Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Some incidental data: Eagles travel 30-40 mph in flight but in dives can eclipse
100 mph, and their vision is six times more acute than a human's.
Eagles generally live 30-50 years, though in the wild that number has slowly
dropped.Generally,nestingpairsmateforlife;andbothbirdsincubatetheeggs.One
nest weighed in at two tons.
HABITAT AND VIEWING
Situated near Lock and Dam 10 along the Mississippi River, and with two riverside
power plants, Cassville has open water year-round. Furthermore, the craggy vari-
ations in southwestern Wisconsin's topography allow nests maximum isolation. Fish
are attracted to the warm waters of the power plant discharge.
In the winter, Cassville can have as many as 200 eagles in one location; as many
as 10 will stay in the region for the summer, with the rest moving back to northern
Wisconsin or Michigan's Upper Peninsula. They do not migrate per se; they simply
move south in winter for food and stop when they find it. Best sites around town
to view the eagles are the Wisconsin Power and Light Company generating station
along Highway VV northwest of Cassville (look for the road marked “Boat Land-
ing”),andthebluffsofNelsonDeweyState Park,alsoaccessible fromHighwayVV.
The other power plant is on the south side of town, via WIS 133.
One obscure spot is six miles north of Nelson Dewey State Park along Highway
VV and then west on Duncan Road. The Eagle Valley Nature Habitat-Glen Haven
is a grouping point for up to 1,000 birds in winter. Don't expect a sparkling visitors
center; it's nothing but tranquil Mississippi River banks and lots of eagles on 1,500
acres.
Here you can find superlative hiking but none-too-special camping. The sites are large,
but not very secluded. Reservations (888/947-2257,
wisconsinstate-
parks.reserveamerica.com
,
reservation fee $10; non-residents $14 and up/night; daily ad-
mission $10) are available.
Highways X, A, and then VV lead to Cassville through deep, winding valleys—a pretty
drive via Wyalusing village and Bagley. The former features some of the best river views
along the route, while the latter offers a sandy swimming beach. Wyalusing, once a rousing
600 people, now counts a dozen permanent residents. In comparison, Bagley looks abso-
