Tour 1 - Upper Wisconsin River Eagle Watch Tour

The Eagle Watch Tour is composed of two sections, both of which start at the Sauk Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce.

Tour 1 covers the upper Wisconsin River, and can be accessed at: https://theclio.com/tour/1721

Tour 2 covers the lower Wisconsin River, and can be accessed at: https://theclio.com/tour/2391

Each section takes 1-3 hours to circumnavigate, and the Chamber of Commerce is the starting point for both sections. You may choose to take the sections one-at-a-time or complete two sections in one day, depending on your availability and conditions. Suggested driving routes from one tour stop to the next are shown, but feel free to visit tour stops in any order. The Chamber office does have bathrooms available but only during normal business hours (M-F, 8 A.M. – 4 P.M.). The lobby, where the nest and information is available, is open every day 8 A.M. – 8 P.M. Please call 608-643-4168 or visit www.saukprairie.com for more information.

The Sauk Prairie Chamber of Commerce is a good starting point for both tours because they can offer suggestions for you, they have relevant information and because they have an interesting display of a life-size eagle nest in their lobby! While on your tour, see if you can find eagle nests while in route. Several pairs nest along the Lower Wisconsin River and you can often see large, perennial nests in trees that will look just like the human-constructed nest in the Chamber lobby. To have your best chance of seeing these majestic birds along our Lower Wisconsin River, we suggest you take one of two possible tours, either up river or down river, the choice depending upon where eagles are mostly likely distributed. Our FBEC Facebook page (see links below) will provide current eagle distribution data in winter and you can use this to decide what route to take. Enjoy your tour!

Directions from Out-of-Town to the Chamber of Commerce:

• From Madison via Hwy. 12: Heading northwest on Hwy. 12, go across the Wisconsin River bridge to the stop light immediately past the bridge.  After passing through the stop light on Hwy. 12, the Sauk Prairie Chamber of Commerce building is on your right, just across from the Kwik Trip.
• From Mazomanie and Southwest Wisconsin: On Hwy. 14 about one mile east of Mazomanie, turn north on Hwy. 78 and go 7 miles to the stop light at Hwy. 12. Turn left. After passing through the stop light just after the bridge crossing the Wisconsin River on Hwy. 12, the Sauk Prairie Chamber of Commerce building is on your right, just across from the Kwik Trip.
• From Baraboo and Wisconsin Dells via Hwy. 12: Heading south of the Baraboo Bluffs on Hwy. 12, enter Sauk City. Just before the stoplight that precedes the Hwy. 12 bridge that spans the Wisconsin River, the Sauk Prairie Chamber of Commerce building will be on your left, just across from the Kwik Trip.
• From Lodi and Interstate 90-94 via Hwy. 60: Go west 11.2 miles on Hwy. 60 from stop sign in downtown Lodi and across the Hwy. 60 bridge over the Wisconsin River at Prairie du Sac. At the 4-way stop sign, immediately after crossing the bridge, turn left and proceed south on Water Street (Hwy 78 and Hwy 60). Proceed 1.6 miles to stoplights at the intersection with Hwy 12. Turn right at stoplight and the Sauk Prairie Chamber of Commerce building will be on your right, just across from the Kwik Trip.
• From Merrimac and Interstates 90-94-39 via Hwy. 78:  Go west and then south on Hwy. 78 for 11.6 miles. At the stoplight (the junction of Hwy 78 and Hwy 12), turn right and the Sauk Prairie Chamber of Commerce building will be on your right, just across from the Kwik Trip.