Great birds, lakes await at St. Croix forest

Ospreys can be spotted along the Tamarack River
in Minnesota's St. Croix State Forest.

Day hikers will find a number of great trails in Minnesota’s St. Croix State Forest, a 42,105-acre spread along the Tamarack and St. Croix rivers.

Among the highlights:
g Gandy Dancer State Trail segment – Starting in Danbury along Wis. Hwy. 77, walk across an old railroad bridge over the St. Croix River in the state forest on this 2-mile round trip trail. Watch for bald eagles, osprey, northern harriers, hawks, and in autumn migrating sandhill cranes.
g Lower Tamarack River Trail – From County Road 173, take the Tamarack Forest Trail to the parking lot for the hiking trailhead. Walk south, paralleling the Lower Tamarack River; at the second trail junction, turn back for a roughly 4-mile round trip.
g Matthew Lourey State Trail, Churchill Lake segment – The Matthew Lourey State Trail runs north to south through the park. Consider parking at the trailhead along County Road 173, head north past Churchill Lake for a 3-mile round trip. The trail north of the lake enters wetlands.
g Matthew Lourey State Trail, County Road 173 to Campground segment – From the same parking lot along County Road 173, take the trail southwest through wetlands to the campground for 2-mile round trip.

Read more about day hiking the scenic riverway in my guidebook Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.

Cross St. Croix River railroad bridge on hike

St. Croix River, looking east from Gandy Dancer Trail bridge north of
Danbury, Wis. Minnesota is on the left and Wisconsin the right.

Trail links Wisconsin, Minnesota sections
of walking route

Day hikers can walk across an old railroad bridge over the St. Croix River at the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and the St. Croix State Forest on the Wisconsin-Minnesota border.

The Gandy Dancer Trail, which starts dozens of miles south of the state forest in St. Croix Falls, Wis., crosses the border into Minnesota at Danbury, Wis. The segment described in this entry is about 2-miles round trip.

River crossing
In Danbury, parking for trail access is next to the walking route north of Wis. Hwy. 77 between Wis. Hwy. 35 and North Glass Street. From the lot, take the trail north.

You’ll head through a forested area. The mix of trees near the riverfront yields a fantastic multi-colored leaf display in autumn.

An added bonus for autumn hikers: You'll probably spot a number of migrating waterfowl, including sandhill cranes. Also watch for bald eagles, osprey, northern harriers and hawks, all of which reside year-round in the area.

In about 0.4 miles, you’ll reach the St. Croix River's tranquil blue waters as you pass through the scenic riverway. Cross the old railroad trestle bridge into Minnesota. To the left is a canoe access point for the river.

St. Croix State Forest
In short order, you’ll breach the invisible line into the St. Croix State Forest, the 42,105-acre spread along the Tamarack and St. Croix rivers. The trail continues through woodlands, mainly bigtooth and quaking aspen with islands of red oak and other various northern hardwood trees.

About 0.6 miles from the bridge, the trail reaches a pine barrens with a large gravel turnout. This marks a good spot to turn back.

The Gandy Dancer does continue on, so if you have a little extra energy, feel free to walk a bit farther. The trial ultimately runs for 30 miles through Minnesota before crossing back into Wisconsin south of Superior.

Be forewarned that the Minnesota side is an OHV (off-highway vehicle) trail, so keep an eye on children. Also, be sure to use insect repellent in spring and summer.

Read more about day hiking the scenic riverway in my guidebook Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.

Peaceful day hike from river to lake awaits

A scenic segment of the Gandy Dancer State Trail runs for 2 miles north of Webster, Wis., from the Yellow River to Yellow Lake at Lone Pine Road.

As with most rail lines turned hiking trails, the former Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad corridor is flat. And despite that this section in Burnett County is close to built-up areas, it’s fairly tranquil.

To reach this segment of the trail, take Wis. Hwy. 35 north of town. Just across the Yellow River at the Yellow River Saloon and Eatery, turn left; park in the gravel lot. Access the trail by heading west in the road just north of this establishment. A 900-foot walk leads to the trail at the Yellow River’s edge.

Most of the trail is wooded, but there are some open, unshaded stretches, so be sure to wear a hat and sunscreen.

About a half mile from the Yellow River, the Gandy Dancer crosses a jeep trail then 400 feet later crosses a gravel road. Watch for vehicles on the roads, especially if children are with you.

For the next 0.75 miles, the trail becomes forested and shaded. A good mix maples, oaks, aspens and pine grow in the wooded area.

The trail then crosses Jeffries Road, so again exercise caution, as this is a busier street than the previous two.

