Fox River Dam Road Trip 2026 01

The biggest problem I have with finding content on this blog is weather.  If its raining or snowing I’m afraid that my camera might get wet. If it’s too hot or in this case too cold it might be dangerous to be outside.  So I’ve had to skip a couple of weeks to your detriment.  

To resolve that issue I have decided to expand my content to include road trips.  Something that I used to do more in my twenties.  I would just drive around by myself or with friends to see the world around me. 

Wisconsin is a state full of wild places.  What a better way to see it than drive around. Sometimes you never know what you will find unless you take the first step and travel somewhere.

So for this week I decided to take a road trip down the Fox River and see what Ice formations have formed around the dams.  I took pictures for this blog and videos for Facebook and Instagram.

There are 12 dams and 1 spillway section along the Fox River between Neenah and Green Bay.  This is the section of the Fox River known as the Fox Valley for those of you that do not live in Wisconsin.

From Lake Winnebago to Lake Michigan the Fox River drops 168 feet over 39 miles.  To keep the water controllable with that rapid descent in elevation, dams have been erected.  Locks were built to make the river navigable.  And some of the dams have been used to create electricity.

So without more commentary and to the appeasement of my wife, lets start the dam tour.

Neenah Dam Island Park

I started out my day by warming up my car. The outside temperature was -15 degrees. So while my car warmed up I got into my cold weather gear. Gloves, hat, heated vest and thermal hoodie. While these worked, toward the end of the day I probably should have had a little more.

Arriving at Island Park on Doty Island in Neenah I looked out on the river to see the dam. However the mist rising off of the open water prevented my view. During extreme cold mist rises from open water kept from freezing by violent currents in the river.

Due to the lack of view I decided to take a video and some pictures of the train trestle bridge. Briefly setting up my tripod, then I started my recording.

Ducks paddled around in the open water as the mist rose from the waters surrounding them. And just as I was breaking down the tripod I saw it. A bald eagle flew over the bridge. Quickly I started snaping pictures of the majestic bird.

I walked along the edge of the river to see if I could find some more pictures. But quickly the cold started to affect me. For safety I had intended to not spend more than 15 minutes at each of the dams. When temperatures are that cold frostbite can set in quickly on exposed skin.

So I returned to my car to warm up and travel to my next destination.

Menasha Dam Banta Village Park (Unofficial)

The label unofficial behind the park name is because Google Maps does not currently label this as a park yet. Banta was the name of the company that had warehouses on this location. However they have been since demolished and replaced by the park and a near by apartment complex.

When I arrived yesterday the mist rolling off the river was more intense here. The water pouring through the dam here is much more intense. So the effort of capturing video and photos was hindered by the mist. But I did capture some images.

Appleton Dam 1 Vulcan Heritage Park

Reaching the first dam in Appleton I stopped my car and wondered if anyone would be curious as to what I was doing. I set up on the deck outside of Fratellos.

Once again I was hindered by the mist. However it parted just enough for me to record the waters crashing against an old pillar in the middle of the river.

Appleton Dam 2 Trolley Square

Where most of the sites I visited, I stopped below the dam to watch the water roll over the structure. Here I chose to capture my images from the un-shoveled sidewalk near Pullmans.

More ducks paddled around in the open waters above the dam. They stayed near a shelf of ice hanging off the shore near me as a thunderous sound rung out. A crack in the ice appeared during my visit.

By this time the temperature had risen enough for the mists to subside a little. However I still limited my time outside, and returned to my car to warm up.

Appleton Dam 3 Hydro Electric Heritage Trail

My third stop in Appleton lead me to the Hydro Electric Heritage Trail. More specifically the eastern start of the trail. Setting up below the dam I was able to get the first good images of the water rushing over the dam.

Freedom Dam Cedars Historic Overlook

In Freedom I found a historic overlook that gives a good picture from above the dam. As well as a good view of the the hydroelectric power plant in Freedom. There are trails here that I am looking forward to visiting in the warmer months.

Little Chute Dam 1 Island Park

Visiting another Island Park in another city along the Fox river. During the spring and fall I was able to capture photos of various waterfowl near this dam. However yesterday I found most of the water frozen. And the open water free of any birds.

Little Chute Dam 2 Heesakker Park

The second Little Chute dam was a half mile hike from where I could park in Heesakker Park. So for safety’s sake I did not stop here on this occasion.

In the past I have visited this park and the islands near this dam. Hopefully when I repeat this road trip later this year I can spend the time making this hike.

Kaukauna Dam Central Park

The next dam and park are new to me. Though I have passed by this location many times in the past. As I parked here I found the park to be very sparse.

After a quick hike to the dam I set up my equipment. During my filming I noticed movement in the sky. Several eagles passed by while I filmed. Though this was not a surprise as my next location is a known habitat for many eagles.

1000 Islands Spillway

A place I’ve been to many times before and will visit again in the future. Eagles nest and rest in the trees growing from the 1000 islands. Trails are available to wander along the river or to hike up the ridgeline to the south of Kaukauna.

Today I decided to film the waters rolling over the spillways. A goose and many ducks were companions as I filmed.

The goose preened itself in the center of the park near the visitor center. And I am reminded of stories of ducks and geese freezing themselves to the ground in cold weather.

Though I was tempted to wander the boardwalks near the river, the cold reminded me to get going. I returned to my car and ventured onward to my next stop.

Rapide Croche Dam Picnic Grounds

A quick run up Hwy ZZ to the picnic grounds was the plan. However when I arrived I found that the picnic grounds were closed for the season. With no other place to park I was forced to continue on. I do plan on visiting in the future.

Little Kaukauna Dam

My next stop was also a let down. The land near the dam is privately owned and posted. Any visit to the dam would have to be by boat. So I was on my way to the last and final spot.

DePere Dam Voyager Park

Earlier this year my wife and I visited Voyager Park to walk the Fox River Trail specifically for this blog. However in researching for this post I found something we did not see earlier. A trail leads north of the park, across a bridge over the lock, and leads to some piers beneath the dam.

The Pier closest to the dam was a great place to take pictures. And I can imagine that there are many opportunities to take pictures in the future.

This place was so nice I think I stayed a little too long. My fingers hurt for a little while after I returned to my car but I enjoyed the last moments of my journey.

Thank you again for reading and viewing my pictures. If you liked this different content please leave a message in the comments here or on Facebook and Instagram.