stravers to take a closer look in the backwaters near La Crosse. We'll focus on the biology and behavior of birds of prey, from eagles and hawks to falcons and vultures, though we'll keep our eyes and ears open for many other species. A renowned educator, Stravers is the Driftless Area Coordinator for Audubon's Mississippi River Initiative.

Saturday, July 10, 9 am-12 pm
Big River Geology: The Restless Mississippi Cruise w/ Colin Belby, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Do you fish, hunt, boat, or earn a living on the Upper Mississippi River? Are you curious about the impacts of floodwaters, locks and dams, and the forces of erosion? If so, this cruise is for you. With experience as a mapping technician for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Dr. Colin Belby is a university geologist specializing in fluvial geomorphology, the study of landform evolution and the processes that shape a river system. We'll learn why the Mississippi is riven with ever-changing features and how sedimentation - where it originates and where it deposits - influences all things on the river, including navigation, commerce, and recreation.

Saturday, August 14, 9 am-12 pm
Wildlife of the Upper Miss Refuge Cruise w/ Paula Ogden-Muse, Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.
At 261 miles long, the Upper Miss is our nation's longest and most visited federal refuge, harboring 306 species of birds, 57 mammals, 134 fish, and 34 mussels, not to mention countless insects, plants, and other species of river life. Yet how many of us really know the wildlife at our doorstep? Join a park ranger with 25 years of experience teaching about the ecology and adaptations of wide-ranging creatures. Cruising the backwaters near La Crosse, we'll be on the lookout for diverse predators and prey and share their stories through extensive hands-on materials, including skulls, skins, bones, and several live specimens.

Saturday, September 11, 9 am-12 pm
River Rat Tales Cruise with the "Last River Rat" Kenny Salwey.
Don't miss this one-of-a-kind experience with storyteller Kenny Salwey, the famous "river rat" who has spent decades fishing, hunting, trapping, and exploring the Upper Mississippi. In bookstores and theaters many of have heard Kenny's tales over the years, but few have ventured on the water with him as he describes a lifetime of adventure from backwoods to river bottom. Lulled by late summer, we'll cruise while Kenny turns scenery into stories unlike any other, filled with wild animals and colorful travelers and a way of life slipping from existence. If you want the real deal, now's your chance. Kenny is our Mississippi muse!

Registration Information

Cost: $34.99 per person per cruise. Early registration is requested due to limited space. This is an adult only program, no passengers under 18 please. You may carry on food and beverages.

Time and location: Cruises for our Backwater Speaker Series depart at 9 am from Riverside Park (across from the Radisson Hotel) in downtown La Crosse, Wisconsin. We'll return to the dock about 11:30 am. A 30 min. Q & A session will follow the cruise for any further discussions.

To register or learn more, including information about our weekly Wildlife Eco-Tours and charter cruises from La Crosse, contact:

Mississippi Explorer Cruises - La Crosse
(877) 647-7397 ext. 2
(563) 880-6968
lacrosse@mississippiexplorer.com

Cruise Descriptions

Please note: All of our cruises venture off of the main-channel of the Mississippi River and into the scenic and wild backwaters. Extraordinary wildlife can be seen on each and every one of our cruises. However, in order to give you the best "Mississippi River" experience, we'll visit the unique natural events that occur at certain times throughout the year. This is why we feature "Bald Eagle Watching", Lotus & Lily", "Nesting Bald Eagles", "Scenic Fall Foliage" and other exciting cruises periodically. They're still our fantastic Wildlife Eco-Tours, but with a different spotlight angle!

"Wildlife Eco-Tours"

1 1/2-hour or 2-hour cruises. Spend an afternoon on America's River with our signature backwater cruise designed specifically for nature lovers and sightseers. Explore a variety of wetland habitats including open water, narrow backwater sloughs, and side channels along riverside bluffs and floodplain forests. Highlights include up close views of Bald Eagle nests, Beaver Lodges, sunning Turtles, Great Blue Herons, Egrets, Red Fox, playful River Otters, and much more!
1 1/2-hour cruise: Adults (12+)/14.99; Youth (4-11)/9.99; Child (3 & under)/free.
2-hour cruise: Adults (12+)/$19.99; Youth (4-11)/$14.99; Child (3 & under)/free.

"Wildlife Sunset Cruise"

2-hour cruise. What could be better then a Mississippi River backwater cruise? A Mississippi River backwater sunset cruise! Join us on this scenic and relaxing cruise as we head into the Upper Mississippi River's Wildlife Refuge. Bring along your own food and beverage of choice (perhaps a bottle of wine) and prepare for an evening of pure delight. There is no better time to be on the Mighty Miss!
2-hour cruise: Adults (12+)/$19.99; Youth (4-11)/$14.99; Child (3 & under)/free.

"Scenic Fall Foliage Cruises"

1 1/2-hour or 2-hour cruises. Forget New England! Travel less and discover more by taking a 2-hour cruise through our endless Mississippi River backwaters. Don't worry... this is still a Wildlife Eco-Tour, but we change the name to emphasize Mother Nature's seasonal achievement. View the spectacular fall foliage colors on the towering bluffs surrounding the river valley inside or outside of our heated sightseeing riverboat cabins. A very popular cruise for autumn color sightseers with great photo opportunities for everyone!
1 1/2-hour cruise: Adults (12+)/14.99; Youth (4-11)/9.99; Child (3 & under)/free.
2-hour cruise: Adults (12+)/$19.99; Youth (4-11)/$14.99; Child (3 & under)/free.

Tickets and Reservations

Reservations do not require any deposit. If you are interested in one of our cruises, please call. If we are unavailable, leave your name, phone number, cruise name and date, and how many seats you'd like to reserve. We'll save you your spot and call you back with a confirmation asap.

Check or cash only please.

For more information regarding tickets, reservations, schedules, and/or private charters, please call us toll-free at (877) 647-7397 ext. 2.

Interested in a Group Tour or a Private Charter at our La Crosse location? Contact us for cruise options at very reasonable prices.

Contact Us:

Phone:
Toll-free: (877) 647-7397 ext. 2
Cell: (563) 880-6968

Email: lacrosse@mississippiexplorer.com

Mailing Address:
Mississippi Explorer - La Crosse
P.O. Box 696, La Crosse, WI 54602-0696