Romantic Wisconsin Dells Road Trip Getaway Ideas For Couples

“Make your next Wisconsin Dells road trip memorable with these fun and romantic activities that couples will enjoy doing together. A Road Trip filled with fun and romance is waiting”.

Wisconsin is known for several things, including Cheese, Green Bay Packers, Door County fish boils, supper clubs, and Waterparks.

The Wisconsin Dells is a popular year-round destination and home to many supper clubs and waterparks. This fun-filled Wisconsin city is located right in the heart of Wisconsin.

Although known as the “Water Park Capital of the World” and home to large waterparks such as The Kalahari, Great Wolf Lodge, and Wilderness, you will find additional fun and adventure around every corner.

What does a weekend in the Wisconsin Dells look like if you are looking for more than water-park fun?

Couples will find beautiful and unique scenery, creative cuisine, romantic B&Bs, wineries, and unusual boutiques. The beautiful scenery is what Wis. Dells were initially known for.

A Wisconsin Dells road trip to discover many of the incredible hidden treasures that the Wisconsin Dells is known for is ideal during any season of the year.

As much as we would love to spend a weekend enjoying nothing but the waterparks, there is much more waiting for you at the Wisconsin Dells.

Road trips and fun go together and set the stage for a romantic time together.

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Wisconsin Dells Road Trip Activities For Couples

Road trips are again becoming the great American pastime. The goal of a couples road trip is to spend time together finding romance and adventure.

A road trip to the Wisconsin Dells sounds like the ideal romantic and fun place to explore

A road trip can be planned or spontaneous. A road trip can have an ultimate destination or be left to whatever you find along the way.

Having no plan and being spontaneous can be challenging for some. I like to plan but discovering new things together that we didn’t plan has become a lot of fun.

I have learned a lot from our spontaneous road trips. So much so that we put together the resource Road Trip Essentials With Packing Lists. It has made every road trip since then more enjoyable, knowing we were prepared.

A Brief History of the Wisconsin Dells

French explorers in the 1700s described the Wisconsin Dells as having winding canyons, sparkling waters, and lush woods.

Explorers named the area “Dalles,” meaning “layers of flat rock” to describe the bluff rock formations. This name stuck even after the French moved on. In 1857 the railroad made its way to the Dalles area.

After the railroad’s arrival, the Dalles area was initially named Kilbourn City in honor of the railroad’s president. Yet the locals and visitors never stopped referring to the area as The Dalles.

Over time, Dalles was pronounced Dells, which prompted a city name change in 1931, giving birth to the Wisconsin Dells as we know it today.

H.H. Bennet Wisconsin Dells Story

In 1866 H.H. Bennet created a camera that took a stop-action picture of his son Ashley leaping to Standing Rock. A picture at the time no one believed was possible. This jump is reenacted today with a dog doing the jump. The Standing Rock story and jump is something worth witnessing,

No history of Wisconsin Dells would be complete if it did not include H.H. Bennett’s stop-action photo of his son Ashley leaping to Stand Rock in 1886. The studio that H.H. Bennett founded in 1865 has been continuously owned and operated by successive generations of his family. It is the oldest family-owned photographic studio in the United States.

It wasn’t until the 1970s that the Wisconsin Dells became filled with many of the same attractions we see today.

Wisconsin Dells Legend

According to a Native American legend, it was a great serpent wriggling down from the north to his home near the Big Lake that formed the bed of the Wisconsin River. Crawling over the forests and the fields, his vast body wore an immense groove in the land, and the water rushed in behind him.

When the serpent came to the sandstone ridge where the Dells begins, he thrust his great head into a crevice between the rocks and pushed them aside to form a narrow, winding passage. As he approached, lesser serpents fled, forming the canyons which lead off from the main channel.

According to the legend, it was the timid, lesser serpents that formed Coldwater Canyon and Witches’ Gulch.

Wisconsin Dells Attraction Tickets

When arriving in the Wisconsin Dells, you’ll first want to stop at an information booth and get some of our questions answered. You will find them very knowledgeable, extremely friendly, and willing to help and give suggestions.

Information booths also sell tickets, but you are not obligated to purchase anything.
Tip: They do also have package deals that can save you some money.

Wisconsin Dells Attractions

The Wisconsin Dells has so much more to offer than water parks. There are plenty of activities for couples that you can add on a romantic twist.

• Exploring the outdoors: Parks, hikes, unbelievable scenery
• Casino
• Spas
• Street music
• Wineries Tour ~ Check out our blog about Door County Wineries
• Drive-In Movie Theater
• Boat tours
• Trolley Tours

Boat Tours

The Upper Dells Boat Tour is the ideal place to start. Picture a boat trip filled with cuddling, holding hands and enjoying the beautiful scenery of the Wisconsin Dells waterways while hearing stories that bring the Wisconsin Dells history to life.

