Fans of the Little House books will love this hidden gem in Wisconsin

Every great story has to start somewhere, and for one of the best-known pioneer voices in American literature, that beginning unfolded in the Big Woods of western Wisconsin. If you’ve ever wanted to do a deep dive into the origin story behind the Little House books, this literary destination in Pepin, Wisconsin, belongs on your bucket list. Devoted Laura Ingalls Wilder fans travel for miles just to stand where the iconic author’s journey began. I recently took a scenic drive down to this charming Mississippi River town to visit the sites for myself, and I think they definitely reflect the pioneer spirit of Wilder’s books.

The Real-Life Inspiration Behind the Story

Before the open prairies of Kansas and the Dakotas, or the banks of Plum Creek, there was the Big Woods. Laura was born right here in Pepin County in a log cabin on February 7, 1867. Her earliest childhood memories of cozy winter nights and playing with her sister Mary all stem from her time living in the cabin between the villages of Pepin and Stockholm, Wisconsin. Wilder’s first book, Little House in the Big Woods, detailed her childhood experiences in the Pepin area and became an almost-immediate success.