Perrot State Park
Brady’s Bluff, Trempealeau Mountain, oak savanna, wetlands, and archaeological earthworks reveal the Upper Mississippi as habitat and cultural corridor.
Artwork inspired by Frances Myers
Perrot overlooks the Mississippi’s wetlands and the isolated landform of Trempealeau Mountain from the western edge of Wisconsin’s unglaciated Driftless Area. The height clarifies channels and migration habitat, while prairie and oak-savanna restoration show that “natural” views also depend on fire and active management.
The park contains archaeological sites and Indigenous mounds that must be protected. Brady’s Bluff can be reached by a steep historic route or a longer approach, neither of which should be inferred from the overlook photograph alone. Below, paddling routes enter current, wind, submerged obstacles, and changing river levels—conditions distinct from hiking.
- Region
- Driftless Area
- River
- Upper Mississippi
- Habitat
- Oak savanna and wetland
Quick guide
- Choose the bluff route explicitly
- Compare steep stone steps with longer approaches before committing the group
- Notice managed fire landscapes
- Prairie and open oak habitat survive through restoration, not passive neglect
Move between bluff scale and floodplain detail
- Choose the bluff route explicitly
- Compare steep stone steps with longer approaches before committing the group.
- Locate Trempealeau Mountain
- The isolated bluff across the water helps explain river movement and the park’s name.
- Notice managed fire landscapes
- Prairie and open oak habitat survive through restoration, not passive neglect.
- Protect archaeological places
- Stay on routes and do not climb or disturb mounds and cultural features.
Good to know
Bluff trails are steep and can be slick; river paddling requires a separate plan for current, wind, levels, and landing points.
Notice these
- Brady’s Bluff
- Trempealeau Mountain view
- Great River State Trail connection