Woods, ponds await Superior, Wis., hikers

A pond off the Gandy Dancer Trail in Douglas County.
Photo courtesy of Wisconsin DNR.

Trail segment
rambles to
Gandy Dancer's
northern end

A rustic walk on a former rail line awaits day hikers on the Gandy Dancer State Trail near Superior, Wis.

The Gandy Dancer heads roughly north-south for 98 miles with a number of accessible points in Wisconsin and Minnesota cabin country, making it ideal for a day hike. It runs from St. Croix Falls, Wis., and enters Minnesota via a picturesque crossing of the St. Croix River in Danbury. It then re-enters Wisconsin in Douglas County south of Superior. The northernmost 15 miles of the trail (if including a connector with the Saunders State Trail) runs through Douglas County.

Accessible
In Douglas County and Minnesota, the route sometimes is referred to as the North Gandy Dancer Trail, and for good reason. The northern section possesses a distinct sense of remoteness that the southern section, which passes through farmland and several small towns, sometimes lacks.

Still, access to the trail in Douglas County is plentiful. A 1.7-miles round trip section of the trail makes for a great day hike, taking walkers to the northern terminus.

To reach this segment’s trailhead, drive Wis. Hwy. 35 south from the Superior. At Interfalls Lake, turn right/east onto County Road B. Shortly after Point of Rocks Road, the trail crosses the rural highway. Park well off the side of County Road B.

Take the trail north. Though in farm country, a thick band of trees lines the wide path’s western side. Fields are visible through tree breaks on the eastern side.

Long pond
About 0.4 miles into the walk, the Gandy Dancer passes a long, narrow pond on its east side. The route shortly thereafter enters a small woodlands.

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. Grade changes always are gradual, a necessity to accommodate the heavy trains.

As the pond gives out, the trail exits the woods and reaches a working rail line. This marks the northern terminus of the Gandy Dancer. Turn back here and retrace your steps back to your vehicle.

If interested in day hiking a more remote section of the trail in Douglas County, to the south a pleasant 2.85-mile stretch runs from South Foxboro-Chaffey Road over Balsam Creek to Drolson Road.

Read more about Douglas County day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of Douglas County guidebook.

Day hikes lead to diverse array of sites in Sandstone, Minn., region

Big Spring Falls Trail, Banning State Park.
Photo courtesy of Minnesota DNR.

The remnant of a historic quarry site, a forgotten island and falls, and Northwoods wildlife await day hikers in the Sandstone, Minn., area.

The small town borders Banning State Park and is near several other public facilities, including state forests, multi-county hiking trails, and a national wildlife refuge.

Located about midway between the Minneapolis-St. Paul and the Duluth-Superior metro areas, Sandstone is easy to reach via Interstate 35.

Among the region’s top trails are:
g Audubon Center Tallgrass Prairie Trail – An unnamed mile-long trail skirts the edge of a tallgrass prairie then cuts through woods on the south side of the Audubon Center of the North Woods west of town. Park at the trailhead on the southside of Audubon Drive just west of the Fox Road intersection.
g Bean Dam WMA hunter walking trails – A 1.8-mile round trip unnamed trail leads to several other hunter walking trails off of 350th Avenue in the Bean Dam Wildlife Management Area west of town in neighboring Kanabec County. The trails offer the chance to see a variety of wildlife, including bear, forest game birds, turkeys, small game, waterfowl, and whitetail deer.
g Big Spring Falls Trail – An island and waterfalls in the Kettle River await hikers on the Big Spring Falls Trail in the section of Banning State Park located south of Sandstone. The sites on the 0.75-mile round trip trail only became visible after the Kettle Dam was removed in 1995.
g Gandy Dancer Trail segments – Day hikers can walk across an old railroad bridge over the St. Croix River at the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and St. Croix State Forest on the Wisconsin border. The Gandy Dancer Trail, which starts dozens of miles south of the state forest, crosses the border into Minnesota at Danbury, Wis., about a mile south of the river for a 0.8-mile round trip.
g Lower Tamarack River Trail – From County Road 173, take the Tamarack Forest Trail to the parking lot for the Hiking Trailhead in the St. Croix State Forest. 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 – From the same parking lot along County Road 173, head north past Churchill Lake for a 3-mile round trip. The trail north of the lake enters wetlands in the St. Croix State Forest.
g Matthew Lourey State Trail, County Road 173 to Campground segment – The Matthew Lourey runs north to south through St. Croix State Forest. Consider parking at the trailhead along County Road 173 and taking it southwest through wetlands to the campground for a 2-mile round trip.
g Quarry Loop Trail – Day hikers can explore the ruins of an old quarry site as walking along a picturesque whitewater river on the Quarry Loop Trail in Banning State Park. At 2.4 miles in length, the Quarry loop offers several historical and geological sites.
g Rice Lake Pool Trail – A variety of wildlife, from eagles and loons to black bear and sometimes even moose, can be seen on the Rice Lake Pool Trail in the Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge southeast of town. The 5-mile round trip trail connects to several other loops in the refuge.
g Willard Munger State Trail, Finlayson segment – In Finlayson, park on Finland Avenue (County Road 60) immediately west of Front Street. Going south on the trail heads past green farmland in summer.
g Willard Munger State Trail, Sandstone segment – West of Sandstone, park in a dirt pull-off along County Road 27 at the County Road 61 intersection. Either direction takes you through wooded areas and past bucolic farm fields.

