Day hikes abound in central St. Croix Co.

Trail leading to bridge crossing Paperjack Creek in New Richmond, Wis.

Several great day hiking trails – ranging from primitive, grass paths near rookeries to paved, wide routes alongside urban lakes – can be found in the central portion of Wisconsin’s St. Croix County.

The trails generally are located in or close to the four communities making up the region. Trails by community include:

Baldwin-Hammond
• Casey Lake Trail – Day hikers can sight great blue herons on the 0.2 miles-round trip Casey Lake Trail in the Casey Lake Wildlife Management Area. From 130th Avenue east of U.S. Hwy. 63 north, look for a gravel parking lot on the left/south side of the road between 200th and 190th streets.
• Wintergreen Park trails – Several unnamed walking paths wind through the 32-acre pine and hardwood forest on the town’s southwest side. Use the lot in the park’s northwest corner off of 60th Avenue west of U.S. Hwy. 63.

New Richmond
• Doar Park Trail – About 0.7 miles of trails ramble about the 14.6-acre park, which is being restored to native prairie grasses. The trailhead is on a private road east of 115th Street, just south of Sixth Street West.
• Doughboy Trail – The 0.33-mile paved trail runs from the Mill Pond Walk along the Willow River to North Pierce Street south of High Street. Park in the lot west of the New Richmond depot off of High Street.
• ELC Trail – The 0.2-mile paved trail links East Sixth Street to Paperjack Elementary School. Park at the northwest end of the elementary school, off of East 11th Street on weekends or during school vacations.
• Richmond Way Trail – The 1.7-mile trail parallels East Richmond Way and briefly West Richmond Way from 140th Street west to County Road A with connector trails. Park along the street.
• Freedom Park Trail Loop – Formerly the Hatfield Lake Trail Loop, the 2.4-mile trail circles the park with a long side hugging the shore of Hatfield Lake. Park then pick up the trail at the end of Liberty Drive north of Industrial Boulevard.
• Hatfield Lake Trail – The 1-mile trail runs along the south side of Hatfield Lake into Hatfield Park with a spur heading southeast to North Knowles Avenue and Johnson Drive. Parking is in the southeast corner of the Hatfield Park lot.
• Mary Park Trail – Day hikers can enjoy a 0.6-mile round trip walk alongside a placid lake in Mary Park at the southwest end of Mary Park Lake. To reach the trailhead, on Wis. Hwy. 65 in downtown turn east onto County Road K/East First Street; next, turn left/north onto North Green Avenue.
• Mill Pond Trail – The 0.1-mile trail runs across the Willow River dam then partially alongside the small reservoir. Access the trail from West First Street just west of South Knowles Avenue.
• Monette Park Trail – A 0.1-mile paved path sits in the neighborhood park and connects to Marshall Road. Park and start the trail at the end of Fifth Street South just west of South Washington Street.
• Nature Center Trail – A 0.5-mile trail rambles through woodlands at the 16.5-acre nature along the Willow River. The park is at the corner of Wis. Hwy. 64 and County Road A.
• New Richmond Heritage Center and Paperjack Creek Trail – Hikers can combine a walk near a stream with a loop through a historical village and farm that show what life was like in western Wisconsin decades ago; they combine for a roughly mile-long stroll. The trailhead is on Heritage Drive east of Wis. Hwy. 64; when the drive curves south, turn left/east into the Heritage Center’s parking lot.
• North Shore Trail – The 0.3-mile trail links two ends of North Shore Drive. Use street parking.
• Rail Bridge Trail – This 1.7-mile paved trail runs between West Richmond Way and West Sixth Street. Four short connectors link the trail to residential areas and to Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College.
• Somerset Road Trail – The paved 0.5-mile trail runs between Nature Center Park and Victoria Park. The regional hospital is along the trail between the parks.
• Willowind Trail – The paved 0.4-mile trail runs alongside West Eighth Street next to the hospital and then south with spurs. A connector trail links it to Somerset Road Trail.
• Woodland Creek Trail – The 0.5-mile trail heads from County Road A north of Woodland Creek Park to the street Pinewood Trail. The trail is in a residential area.

Roberts
• Clapp Waterfowl Production Area – A 0.36-mile round trip grass path crosses part of the production area to a woodline. A parking lot and the trailhead sit off Kinney Road south of Highlander Trail.
• Kinnickinnic Headwaters Fish and Wildlife Area and Trumpeter Swan Preserve walkabout – Day hikers with a taste for bushwhacking can explore the headwaters of a Class 1 trout stream at the Kinnickinnic Headwaters Fish and Wildlife Area and Trumpeter Swan Preserve. From 70th Avenue, go right/south onto 150th Street; a parking lot is on the road's right/west side.
• Kinnickinnic River State Fishery Area Trail – A 0.3-mile round trip path runs to the center of the fishery. On 140th Street, once south of 70th Avenue, take the first gravel road heading west; look for the fishery area sign and turn left/south.

Star Prairie/Deer Park
• Prairie Flats North Waterfowl Area – For a primitive hiking experience, grass paths leave from the parking lot toward and around a pond and the surrounding wetlands. Park in the gravel lot on the north side of County Road H between 90th Street and Thrush Drive.
• Stanton County Forest trails – Trails stacked in two columns run through the 40-acre forest east of South Prairie. Park in the lot off of 185th Street about a mile north of the County Roads H and T intersection.

Learn more about nearby day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of St. Croix County guidebook.

Trail heads through Wisconsin tension zone

Jeep trail leading into Cylon State Wildlife Area.

Cylon State Wildlife Area map

Day hikers can practice their bushwhacking skills in a major transition zone between Wisconsin’s plant species at the Cylon State Wildlife Area.

The wildlife area in St. Croix County offers a rare mix of plants found in both southern and northern Wisconsin. The woods and sedge meadows sit in what biologists call a “tension zone.”

To reach the wildlife area, from the village of Deer Park head north on Wis. Hwy. 46. Turn right/east onto County Road H. Between 240th and 250th streets, look for a gravel parking lot on the road’s right/south side.

Only primitive trails run through the wildlife area, and there are no clearly marked routes. An old jeep trail does head roughly southwest from the lot’s south side through a grasslands, though.

Much of the sedge meadow sits around the North Fork of the Willow River, eight miles of which flow through the wildlife area, and the streams feeding the Willow. Among the dominant plants are broad-leaved white meadowsweet, steeplebush and wire-leaved sedges. Birds often nest in the sedge meadows or near its edges; among those you’re likely to spot are the ovenbird, the red-eyed vire, the broad-winged hawk in the air, and ruffed grouse on the ground.

The jeep trail and the edge of an intermittent stream can be followed about 1100 feet one way to a hardwood forest.

More than half of the wildlife area is hardwoods forest. A variety of oaks can be found there, including bur, Hill’s and white, mixed with basswood, and white pine. American elm and red maple dominate the sapling layer. Ironwood is prevalent in the sub-canopy layer with blackberry and hazelnut common shrubs. A variety of ground flora can be spotted here as well, including black snakeroot, enchanter's nightshade, sweet cicely, tick-trefoil, large-flowered trillium, maidenhair fern, wild strawberry, Canada mayflower, and partridgeberry.

The tension zone largely is determined by climate. Temperatures in the wildlife area are just high enough to support the southern plant species but not so hot that the northern species won’t prosper.

As with other wildlife areas, there no facilities. In early summer, the trails become quickly overgrown, so if hiking much past May you will need to don long pants and a long-sleeved shirt.

•Road map of wildlife area
•Topo map of wildlife area

Learn more about nearby day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of St. Croix County guidebook.