If you like to explore, or just take a scenic Sunday drive, there are several roads in the state that are hand-picked for their beauty and history.

In this Wandering Wisconsin, Sarah Stokes shows us what you can find along our Rustic Roads.

Sarah: There are more than 100 Rustic Roads in Wisconsin. We have several in our area. You'll know you've found one when you come across the brown and yellow signs.

The cars that wind their way along the rustic road may be from the 21st century, but if you stop to look around, you'll see bits of nature just like they were centuries ago.

Dan Fedderly says, "what you'll do is simply take a step back in time."

A fern, a wildflower, even a bunch of grapes on a vine.

Fedderly adds, "always a pretty drive. Always can expect something new around the next corner, always can look for something, wildlife, geography, topography, the scenery in general."

Fedderly is the Vice Chairman of the Rustic Roads Board. He took us to Rustic Road 89 outside Menomonie where the road runs along the Red Cedar River.

He says its things like the river that make it a good candidate for the Rustic Road system.

"We look for rock outcroppings, we look for canopies, in a couple 3 weeks we'll have some beautiful fall colors on most of the Rustic Roads," he said.

As you continue this drive, with the sun sparkling through the trees, you have to pull over to find another secret on this roadside.

Rustic Road 89 takes you to the Devil's Punchbowl, a cool, wet, little canyon with a tiny trickling waterfall.

"I like the idea of the Rustic Road not only in preserving the rural character but more so preserving the history." Fedderly says the history of the Rustic Roads is rooted in Western Wisconsin.

"The father of the Rustic Roads was Earl Skagen, the Highway Commissioner in St. Croix County," he says Skagen worked with the legislature to get the Rustic Roads program established. Fedderly says it's one of the longest running programs in the state, with plans of adding more roads down the road.

"We're going to attempt to get a Rustic Road in every county in the state."

Whether you're hoping to enjoy a farmland view on a lazy Sunday drive or are hoping to spot the shades of fall, Fedderly says you can find it on a Rustic Road. "I think they're all my favorite," he said. "Polk and St. Croix area, absolutely beautiful in the fall by the St. Croix River."

Sarah: If you want to find out where your nearest Rustic Road is, you can just go online to find a map or pick up one of these travel guides at local businesses.

If you want to order a hard copy of the guide, contact:
Dottie Askey
(608) 267-7753
E-mail: dorothy.askey@dot.wi.gov

Or you can look at the maps online, by clicking here.

The latest Rustic Roads, number 107 and 108, are in Dunn and Sawyer Counties. Fedderly says only towns and municipalities can apply for Rustic Roads. They get about 5 or 6 applications a year.