Did You Know Wisconsin Is Home To A Rare River That Flows North?
By Ben Jones|Published April 03, 2024
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Ben Jones
Author
Ben Jones is at heart an adventurer who delights in inspiring others. A former reporter and photojournalist, he explored towns large and small as a Wisconsin correspondent for USA Today. He later became a lead photographer and senior copywriter for an award-winning destination marketing agency, before founding Boldland Creative, a company that produces photography, video, and other content for travel destinations. Jones has completed photography and content projects in more than 15 states and when he’s not looking through a camera or at his Macbook you’ll find him exploring the world’s lakes and forests.
If you head downriver in Northeast Wisconsin, you might find yourself heading someplace unusual. The Fox River is a scenic Wisconsin waterway that’s a little different from most rivers – it flows north. In fact, the Fox is one of only a few north flowing rivers in America east East of the Mississippi. It’s an incredible river with a long and winding history. Here’s what you need to know.
The Fox River is an important river in Wisconsin that’s well known to people in Northeast Wisconsin.
Known as the Upper Fox River, this branch flows west by southwest toward Portage, before traveling past Montello, on its way to Lake Butte des Morts. Then it heads through Oshkosh and into Lake Winnebago.
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The Lower Fox is north of all of this – because it flows north, the end of the river is to the north.
Major paper companies employed thousands along the river, and cities rapidly grew along the Fox. Industry caused major pollution to the Fox, and a 17-year cleanup removed PCBs from the river.
Today the river is still home to major industry, and it’s also a destination for recreation – it’s a place popular with paddlers, boaters, and anglers.
I’ve spent a lot of time near this scenic Wisconsin waterway over the years – the Fox is a true treasure. Make all of your Wisconsin travel plans on Booking.com – and here’s where to find some more great Wisconsin attractions.
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