The Upper Dells Boat Tour is a 2-hour scenic trip that takes place on one of the most beautiful stretches of the Wisconsin River. The upper Dells boat trip is a 2-hour, 10-mile excursion that winds through towering rock formations, canyons, and past some of the most amazing sandstone cliffs.

It is a trip filled with adventure, hidden passages, and awesome beauty. The Wisconsin River, where it flows through the Dells area, is quite deep between 150ft to 200ft deep in these narrow passages.

During your 2-hour Upper Dells Boat Tour, the Captain and First Mate will share tales of the earlier adventures that took place in the same waters that you are traveling. They keep a watchful eye to highlight those special things you shouldn’t miss.

Your tour will make two shore landings along the way. The first stop will be at Witches Gulch. You will have an opportunity to Get out and walk through all of the deep caverns, pass Witches Falls, Witches Bathtub, Witches Window, and Spooky Lane.

You will be amazed by the walk, almost mesmerized by watching the water flow through the rock formations.

A second stop at Standing Rock will allow you to get out again, walk around and explore.

On your stop at Standing Rock you will hear the story of H.H. Bennet’s historic moving photo of his son jumping a rock formation. You will see a dog make that same jump from one rock cropping to another.

Check out more details of H.H. Bennett at the Wisconsin Historical Society.

The Dells Boat tours also offer a sunset cruise and a haunted cruise. There are more wonderful things to discover about the Wisconsin Dells Upper Boat Tours. For more info on their tours, check out their website HERE

Escape Room

Time to see how good of a team you are. Take on the Challenge of an Escape room. There are several options in the Wisconsin Dells. What could be more exciting than you and your partner being locked in a room for 60 minutes, working together to solve the puzzles which lead you to clues that help you complete your mission?

Escape rooms are live-action games that requires teamwork and critical thinking. This would make a great adventure for any couple.
There are several Escape Rooms in The Wisconsin Dells to choose from.

Miniature Golf

Sometimes you just want to slow down a bit and have a little fun. The Wisconsin Dells is filled with numerous miniature golf courses.

Pirates Cove offers several courses to choose from and 91 holes in total. You chose your course based on one of three skill levels. The course is beautiful, and it’s filled with waterfalls, flowers, and challenges.

While visiting the WIsconsin Dells be sure to check Groupon for deals.

The Kilbourn Cork Winery

The Kilbourn Cork is a great afternoon stop. It’s a wine-tasting bar located just blocks from the activities. It will quickly become a new “must-stop” when visiting downtown Wisconsin Dells. It features fine wines, whiskey, and craft brews that visitors can sample while enjoying small plate selections off a limited menu.

The outdoor seating with a fire pit is a popular sipping spot at Kilbourn Cork.

Lost Canyon

Lost Canyon is another great romantic activity for couples to do together. This horse-drawn carriage tour takes about a half-hour and goes through very beautiful scenic canyons.

The tour guide makes the tour both informative and entertaining. The ride is very comfortable and intimate, even though there could be up to 14 people on our ride.

The scenery on Lost Canyon Trail Rides in Lake Delton, Wisconsin, is spectacular.

Riding through Lost Canyon, I couldn’t help but be reminded of a trip to Cave of the Mounds in Wisconsin that we enjoyed. The rock cropping above ground resembled so much of what we saw in the Caves. You can check out that romantic trip HERE

The Original Duck Tour

The Wisconsin Dells is divided into what is referred to as the Upper Dells and the Lower Dells. They are divided by way of a dam. Each part of the Wisconsin Dells has its own boat tour. In addition to the boat tours, the lower Dells offers the option of The Original Duck Tour.

The Orginal Ducks are a very unique amphibian-type vehicle. These are the same as Ducks used in WWII, modified with a newer diesel engine for the tours.

What makes the Ducks so unique is that it can travel both on land and in water. These things are so cool and very impressive. They are slower than you think they should go and somewhat noisy

Again your tour on the Ducks is filled with information but in a very entertaining way.

The Original Duck vehicle could go pretty fast on land, yet in the water, it was lucky if it reached 5 MPH. Speed or no speed, this was so enjoyable and allowed us to see many different things.

Wisconsin Dells Shopping

Shopping is plentiful and seems to be a leisurely pastime in the Wisconsin Dells. Who wouldn’t want to wander downtown holding hands, stepping into stores every now and then?

• The Outlet at the Dells is filled with hundreds of shoppers. This indoor/outdoor mall features all of the mall stores you would expect to find, offering some of the great prices you would expect at an outlet mall.
• Downtown Dells offers some unique shopping mixed in with the tourist sights.
• Your sweet tooth is going to love you for wandering downtown. Several fudge shops offer opportunities for you to watch fudge being made from start to finish. Sample the freshly made fudge and take some home to enjoy together later.

Drive-In Theater

For a bit of nostalgia, just before dusk, head to The Big Sky Twin Drive-In-Theater.

