Between Madison And Minneapolis Is Wisconsin's Hidden Ghost Town With Underrated Fishing Spots And River Views

When one thinks of fishing in Wisconsin, the big names probably come to mind first: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and the Mississippi, all of which border the Badger State. But there's a semi-abandoned, unincorporated ghost town hidden away in the southwestern part of Wisconsin that offers access to some of the best and most underrated spots to fish for trout in the entire state.

Built off of the West Fork of the Kickapoo River, where you can enjoy serene river views and top-notch fishing, the town of Avalanche is almost halfway between Minneapolis and Madison. It was founded in 1854, but don't let its name fool you: There aren't avalanches nearby. Conversely, its location in the heart of the Driftless means that there are anything but avalanches in the area. The Driftless is a geographic region that was bypassed by the continental glacier of the last ice age 10,000 years ago, so there are no avalanches to be found besides the town of Avalanche.

The town's name was derived from the large landmass to the east that locals thought looked like an avalanche that had frozen in its tracks. Wisconsinites, out-of-towners, and Norwegian immigrants were the original habitants of the town, and of Vernon County at large, who had built a thriving community in Avalanche. It had a general store, saw mill, flour mill, creamery, and schoolhouse, all constructed in the mid-19th century. Some of these historic buildings can still be seen today, albeit derelict and devoid of human activity. Some people still live in this partial ghost town, but the community is largely gone; in 1986, nearly 130 years after the town was established, the town chapel held its final service.

Ultimately, Avalanche's location next to the West Fork of the Kickapoo is what caused its demise. A massive flood in 1907 partially destroyed the town, and unfortunately, that wouldn't be the last flood to come. As floodwaters repeatedly returned and the small rural community continuously lost out to bigger farming facilities in the 1940s, Avalanche began emptying out. By the 1980s, it was essentially a ghost town.

While Wisconsin has abandoned towns that have been transformed into restored historic sites, such as Pendarvis, Avalanche offers a bit of a different experience. A visit to Avalanche will reveal a mix of new homes in which people still appear to live, as well as abandoned structures like the church (formerly the creamery), an ice storage facility, and decrepit homes filled with vintage items. In a Facebook post about this partial ghost town, several former residents note that the town was abandoned because of frequent flooding. One former resident, Hassan Fortney, writes that past locals relocated after "FEMA and the country bought all the properties." Vernon County resident James Clemens, who lives just two miles away from the town at the time of this writing, says the same thing.

You can see the ruined church from the main road, although its "Avalanche Lutheran Chapel" sign is now gone. A handful of abandoned structures sit north of the structure along County Road South, but since some people still live in Avalanche and the ownership of the old buildings isn't clear, it's advisable to observe them from the outside exclusively.

For many, the main appeal of Avalanche isn't so much its abandoned buildings, but rather its proximity to top-notch fishing. The rugged landscape of the Driftless that encompasses a huge swath of Southwest Wisconsin has the highest concentration of cold water streams in the world, including 300 trout streams. You can seemingly cast a line anywhere in this part of Wisconsin, but the West Fork of the Kickapoo is a favored spot. As a class 1 trout stream — which the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources defines as "high quality" and having "sufficient natural reproduction to sustain populations of wild trout" — it's known as one of the best places to go trout fishing in the Driftless (and some even say in all of the Midwest). With Avalanche being located right along the West Fork, the West Fork Sports Club denotes the town as "trout central." 

With 19 acres and 3,500 feet of river access, West Fork Sports Club — which offers cabins and campgrounds — is a premier spot to stay during your fishing adventure in Avalanche. Located right next to the town, this club was founded in 1966 and is known for its large swaths of campground all along the West Fork, so when you fish here, you can enjoy lovely views of the river, sunsets, and stars, all immediately next to the water. It's also a good resource to learn about the area's other fishing options near Avalanche; there are hundreds of trout streams within a 30-minute drive of the town.

If you need a full service fly shop, Driftless Angler is less than 15 minutes from the town. Recommended by both the West Fork Sports Club and Coulee Region Trout Unlimited, a local fishing chapter, Driftless Angler is another information hub to uncover more underrated fishing spots in the area. Avalanche is less than a 2-hour drive from the state's lake-loving Midwest gem, Madison, which is Wisconsin's happiest city. It's also a little over three hours from vibrant Minneapolis, home to one of America's best park systems.