Winona’s ice climbing park has been attracting climbers to its location on a bluff 500 feet above Winona for the last five years as reported by WXOW. It’s the second largest in the country and features 100 ice climbing routes and an ice flow of 200 feet and draws around 1,000 people annually. The man-made park is managed by both the City of Winona and a non-profit organization, Recreation Alliance of Winona. Eric Barnard, owner of Big River Climbing Guides and a board member of RAOW, said that most of the people who come to the ice park are within a 120 mile radius of Winona. A Des Moines resident, Marty Snyder, said “It’s epic,” “It’s really nice. This is kind of a gem for Minnesota, Northern Wisconsin people and Iowans.”
“The thing I love most about the Ice Park is it’s really like a vehicle to find out about this town because it’s a cool river town,” said Barnard. The local economy benefits from the visitors coming from out of town through lodging stays and dining out.