A Wisconsin Dells road trip is the ideal time to enjoy an under-the-stars movie experience. Snuggling together in the car and watching a movie on the big screen. Toss in the blankets and cuddle up close. There are not many drive-in movie theaters around. It’s fun to find one while on a Wisconsin Dells road trip.

Big Skye Twin Drive-In has two screens with two shows each. Four different movies each night.

In between the movies, wandered to the snack area together, holding hands just like back in high school. Grab a couple of burgers and some other temptations to take back to your car.
FYI ~ when visiting, bring cash. They don’t take cards.

Hot Rocks

Hot Rocks is a must-visit Wisconsin Dells restaurant with a somewhat new concept. Hot Rocks is a great choice for supper. It’s more of an experience than just a place to eat. Walking in the ambiance gives you a sort of a Tiki tribal feel.

When on road trips, look for the different, unique, and out of the ordinary. Cooking on hot lava rocks is manly with a primal feel and definitely fits the bill of being unique.

Cooking on Hot Rocks seems like a very primitive style of cooking. Your meal is served on stones that are heated to 750 degrees. Your meal is presented to you in a very appealing way.

You cook your meal to your liking right at the table on the Hot Rock. This can be a very intimate dining experience, which you will not forget.

When we visited, our meal was so good! It was a little on the pricey side, but we saw it as a night out, not just a meal. We are hoping Hot Rocks is something that catches on. It needs to be offered in more locations.

Hot Rocks is someplace we will definitely return to. That is if they will let us come back!

We enjoyed this way of cooking so much that I went looking for a Hot Rocks-type cooking set to use at home. We found this awesome set and love it!! You can check it out and get your own set. You can also find it and many more fun kitchen items in our Amazon store.

Knuckleheads Amusement Park

Knuckleheads is not just for kids. Kids of all ages and kids at heart can spend hours enjoying the numerous indoor activities available under Knucklehead’s roof.

Wisconsin Dells Dining

The Wisconsin Dells offers a wide variety of dining options. Fast food, family-style, buffet, sit-down meals, hot dogs poolside, and many to-go options. Whatever your liking, the Wisconsin Dells is sure to offer it.

On the adult side, the Wisconsin Dells has many supper club choices.

Just what is a supper club? This is a question that is asked by many from out of state. What does it take to be a Wisconsin Supper Club? An expansive bar where you can get many classic Wisconsin drinks, such as the Brandy Old Fashioned, which is practically the Wisconsin state drink or a hot Tom and Jerry, traditionally served in the winter.

A supper Club has well-trained and very friendly staff. Great steaks and a Friday Fish Fry, which is another Wisconsin tradition. A killer wine cellar and, of course, the bread basket, complete with rye bread and breadsticks. Let’s not forget the relish tray that kicks off every meal.

Wisconsin Supper clubs typically have a past and a historic story that goes along with them. Some even have a gangster in their closet.

The Wisconsin Dells is home to many Supper Clubs.

• House of Embers: A place that is the go-to place for couples to get engaged. It is said that more couples have gotten engaged here than in any other place in The Dells.
• Ishnala Supper Club: Named one of the top supper clubs in Wisconsin year after year. This amazing supper club overlooks Mirror Lake. It is in the woods surrounding Ishnala that scenes from the Johnny Deep film “Enemies” were filmed.
• Del-Bar and Field’s at the Wilderness, Both supper clubs, are known for their Spectator-worthy wine cellars.

Wisconsin Dells Accommodations

There are literally thousands of choices for accommodations in The Wis. Dells. Cottages, tree houses, condominiums, bed and breakfasts, hotels, and resorts are some of the many options. Some of these are tailor-made for a grown-up getaway.

• For groups of friends traveling together, condominiums are a good choice. You can rent well-appointed and spacious condos at Chula Vista Resort, Wilderness Resort, and Kalahari Resorts & Conventions.
• For those who want back-to-nature but with amenities, check out the cabins at Cedar Lodge and Settlement, Island Pointe Resort c/o Lake Pointe Mgmt, and River’s Edge Resort.
• You could also stay at a charming bed-and-breakfast, like the European-style Bowman’s Oak Hill Bed and Breakfast, LLC. where the most strenuous activity is watching the sunset while swinging on the covered swing. Or Ringling Inn Bed & Breakfast, a Colonial Revival home steeped in history.
• My favorite would be the Sundara Inn and Spa, a serene spot, tucked into 26 acres of pine forest.

Yes, there is an adult side to The Wisconsin Dells! It offers so much more. Championship golf courses, adult spas services, winery tours, nightlife, fishing, zipline, canyon tours, kayaking boating, and amazing nightlife options,

You need to get a little creative when it comes to vacations. All of the romantic destinations and couples resorts are fantastic, but you can take any vacation destination and put that romantic twist on it.

After all, the trip is about the connection the two of you are making with each other. Instead of avoiding all those family-focused destinations, go…enjoy…and put your romantic spin on things.

We simply love being together and enjoy our time just holding hands and stealing kisses as often as possible.

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