While the trail remains wooded north of the road, the surrounding area is a bit more built up as you near Yellow Lake. About 0.4 miles from the road, you should be able to see the lake itself as the trail skirts its eastern shore.

At 2,283 acres, Yellow Lake sports a mean depth of 19 feet. It’s a popular fishing lake for catfish, largemouth and smallmouth bass, musky, Northern pike, panfish, sturgeon and walleye.

Upon crossing at Finlayson Road, the trail begins to swerves away from lake. When you’ve reached Lone Pine Road, you’ve gone about 2 miles, marking a good spot to turn back.

Read more about family friendly day hiking trails in my Headin' to the Cabin guidebooks.

Escape to small town America on Wis. trail

Gandy Dancer State Trail in Siren, Wis.

For a pleasant return to small town America, day hike the Gandy Dancer State Trail, which runs north-south through the village of Siren. Start downtown and head north to the airport for a four-mile round trip hike.

To reach the trail, park downtown in the northwest quadrant of the State Hwys. 35 and 70 intersection. The trail parallels Hwy. 35 so can be accessed by simply taking any street west.

The village portion of the trail takes you back to Mayberry, to those long lost days when more of America lived in small rural towns than large cities. The trail here is fairly open, so be sure to wear a hat and sunscreen.

While in Siren, the trail crosses West Main Street, so exercise caution at this intersection, especially if children are with you.

Though Siren’s population just tops 800, it’s the Burnett County seat. The village’s name is a misspelling of the Swedish word “syren,” which means “lilac.” The fragrant bush was common in the village when Swedish settlers established the town in the 1890s and still can be found aplenty more than 110 years later. Depending on how early spring arrives, the lilac blossoming makes May to June an excellent time to hike the trail.

After about two-thirds of a mile, you’ll reach the edge of town. Though trees line the trail the entire way, they begin to grow thicker here.

To the right across the highway, you’ll catch glimpses of Crooked Lake. You’ll also hike past some lower-lying marshy stretches; as an old railroad bed, the trail is raised and wide, so there’s no need to worry about wet feet.

After about 1.2 miles, forest entirely surrounds the trial. The trials are an excellent mix of red and sugar maples, oak, birch, basswood and pine.

You’ll reach Airport Road after 2 miles; if lucky, you may catch a small prop plane taking off or landing at the Burnett County Airport. While the trail continues north to Webster, the road marks a good spot to turn around.

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.

Several superb day hiking trails await visitors to Superior, Wis., area

Big Manitou Falls

Superior stands among one of the few challengers in northwest Wisconsin to St. Croix Falls as “the city of trails.” In addition to scenic municipal trails, no less than four state trails find their terminus here. Among the Wisconsin offerings:
g Big Manitou Falls overlook trails – Just a few miles south of the largest metro area of northern Minnesota and Wisconsin flows the highest waterfall in either state. Short overlook trails in Pattison State Park offer a variety of impressive views of Big Manitou Falls.
g Gandy Dancer State Trail – This interstate trail re-enters Wisconsin from Minnesota south of Superior and runs for 15 minutes until joining the Saunders State Trail. A pleasant 2.85-mile stretch runs from South Foxboro-Chaffey Road over Balsam Creek to Drolson Road.
g Millennium Trail – The 1.6-mile trail runs from Billings Drive to Elmira Avenue in the Superior Municipal Forest on the city’s southwest side. The trailhead is at the 28th Street and Wyoming Avenue intersection.
g Osaugie Trail – Beautiful views of Superior Bay, a marina and city piers abound on this urban trail, which runs for five miles from Marina Drive at the U.S. Hwy 2/53 junction south to Moccasin Mike Road. It is wheelchair accessible.
g Pokegama Trail – Also in the municipal forest, this 6.14-mile trail is popular with cyclists (a local cycling club actually maintains the trail). The trailhead is north of Central Avenues east of the Cemetery Access Road intersection.
g Saunders State Trail segment – The 8-mile trail runs southwest of town through several small communities. Try the 3.3-mile segment from County Road W north of Dewey to the bridge at Clear Creek; the route crosses the Pokegama River.
g Tri-County Corridor Trail segment – The well-maintained trail with a crushed limestone surface links Superior to Ashland. Pick up the trail on 57th Avenue at the Osaugie Trail terminus and turn around at the second stream crossing for a 2.3-mile round trip.
g Wild Rivers State Trail-Amnicon River segment – The 104-mile trail from Rice Lake finds its terminus here (or depending on your perspective, it’s beginning). Head southeast of the city to Swamp Road for a 5.4-mile out-and-back hike across the Amnicon River and two other waterways to Mikrot Road.