Read more about day hiking Northeast Minnesota in my Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota guidebook.

Great parks, trails await Polk County hikers

An outdoor recreational paradise, Polk County is full of trails to hike or ski, lakes to fish or boat, geological sites to marvel at or explore. For day hikers, a number of major parks and standalone trails can be found in the county.

Parks
The St. Croix National Scenic Riverway runs the length of Polk County’s western side. Its visitor center in downtown St. Croix Falls boasts a 500-gallon freshwater aquarium.

The county also is home to two state parks – Wisconsin Interstate State Park and Straight Lake State Park. Interstate Park sits in the famous Dalles of the St. Croix gorge while Straight Lake, near Luck and Frederic, is deliberately undeveloped to serve those seeking a truly back to nature experience.

Another great state-owned land to hike is the Osceola Bedrock Glades State Natural Area. It sports a rare plant ecosystem that resides on and around 1.1-billion-year-old volcanic rock.

Trails
Ice Age National Scenic Trail finds its western terminus in St. Croix Falls. The trail largely parallels the southernmost advance of the glacier that last covered Wisconsin some 10,000 years ago.

Several old railroad beds have been converted into trails as well. They’re very popular among backpackers and day hikers alike. The four railroad trails are:
g Gandy Dancer Trail – Starting in St. Croix Falls, the trail connects several communities on its 98-mile course north to Superior.
g Stower Seven Lakes State Trail – The 14-mile trail runs past lakes and farmland west of Amery.
g Cattail State Trail – The 18-mile trail also leaves from Amery but heads east to Turtle Lake and Almena in neighboring Barron County.
g Clear Lake-Clayton State Trail – Linking its namesake communities, the trail runs for 11 miles. Note that the railroad beds have a strict carry-in, carry-out policy.

Read more about day hiking this and nearby trails in my Hittin’ the Trail: Day Polk County, Wisconsin guidebook.

What are NW Wisconsin’s three best trails?

Summit Rock Trail vista, looking south

This article, by the author of the “Hikes with Tykes” series, originally appeared in the May 27, 2013, Seattle Backpackers Magazine.

Where can you walk across 1.1-billion year-old rock, see a waterfall as tall as Niagara, or stroll along a romantic beach…all within an hour or so drive of one another?

Try Northwest Wisconsin. Now before you dismiss Wisconsin as nothing but dairy farms and foam cheesehead factories, the state actually offers backpackers and day hikers alike a number of great trails to enjoy.

Two major national park units sit in Northwest Wisconsin. The St. Croix National Scenic Riverway follows more than 250 miles of the St. Croix River and a tributary, offering trails that trace historic portages, cross ancient river gorges, and parallel Class I trout streams. The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore boasts sea caves, primitive camping experiences on remote islands, and gorgeous sunsets over the world’s largest body of freshwater, Lake Superior.

Three must-do trails in Northwest Wisconsin include:
g Doughboys’ Nature Trail – The Copper Falls State Park trail features multiple waterfalls and rapids over lava rock at the confluence of two rivers. Granite boulders left here by ice age glaciers, after dragging them down from Canada, dot the 1.7-mile loop trail. A plethora of hardwoods – aspen, basswood, hemlock, ironwood, paper birch, red oak, red pine, sugar maple, white pine, and yellow birch – cover the park, making for impressive autumn walks.
g Morgan Falls-St. Peters Dome Trail – In the Chequamegon National Forest, this 3.6-mile round trip hike leads first to an 80-foot waterfall and then an impressive vista on St. Peters Dome with views 20 miles around. The dome is a massive hunk of red granite that began to form underground some 1.2 billion years ago and since has been exposed. A number of rare ferns also can be found along the trail.
g Summit Rock Trail – The short hike at Wisconsin Interstate State Park near St. Croix Falls offers fantastic views of the Dalles of the St. Croix gorge, carved by glacial floodwaters during the last ice age. The gorge consists of basalt laid there 500 million years before dinosaurs walked the planet and neat rock formations, including the Old Man of the Dalles. Adjoining short trails lead to deep potholes that the swirling floods literally drilled out of solid rock.

