Hike across Midwest’s largest earthen dam

Eau Galle Reservoir, aka Lake George, from an overlook west of the dam.

Eau Galle Dam Trail topo map

Day hikers can walk across the largest earthen dam in the Midwest on the Eau Galle Dam Trail near Spring Valley, Wis.

The 0.8-mile round trip hike sits in the popular Eau Galle Recreation Area, nestled on the borders of St. Croix and Pierce counties. To reach the trailhead, from Spring Valley, head west on Wis. Hwy. 29. In about a mile, turn right/north onto Van Buren Road then right/west onto Eau Galle Dam Road. Next, go right/southwest onto Overlook Road, which curves north; after climbing a hill, turn left into an overlook. Park there.

North of the lot is an overlook where you can take in a view of the 150-acre Eau Galle Reservoir, aka Lake George and on some government maps as Spring Valley Lake 64. The view is from the reservoir’s south shore northward across the lake’s center.

The lake boasts thriving populations of bluegills, crappies, largemouth bass, and sunfish. Anglers often can be spotted on boats and along the shoreline. Recreation here isn’t limited to fishing, though. A campground, playgrounds, beaches, and several hiking and equestrian trails also can be found. Many of those amenities are visible from the overlook, which sits about 100 feet above the lake.

A dirt footpath runs west from the overlook through a wooded area then curves north to another vista of the lake. From there, follow the asphalt road south before curving onto the earthen dam itself.

A rolled-earth and rock-filled dam, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ construction holds back the Eau Galle River. The waterway rises out of farm fields just south of Woodville, Wis. Fed by a 64-square-mile drainage basin, the river’s floods frequently devastated Spring Valley until the dam was built in the mid 1960s. The controlled river eventually makes its way to the Chippewa, which in turn drains into the Mississippi River.

The trail runs the full length of the dam, which is almost 2000 feet. It’s fairly wide, but the sides are steep. If heights are a problem for hikers, instead take the footpath to the left/west before crossing the dam; that route heads along the dam's west side to the lake’s shoreline.

After crossing the dam, retrace your steps back to the overlook parking lot.

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

Great day hikes abound in east St. Croix Cty.

Glen Hills West Trail

Though primarily thought of as farm country, Wisconsin’s eastern St. Croix County offers a number of great day hiking trails. Whether a local looking to explore or a traveler on Interstate 94 needing to stretch your legs, there’s probably a trail that’s right for you.

Eastern St. Croix County loosely is centered on three small cities – Glenwood City to the north, Woodville in the center, and Spring Valley in the south (though that farming village technically is in Pierce County).

Here are some of the great trails near those towns:

Glenwood City
• Glen Hills East Trail – Tucked within Wisconsin’s dairy country is a hilly, wooded region that gives day hikers the chance to get back to nature. Glen Hills County Park in eastern St. Croix County offers a plethora of trails amid 700 acres of maple and oak hardwoods. The 2-mile round trip unnamed trail (christened here for convenience’s sake) heads from a vista to a campground.
• Glen Hills West Trail – A pleasant walk through the woods alongside a pretty lake awaits day hikers on the west side of Glen Hills County Park. To reach the trailhead, from U.S. Hwy. 12 west of Wilson, take Wis. Hwy. 128 north. Turn right/east onto Day Use Road then go right/south onto Picnic Point Lane, which dead ends at a parking lot atop a vista.
• Glen Hills Southwest Trail – This rustic 1.2-mile round trip route heads through woods as skirting the Glen Lake’s curving, southwest corner at Glen Lake County Park. It runs from the playground on Picnic Point Lane to the campground.

Woodville
• Wildwood Trail segment – Day hikers can enjoy a bucolic walk on a segment of the Wildwood Trail. The seven-mile hiking, biking and snowmobiling trail runs between the communities of Woodville and Spring Valley in eastern St. Croix County. Among the most accessible and pleasurable parts of the trail runs 2.3-miles round-trip from western Woodville past farm fields.

Spring Valley
• Crystal Cave tour – Day hikers can explore Wisconsin’s longest cave near the village of Spring Valley. The Crystal Cave tour runs about 0.5-miles round trip through 1,300 feet of passageways. Several deeper passages are closed to the public. The cave is a commercial venture, so a fee is charged to be part of a tour. To reach Crystal Cave, from Spring Valley take Wis. Hwy. 29 west. In about a mile after ascending the hill, turn left/south onto the cave entrance road.
• Eau Galle Dam Trail – Day hikers can walk across the largest earthen dam in the Midwest on the Eau Galle Dam Trail. The 0.8-mile round trip hike sits in the popular Eau Galle Recreation Area. To reach the trailhead, from Spring Valley, head west on Wis. Hwy. 29. In about a mile, turn right/north onto Van Buren Road then right/west onto Eau Galle Dam Road.
• Northwest Day Use Loop – The 0.75-mile trail parallels the wooded park road in the Eau Galle Recreational Area. One side runs alongside the scenic Eau Galle River. Park at the lot where Boston Road (east of County Road B) crosses the river.
• Overlook Trail – The 0.76-mile round trip trail heads from an overlook of Lake George (often referred to as the Eau Galle Reservoir) down to a beach then back up again at the Eau Galle Recreational Area. Park at the overlook off of Eau Galle Dam Road.
• Pond Trail – The 0.22-mile loop through a grassy area circles a small L-shaped pond at the Eau Galle Recreational Area. Park at the lot nearest the beach, off of Eau Galle Dam Road.
• West Ridge Trail/Low Land Trail Loop – The two paths can be combined into a 1.14-mile lollipop trail that heads from the beach through woodland at the Eau Galle Recreational Area. Park in the lot closest to the beach.
• Wildwood Trail – Among the most accessible and pleasurable parts of the trail runs 1.7 miles round-trip from near downtown Spring Valley alongside a small stream through a pleasant woods. To reach the trailhead, from Wis. Hwy. 29 in Spring Valley turn north on McKay Avenue then left/west onto County Road B (N. Second St.). In four blocks, turn right/north onto Herb Avenue. As that street curves east, park in the small lot off its left side; the trail heads west from the lot. Note that this trail starts in Pierce County then enters St. Croix County on its way north to Woodville.

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