Read more about family friendly day hiking trails in my Headin' to the Cabin guidebooks.

Hiking opportunities abound in City of Trails

St. Croix Falls is the self-proclaimed “City of Trails,” and it’s a richly deserved title. Of all cities in northwestern Wisconsin – and probably the entire state for that matter – none can boast the number or diversity of trails available to hikers. Here’s a small sampling:

g Gandy Dancer State Trail – The trail runs roughly north-south for 98 miles with a number of accessible points in Wisconsin cabin country, making it ideal for a day hike. A scenic segment to hike is the 4.5 miles from St. Croix Falls to Centuria.
g Esker Trail – This short trail runs atop a tall ridge of sediment left by the meltwater of a retreating glacier that was last seen in these parts some 10,000 years ago. The ridge offers fantastic views of the St. Croix River with visibility of up to 8 miles on clear days.
g Indianhead Flowage Trail – Walk atop billion-year-old volcanic rock surrounded by the deep blue of the St. Croix River and the lush green of the Northwoods forest on this 1.5-mile trail. It is located in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.
g Ladder Tank Trail – At the scenic riverway visitor’s center, you can take 60 stairs to the top of a ridge for an overlook of the St. Croix. It’s a short trail but pretty with a great view at the top.
g Pothole Trail – When flood waters from melting glaciers swept through at the end of the last Ice Age, swirling water literally drilled holes into the basalt rock underlying this region. The 0.4-mile loop takes you past a number of these interesting geological features in Wisconsin Interstate Park.
g Riegel Park Trail – The west end of the Wisconsin Ice Age Trail runs with this trail at the village’s 76-acre Riegel Park Preserve. Moss and lichen with scattered trees covers a trap rock meadow.
g River Bluff Trail – This 0.7-mile trail in Wisconsin Interstate Park takes hikers between the St. Croix River gorge and the Lake of the Dalles. The rocks and sparse vegetation gives it a Rocky Mountain feel.
g Rock Creek Trail – Located about 5 miles east of town, the trail parallels its namesake through a 20-acre restored prairie. Boulders on the forested part of the trail were brought here by glaciers.
g Shadow and Angle rocks lookouts trails – Across the border in Minnesota Interstate Park are a couple of set of short trails that upon reaching the top offer great vistas of the St. Croix River and the gorge rock formation.
g Summit Trail – The trail takes hikers to a high scenic vista at Interstate State Park in St. Croix Falls. It runs atop billion-year-old lava flows, the sands of a 500-million-year-old sea, and at the edge of a massive glacial flood from 10,000 years ago.

Read more about day hiking the scenic riverway in my guidebook Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.

Gandy Dancer Trail heads thru Northwoods

Old railroad line converted

to 98-mile hiking route

The Gandy Dancer State Trail runs roughly north-south for 98 miles with a number of accessible points in Wisconsin cabin country, making it ideal for a day hike. Built atop an old Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie railroad grade, the trail is named for the Gandy Tool Company workers who built the route back in the 1880s.

Paralleling Wis. Hwy. 35, one of the easiest places to get on the trail is in St. Croix Falls at the Polk County Information Center, located at the junction of U.S. Hwy. 8 and Hwy. 35. Plenty of parking is available at the info center.

The trail begins as paved asphalt then turns to packed crushed limestone, which makes for easy walking. As trains once needed to make their way where you’ll walk, grade changes always are gradual.

A variety of trees often form a long canopy over the trail, offering plenty of shade and a real escape back to nature experience. This is especially so in autumn, when leaves change to form red, orange and golden roofs over hikers. In grassy areas, lupines, phlox and columbine flower during June.

When passing waterways, dragonflies frequently can be spotted during summer. Songbirds light most of the route with their melodies while squirrels scamper along the ground and up trees. Watch for white tail deer springing back into the woods when rounding curves.

The first segment of the trail runs 4.5 miles from the information center to the village of Centuria. If you have young children, you certainly don’t have to walk the entire trail; mile posts signs along the way tell how far you’ve walked so you know when to turn around.

If your cabin is a little farther north, no worries. Running through nine villages and connecting with city parks, you can find a trailhead at several locations, including: Centuria, Milltown, Luck, Frederic, Lewis, Siren, Webster and Danbury. Those trail sections pass farmland, lakes and forests. Bicyclists also are allowed to use the trial; be sure to keep an eye on children so they don’t get in the way.

Read more about family friendly day hiking trails in my Headin' to the Cabin guidebooks.