Honorable mention goes to two trails:
g Bay View Trail – Taking the trail along with a beach boardwalk and a self-guided interpretive trail afford hikers a 5-mile round trip on Madeline Island, providing great views of Lake Superior, which is blue during the day and fire red at sunset. A ferry boat runs from Bayfield to the island.
g Big Manitou Falls Overlooks Trail – While the trail in Pattison State Park is a standard walk through the woods, it helps set up the spectacular sight at the destination: a 168-foot waterfall. Though not as wide, it is as tall as Niagara Falls and the fourth highest east of the Rocky Mountains.

For those wishing to take backpacking excursions, look into these trails:
g Gandy Dancer Trail – Several old railroad beds have been converted to hiking trails in the state, including this 98-mile route running from the pristine St. Croix River to Lake Superior.
g Ice Age National Scenic Trail – The 1200-mile trail roughly parallels what once the southern edge of the glacier covering much of the state some eight millennia ago.
g North Country National Scenic Trail – The longest continuous section of the seven-state trail runs through northern Wisconsin, including over the remnants of an ancient mountain range that once stood as tall as the Alps.

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

Great hiking trails dot Webster, Wis., region

Gandy Dancer Trail in Webster.

Visitors to the Webster, Wis., area will find some great trails to day hike. Among them:
g Amsterdam Sloughs Wildlife Area trails – A jeep trail parallels County Road D in the forest’s northwest corner. On the 4.8-mile round trip, part of which is alongside a lake, expect to spot blue heron, osprey and even signs of bear.
g Gandy Dancer Trail – A scenic segment of the trail runs for 2 miles north of the village from the Yellow River to Yellow Lake at Lone Pine Road. Most of the trail is shaded.
g Keizer Lake Wildlife Area East-West trail – A jeep trail runs about 1.3 miles one way east-west through the wildlife area. It’s easiest to find from the east terminus, as it’s the only entry along County Road A. Watch the skies for bald eagles and osprey.

Read more about day hiking Burnett County in my Hittin’ the Trail: Day Burnett County, Wisconsin guidebook.

Excellent hiking trails located in Siren area

Gandy Dancer Trail in Siren, Wis.

Visitors to the Siren, Wis., area will find some great trails to day hike. Among them:
g Amsterdam Sloughs Wildlife Area trails – Located northwest of town, a jeep trail heads north into the wildlife area from Olsen Road, just west of Daniel Johnson Road. Turn back after reaching the pond for a 3.75-mile round trip.
g Gandy Dancer Trail segment – This extensive trail runs north-south through the village. Start downtown and head north for a four-mile round trip hike to the airport.
g Ice Age National Scenic Trail – Southeast of town at the end of 60th Street, follow a segment of this state-wide trail over the Clam River past Dinger Lake to McKenzie Creek. The 2.25-mile round trip cuts through mixed hardwood forests and meadows.
g Timberland Hills trails – Southeast of town, Timberland Hills is in the Burnett County Forest off of County Road H. Mainly used as a ski trail in winter, during summer the connecting loops offer several miles of hiking trails.

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

Frederic area boasts number of great trails

Gandy Dancer Trail heading south from Frederic.

Cabin-goers to the Frederic, Wis., area in northern Polk County can enjoy a number of great day hiking trails this summer. Among them:
g Atlas County Park (unnamed trails) – Short, unnamed trails amble through this park located between the Trade River and Long Trade Lake. The park includes picnic shelters perfect for that after-hike meal.
g Coon Lake Trail – While some of the meandering paths making up this trail are steep, they offer great views of Coon Lake on the town’s east side. The 41.7-acre man-made lake and surrounding park is popular with local residents.
g Gandy Dancer Trail – The 98-mile trail that used to be a rail line runs south to Luck and north to Siren. Within the village limits, the trail is roughly a block west of Wis. Hwy. 35.
g Ice Age National Scenic Trail – A section of this 1,000-mile trail runs through Straight Lake Wilderness State Park southeast of town. The trail runs for about four miles through the park and is marked with yellow blazes.
g Somers Lake Snowshoe Trail – Three loops northwest of town lead to scenic Somers Lake. The loops total 5 miles in length and head through a wooded area.
g Sterling Trail – This 7-mile loop rambles through a classic Northwoods setting. Be forewarned that ATVs can use the trail June 1-Nov. 15.

Read more about day hiking this and nearby trails in my Hittin’ the Trail: Day Polk County, Wisconsin guidebook.