Attractions and Places To See around Pepin - Top 9

Bearfish Brew offers both coffee and ice cream and is located directly on the lakefront in Pepin, Wisconsin. Visitors can order a full range of espresso-based drinks, including lattes (available hot or iced), mochas, and cappuccinos, as well as standard brewed coffee. The shop also offers ice cream in a variety of flavors, often sourced from regional creameries. The ice cream is served in either cups or cones.

When visiting Pepin, Wisconsin, the Pickle Factory Bar and Grill offers a slice of local history with your meal. Originally built on the shores of Lake Pepin in the early 1900s, it operated as the Pepin Pickling Company, producing various pickles and sauerkraut until the operation moved. Today, the building has been ransformed into a waterfront grill. Visitors can enjoy scenic views of Lake Pepin, famous as the birthplace of waterskiing. For a true taste of its past, be sure to try the house specialty: the famous fried pickles.

In 1686, French explorer Nicholas Perrot established Fort St. Antoine on the shores of Lake Pepin, an expansive stretch of the Mississippi River. Intended as a fortified trading post, the fort helped forge alliances and expand the French fur trade with the Dakota and other local tribes. On May 8, 1689, Perrot held a ceremony at the fort to formally claim the entire Upper Mississippi Valley for France. However, due to conflict in the region and the fort’s crude construction, it was abandoned around 1690. No physical trace of the fort remains today, but its location is commemorated by Wisconsin State Historical Marker 22 along the Great River Road, overlooking scenic Lake Pepin.

Stockholm Village Park, located on the shores of Lake Pepin in Stockholm, Wisconsin, offers scenic views, a 700-foot stone pier, and a small first-come, first-served campground with basic amenities. Visitors enjoy fishing, boating, swimming, and easy access to the village’s charming shops and cafes. It’s a popular spot for both recreation and local events, but be aware that train noise is common, and camp sites often fill up quickly during peak seasons.

As Martha and I were driving the Great River Road Scenic Byway along the east side of the Mississippi River, I was intrigued by a cluster of komoot hilltop highlights nestled between the Chippewa and Mississippi Rivers. These were all highlights recommended by komoot, but not by an individual person and none included tips or photos. Seine Hill was the first highlight we decided to visit. We parked our car at the location komoot suggested. It was the closest spot to the hilltop highlight as the crow flies, but there was no designated parking area, so we pulled off the road as far as possible. Next, we scrambled up a muddy, steep embankment, then continued up a less steep incline toward the hilltop. I couldn’t find any trail through the trees. At the top of the hill, there was a large agricultural field with a deer hunting tower at its edge. Trees surrounded us, blocking any view of the valleys below. Although I didn’t notice any “No Trespassing” signs during our hike, I later confirmed in my Gaia GPS app that the highlight was on private land.

Historical marker about the French Fort Saint Antoine, build in 1686.