2025's Towns In Wisconsin That Come Alive In The Fall
Although everyone celebrates fall differently, Wisconsin is one of the best places in the United States to experience all the season's classics. Apple picking, foliage hikes, and scenic drives are just some of the many charms you can find in the Badger State this time of year. In the upcoming weeks, its state parks, waterfronts, forests, and bluffs will be painted with burnt browns, golden yellows, and fiery reds as far as the eye can see. Coupled with crisp autumn winds, Halloween festivities, and seasonal smells wafting from downtown cafes, discover 2025's towns in Wisconsin that come alive in the fall.
Baraboo
October is a magical time in Baraboo, a small town in south-central Wisconsin, known for its seasonal festivities and stunning fall foliage. On October 11th, 2025, Baraboo’s Fall Fair On The Square is the perfect way to kick off the season, featuring cozy food, vendors, and nearly 200 local artists and crafters. On the other hand, the Wisconsin Fall Color Report estimates Baraboo’s foliage will peak later, around the third week of October. Accordingly, this is the perfect time to visit Mirror Lake State Park and Devil’s Lake State Park for their stunning fall scenes.
Whether paddling its waters or hiking the bluffs surrounding Mirror Lake, the reflection of colors is breathtaking this time of year. The park’s Echo Rock Trail offers towering vistas, making it a popular path for these views. Nearby, Devil’s Lake offers its own vibrant scenes. Whether packing a lunch for the north shore picnic area or hiking the East Bluff Woods and East Bluff trails, prepare to see a mosaic of warm hues.
Sister Bay
Sister Bay is a prominent summer vacation spot, but the waterfront village is equally scenic and serene in the fall. Situated on the Door County Peninsula in Lake Michigan, the town mostly slows down when the weather cools, with beach crowds long gone. Instead, fall is when Sister Bay’s autumn attractions take the lead, including the charming Seaquist Orchards Farm Market. In 2025, the multi-generational family farm will offer pick-your-own apples on the first three weekends of October, on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
Similar to Baraboo, fall foliage is set to peak in this Door County town the third week of October, falling in line with the Sister Bay Fall Fest. Taking place from October 17th to 19th, 2025, the festival will celebrate the season with a kids’ carnival, Arts & Crafts Fair, and the annual Fall Fest Parade. Paired with live music and delicious seasonal treats, Sister Bay is the perfect place to embrace the season’s charms.
Fish Creek
Under 20 minutes from Sister Bay, Fish Creek is another cozy place to see the leaves change, especially at Peninsula State Park. With summer heat and beach crowds at bay, this Green Bay park is a hiker’s paradise in the fall. In addition, with fewer people and cooler temperatures, blufftop hikes like the Skyline Trail are memorable. Mid-October is also a great time to climb the nearby Eagle Tower, a wheelchair-accessible lookout point offering panoramic views of Door County’s colored hills.
Lautenbach's Orchard Country Winery & Market is another fall favorite in Fish Creek. Their apple picking season generally runs until mid-October, with pick-your-own offered daily until October 12th, 2025. Otherwise, make sure to browse their shelves for Door County specialties, from made-fresh-baked goods to award-winning wines and hard ciders. Alternatively, for a more family-friendly experience, consider visiting Fish Creek on October 25th for its Jack O'Lantern Days. The Halloween festival will feature a kids’ carnival, costume parade, and the oh-so-spooky Fish Creek Haunted Trail.
La Pointe
Home to just a few hundred people, the Apostle Islands town of La Pointe celebrates fall in a big way with its annual Family Fall Fest. Taking place on October 18th, 2025, the event is a favorite for locals and out-of-towners alike, bringing the Madeline Island town to life with fun for all ages. For the kiddos and young at heart, the festival offers face painting, pumpkin decorating, and other fall-themed activities, while adults can browse local vendors. For a sweet treat, “Wapples” are highly recommended, a quirky take on waffles paired with caramel and apple cheesecake.
La Pointe is also a great choice of town for leaf peepers traveling later in the season in 2025. The Wisconsin Fall Color Report currently estimates Madeline Island will see its peak colors during the 4th week of October, leaving plenty of time to enjoy the season’s hues at Big Bay State Park. Hugging the eastern end of Madeline Island along Lake Superior, hiking paths like the Point Trail pair beautiful fall colors with waterfront views.
