Muscoda, Wisconsin

Above: Downtown Muscoda, Wisconsin.

Muscoda, Wisconsin - The "Morel Mushroom Capital" of Wisconsin

Muscoda which means “Prairie of Flowers,” is a village on the lower Wisconsin River located in both Grant and Iowa counties in southwestern Wisconsin.

Explorer and historian William Pidgeon, who visited the area in 1840, reported that Muscoda was "the ancient location of a large Indian village, but at present occupied by a few white families. This village is situated on an extensive plain of sandy soil, on the surface of which may be seen relics of many an ancient mound, varying much in size and form; some resembling redoubts, or fortifications, others presenting the forms of gigantic men, beasts, birds, and reptiles, among which may be found the eagle, the otter, the serpent, the alligator, and others pertaining to the deer, elk, and buffalo species. The highland in the vicinity of this village abounds with monuments that bear testimony to the ancient existence of an immense population in those regions."

Muscoda became known as English Prairie, named for two English fur traders, Abraham Lansing and Garrit Roseboom, who opened a post at the close of the French and Indian War. Lansing and his son were murdered in 1763 by their French assistants and the fame of the murder kept the name English Prairie alive until 1840.[7] The word Muscoda (pronounced "MUS-co-day") may be a corruption of the Ojibwa (Chippewa) word mashkode, meaning "prairie". It may also have been taken from Longfellow's Hiawatha, in which it is mentioned several times.

Camping on the Wisconsin River

Muscoda offers the only riverbank campground of its kind along the 90 miles of the Wisconsin River as it serves both water and highway travelers.

The "Morel Mushroom Capital" of Wisconsin.

The Morel Mushroom Festival is held annually the weekend following Mother’s Day. The event includes carnival rides, tractors pulls, tournaments, merchant stands, food booths, and portable tattoo parlors.