Wisconsin Ducks

2 photos · 2024

2 photographs tagged Wisconsin Ducks, 2024.

Related: Downtown Wisconsin Dells Wisconsin Wisconsin Dells Duck Vehicle River Wisconsin River
Operator at the helm of an amphibious DUKW tour vehicle on the Wisconsin River near Wisconsin Dells.
The Original Wisconsin Ducks runs amphibious DUKW vehicles on the Wisconsin River near Wisconsin Dells. The DUKW was designed in 1942 by General Motors for the U.S. Army, built to ferry troops and supplies between ship and shore during World War II. Wisconsin Dells businessman Mel Flath began operating surplus military DUKWs on local waterways in 1946, starting what became one of the country's longest-running duck tour operations. Drivers steer the vehicles from an open rear cockpit, guiding each boat between river channels and wooded trail routes cut into the area's sandstone bluffs.

Driver at the Helm of a Wisconsin Ducks DUKW on the Wisconsin River

Three DUKW amphibious tour vehicles parked along a forested trail with a "Duck Trail" warning sign in Wisconsin Dells.
DUKW amphibious vehicles, nicknamed "Ducks," were built by General Motors during World War II to carry troops and supplies from ship to shore. Wisconsin Dells operators began converting surplus military Ducks into sightseeing vehicles in 1946, running them over wooded trails and into the Wisconsin River to combine road and water travel in one trip. The six-wheel-drive vehicles still follow marked routes through the forest, like the one posted here, before entering the water. Several companies continue to operate DUKW fleets in the Dells, making it one of the longest-running Duck tour destinations in the country.

DUKW Tour Vehicles Queue on the Duck Trail in Wisconsin Dells

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