Bayfield
Bayfield may be known as the "Gateway to the Apostle Islands," but it also offers its own mainland charms in the fall. As “Wisconsin’s Smallest City,” this tiny community is proof that the best things often come in small packages. This includes exciting events like its spirited Annual Bayfield Apple Festival, a hub of apple-themed food and fun taking place October 3rd to 5th, 2025. But even if the festivities have passed when you are reading this, there is plenty else to see and do in Bayfield this fall.
With Bayfield’s foliage projected to peak in the third week of October, this is the perfect time for a scenic drive. Bayfield’s portion of the Lake Superior National Scenic Byway is absolutely bewitching in the fall, following the Bayfield Peninsula’s shoreline. After driving the waterfront route and admiring its shades of red, brown, and gold trees along the way, Bayfield’s 'Fruit Loop' is a fun follow-up. The rural drive is tranquil and pretty as a picture, spotlighting countless orchards and farms to stop at, like the Bayfield Apple Company.
New Glarus
New Glarus, “America's Little Switzerland,” celebrates the season with a quirky twist. Settled by Swiss pioneers in 1845, succeeding generations have kept the town’s heritage alive through cultural attractions like the Swiss Historical Village and Museum. Here, on October 12th, 2025, the town will celebrate fall with its Harvest Fest. Transporting visitors back to 19th-century Switzerland, the open-air museum will have live music and traditional demonstrations, from Swiss brätzeli cookie-making to basket weaving.
Afterward, the New Glarus Bakery is a cozy pitstop for a Swiss treat before exploring the town’s other offerings. Surrounded by rolling hills, farms, and vineyards, adult travelers can enjoy local wine and great bites at spots like Bailey's Run Vineyard & Winery. Alternatively, families may prefer a wooded hike through New Glarus Woods State Park. Like other towns in southern Wisconsin, fall foliage is projected to peak in New Glarus sometime in late October. Accordingly, this is an ideal time to stroll routes like the 0.2-mile Great Oak Trail or Vista Trail, which overlooks the town.
Neillsville
Anchored by its natural beauty and close-knit community, Neillsville is set to host its own Autumn Harvest Celebration on October 11th, 2025. Bordering the majestic Black River, the central Wisconsin Clark County town is expected to see peak foliage in the second week of October, right in time for the festivities. Taking place in downtown Neillsville, the Autumn Harvest Celebration will bring Hewett Street to life with vendors, kids’ games, and mouthwatering baked goods, punctuated with live entertainment.
For outdoor fun, Neillsville is home to wooded hiking areas like the Levis/Trow Mounds Trailhead. Winding through the Clark County Forest atop the towering Levis Mound, cool air, crunching leaves, and fall colors blend for the ultimate autumn atmosphere. Alternatively, for all of this paired with Black River views, the Listeman Arboretum is another stunning place for a fall hike.
Egg Harbor
Back in Door County, Egg Harbor is another cute-and-cozy waterfront village where locals love to embrace the spirit of fall. On October 11th to 12th, 2025, downtown will spring to life with its annual Pumpkin Patch Festival. Overlooking the waterfront, guests can enjoy live music, pumpkin-themed activities, arts and crafts vendors, scarecrow displays, and more seasonal treats than you could imagine. Coupled with kid-focused thrills like a roaming magician, carnival rides, and face painting, this Egg Harbor festival has something for everyone.
Like other Door County towns, Egg Harbor will see its peak fall colors around the third week of October. Admittedly, the town is more known for its beachfront than its trees, making it a great choice for a charming day of window shopping and cafe hopping. After grabbing a warm drink from spots like Buttercups Coffee or the Cupola Cafe, Egg Harbor’s antique shops are a hotspot for fall and Halloween decor. From the Olde Orchard Antique Mall to Bay Trading Co, you never know what treasures you might find!
Explore These Breathtaking Wisconsin Towns This Fall
In fall 2025, there are so many ways to wave goodbye to summer. Although seasonal fun looks different for everyone, most can agree that Wisconsin is one of the best places to be this time of year, especially if you love a classic cold breeze and warm-hued trees. Whether apple picking in Fish Creek, leaf peeping in Baraboo’s state parks, or visiting any of these towns for their vibrant fall festivals, this season’s warm-and-fuzzy atmosphere stretches through every corner of the state.
