Winneshiek district, Iowa, United States

Places to visit near Decorah

Decorah is a town in Winneshiek district, Iowa, United States, home to about 7,907 people. Within 50 km by road there are 60 places to visit — 5 hill stations & viewpoints, 15 museums, 16 forts & heritage and 11 wildlife, forests & gardens. The must-see places are Porter House Museum (1 km), Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum (1 km) and Decorah Ice Cave State Preserve (1 km).

Updated · Distances are road estimates · Open Decorah on the map

Decorah, Iowa
Decorah, Winneshiek district, Iowa, United States. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Decorah at a glance

Location
Winneshiek district, Iowa, United States
Population
about 7,907
Coordinates
43.3033° N, 91.7857° W
Places within 50 km
60 (8 must-see)
Best time to visit
October to February for cool, clear air for hill stations & viewpoints; October to February for forts & heritage; year-round for museums

Top places to visit near Decorah

Ranked by how worth the drive they are from Decorah: must-see places and the closest well-loved spots first. Open a place for photos, today’s visitor status, timings and directions.

More places near Decorah

Things to see near Decorah, by type

Hill stations & viewpoints near Decorah

52 hill stations & viewpoints within 100 km of Decorah. The closest is Pulpit Rock (2 km). Best time: october to february for cool, clear air.

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Museums near Decorah

42 museums within 100 km of Decorah. The closest is Porter House Museum (1 km). Best time: year-round.

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Forts & heritage near Decorah

42 forts & heritage within 100 km of Decorah. The closest is Meridian II (2 km). Best time: october to february.

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Wildlife, forests & gardens near Decorah

33 wildlife, forests & gardens within 100 km of Decorah. The closest is Barnhart - Van Peenen Park (2 km). Best time: november to march for sightings.

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Churches near Decorah

31 churches within 100 km of Decorah. The closest is Decorah Covenant Church (1 km). Best time: year-round.

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Lakes, dams & reservoirs near Decorah

26 lakes, dams & reservoirs within 100 km of Decorah. The closest is Lake Meyer Dam (22 km). Best time: august to december when reservoirs are full and gates may open.

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A one-day trip from Decorah

5 of the best places within 60 km, in driving order so you don’t double back: about 6 km on the road.

  1. Start in Decorah
  2. 1 km Decorah Covenant Church · church, Winneshiek
  3. 1 km Porter House Museum · museum, Winneshiek
  4. 1 km Versterheim Norwegian-American Museum Library · museum, Winneshiek
  5. 1 km Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum · museum, Winneshiek
  6. 1 km Decorah Ice Cave State Preserve · cave, Winneshiek
  7. 1 km Back to Decorah

Plan a longer trip from Decorah — the planner adds a place to stay each night and keeps the route to one loop.

From travellers near Decorah

No traveller has reported from around Decorah yet. Been to one of these places recently? Open it and post what you found — is the waterfall flowing, how crowded was the temple, is the beach safe — so the next visitor knows before they drive.

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How to reach Decorah

    All places near Decorah by distance

    15–50 km — half-day trips

    50–100 km — one-day trips

    Count by type (within 100 km)

    Places near Decorah by type
    TypeWithin 50 kmWithin 100 kmNearest
    Hill stations & viewpoints552Pulpit Rock (2 km)
    Museums1542Porter House Museum (1 km)
    Forts & heritage1642Meridian II (2 km)
    Wildlife, forests & gardens1133Barnhart - Van Peenen Park (2 km)
    Churches431Decorah Covenant Church (1 km)
    Lakes, dams & reservoirs526Lake Meyer Dam (22 km)
    Caves415Ice Cave (1 km)
    Rivers, islands & mangroves011Goose Island (82 km)
    Waterfalls04Old Lanesboro Power Plant Waterfall (61 km)
    Parks04Runion Park (64 km)
    Beaches & coast03Pettibone Beach (88 km)
    Other attractions02World's Largest Strawberry (90 km)

    Decorah: questions travellers ask

    What are the best places to visit near Decorah?

    Porter House Museum (museum, about 1 km), Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum (museum, about 1 km), Decorah Ice Cave State Preserve (cave, about 1 km), Decorah Covenant Church (church, about 1 km), Versterheim Norwegian-American Museum Library (museum, about 1 km), Ice Cave (cave, about 1 km).

    How many tourist places are there within 50 km of Decorah?

    60 places on Spotwander: 5 hill stations & viewpoints, 15 museums, 16 forts & heritage, 11 wildlife, forests & gardens, 4 churches.

    Which is the nearest viewpoint to Decorah?

    Pulpit Rock, about 2 km by road; Chimney Rock (23 km) is next.

    Which is the nearest museum to Decorah?

    Porter House Museum, about 1 km by road; Versterheim Norwegian-American Museum Library (1 km) is next.

    Which is the nearest fort to Decorah?

    Meridian II, about 2 km by road; Elegy #10 (2 km) is next.

    What is a good one-day trip from Decorah?

    Start in Decorah, visit Decorah Covenant Church, then Porter House Museum, then Versterheim Norwegian-American Museum Library, then Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, then Decorah Ice Cave State Preserve, and drive back — about 6 km by road in all.

    What is the best time to visit places near Decorah?

    October to February for cool, clear air for hill stations & viewpoints; October to February for forts & heritage; year-round for museums.

    Towns near Decorah

    Sources: places from OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata and GeoNames; Decorah’s location and population from GeoNames; see also Decorah on Wikipedia. Data sources & credits.