The Ocooch Mountains is the Native American name given to the portion of the Driftless Region falling within southwest Wisconsin roughly between the Baraboo hills to the east Belmont and Mineral Point to the south and LaCrosse to the west. Encompassing Richland, Crawford, Vernon,Iowa, Sauk, Grant, western half of Lafayette counties. The region contains heights ranging from 550 to 1719 feet. Notables are Wildcat Mountain (Mt. Pisguh) (1260'),Platte Mounds(1,447'),Belmont Mound(1,401'), Sauk Point (1553'), and the Blue Mounds (1719') at the far east of the ranges.[1]
The area was originally inhabited by the Sauk people called the Ocooch, but later settled by Scandinavian immigrants.
Activities in the mountains include fishing, canoeing, hunting, hiking, downhill and cross-country skiing, cycling, horseback riding, golfing, bird watching, and snowmobiling.