Discover Onalaska
12 carefully curated photography spots with GPS coordinates, shooting tips, and local insights
Hilltopper Heights Park
Hilltopper Heights Park sits on a bluff above Onalaska offering sweeping valley and river views, seasonal foliage, and wide skies—ideal for panoramas, golden-hour color, and long-range compositions. Best at sunrise or sunset for warm light; weekdays and winter mornings are quieter. Easy roadside parking and no entry fee; trails are short but can be steep—bring layered clothing and bug spray in summer.
Pierce Park
Pierce Park sits on the Mississippi River bluffs in Onalaska, offering sweeping river vistas, wooded trails, picnic areas and seasonal wildflowers. Photographers can capture wide panoramas, river reflections, shoreline details and dramatic skies at golden hour. Accessible by car with free parking; no entry fee. Best visited at sunrise or sunset for warm light and long shadows, or in fall for vivid foliage. Weekday mornings are quieter; trails are short and mostly easy but bring waterproof shoes.
La Crosse River Conservancy Trails
Wooded trails, river bends, marsh boardwalks and prairie pockets offer intimate landscape and wildlife shots — great for golden-hour riverscapes, spring wildflowers and fall color. Easy parking at the Kinney Coulee trailhead, no fee. Mostly flat, mixed surfaces; some boardwalks and overlooks. Best at sunrise/sunset or spring/fall migration; weekdays are quieter.
Nathan Hill Park
Small bluff-top park with panoramic views over the Mississippi River valley and Onalaska — great for sweeping landscapes, fall color, and dramatic skies. Accessible from Emerald Dr E with roadside parking and short trails to viewpoints; paths can be muddy in spring. Best at sunrise or golden hour for warm light and long shadows, or at sunset for silhouetted ridgelines. No formal entry fee; check local drone rules before flying.
Van Riper Park
Small riverside park overlooking Lake Onalaska/backwater channels with marshes, shoreline, walking trails and bluff viewpoints. Great for sunrise/sunset reflections, migratory waterfowl and fall color. Easy roadside parking on Riders Club Rd; no fee. Best light at golden hours; weekdays and early mornings reduce crowds. Trails are short but can be muddy—bring waterproof shoes.
Oak Knoll Park
Oak Knoll Park offers river-bluff overlooks, wooded trails and riverside spots along the Mississippi and Black Rivers — strong for landscape and waterscape photography, seasonal foliage and birdlife. Best at golden hour for warm light on bluffs and at blue hour for river reflections. Easily accessible with parking near trailheads; mostly short walks on maintained paths, some uneven terrain. No entry fee; weekdays are quieter. Fall and spring offer peak color and migratory birds.
Rowe Park
Small hilltop park overlooking the Onalaska/La Crosse river valley. Photograph sweeping vistas, river bends, seasonal foliage and sunset skies; trails and lookout points offer foreground interest (trees, rock outcrops). Easy roadside parking on Hilltopper Dr; trails are short and mostly accessible. Best at golden hour (sunrise for east-facing views, sunset for west-facing valley colors), spring and fall for migratory birds and foliage. No entry fee; park can be busy on weekends.
Coachlite Greens Park
Small community park with ponds, walking trails and bluff-edge views in Onalaska. Good for reflective waterscapes, intimate landscape frames, seasonal color (spring wildflowers, fall foliage) and local birdlife. Easily accessible by car with free street/lot parking at 2001 Grand View Blvd; no entry fee. Best at golden hour for warm light and calm reflections; weekdays and early mornings minimize walkers and dogs. Trails and paved paths are stroller/wheelchair friendly but bring waterproof shoes/
Thomas Farm Park
Thomas Farm Park offers restored prairie, winding trails, wetlands and river overlooks — great for wide landscapes, seasonal wildflowers, birdlife and fall color. Best at golden hour or overcast mornings for even light; weekdays and early mornings reduce visitors. Small paved lot at Century Pl with easy trailheads; mostly flat, family-friendly terrain and no entry fee.
Greens Coulee Park
Small coulee park with bluff-edge views, prairie and wetland pockets—great for intimate landscape and nature shots, seasonal color and birdlife. Easy street parking at Stonebridge Ave, no entry fee; trails are short and mostly accessible but can be muddy after rain. Best light is golden hour at sunrise or sunset on the bluff; spring and fall offer peak textures and migratory birds. Weekday mornings are quieter.
Wellington Greens Park
Wellington Greens Park is a compact riverside/greenspace in Onalaska offering meadow, mature trees and nearby waterway views — good for intimate landscape, seasonal foliage and quiet nature scenes. Visit at golden hours for warm side-lighting; fall delivers strong color and winter brings clean snow textures. Park roadside; paths are short and mostly accessible. Weekday mornings have few people.
Glen Fox Park
Small riverside park on the Black River offering tree-lined trails, riverbank viewpoints and seasonal color — good for intimate landscape and waterscape shots, reflections and long exposures. Easy roadside parking on Winter St, no entry fee, wheelchair-accessible paths in parts. Best at golden hour or after rain for stronger reflections; winters offer ice textures and muted light. Weekday mornings are quieter.