Wis. autumn hikes abound on Lake Michigan

Seven Bridges Trail in Milwaukee.

If living in or traveling 

to a Wisconsin county

along Lake Michigan, plenty of great autumn trails await.

Eleven Wisconsin counties border Lake Michigan – including Green Bay. Maple and beech dominate most forests near the lake,

but several other trees can be found as well. Here are some solid autumn leaf hikes in those counties from south to north:

Kenosha County
Among the best places to see fall colors are streams, where the leaves reflect beautifully against the blue water or brighten a gray sky. Such is the case at Petrifying Springs Park, where an unnamed trail traverses 2 miles (round trip) through a woods and alongside Pike River in the park’s southwest corner. Be sure to take the side trails with footbridges crossing the river, where you can enjoy orange and yellow leaves on trees and shrubs, some of them falling into the water and slowly gliding downstream. In Kenosha, from Wis. Hwy. 31 exit east onto Berryville Road/7th Street. Take the second right/south. Drive 0.17 miles to the second parking lot. Pick up the hiking trail from the paved sidewalk on the lot’s west side, going southwest into the woods.

***

Hikers can experience the richly colored orange-red leaves of the hawthorn tree that grows along Pike Creek near Kenosha. The 0.4-mile looping Hawthorn Trail runs in the Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum. Hawthorns grow from 16 to 49 feet tall, and when more shrub than tree-like, their leaves branch out all around the trunk from the ground to its top. A bonus in autumn: The woods is a major stopover for migrating songbirds. From Kenosha, head north on Wis. Hwy. 31. After crossing Somers Road, turn left/west into the nature sanctuary. Park at the nature center; the trail begins west of it.

Racine County
Day hikers can walk across what used to be a terrace of ancient Lake Michigan and now is a wonderland of harvest colors in autumn. A 1-mile nature trail loops through Sanders Park Hardwoods State Natural Area, which is located within Sanders County Park. Among the highlights are gold-leaved basswood, wine-red white oak, bright-yellow black walnut, russet-colored red oak, lemony white ash, and a brilliant yellow elm-ash stand. From Racine, take Taylor Avenue south. Turn left/southwest onto Wood Avenue then right/east onto Exculpating Road where there’s a parking lot.

***

Hikers can enjoy a bird sanctuary undergoing a major transformation at Colonial Park in Racine. The 1-mile round trip Root River Pathway makes two crossings over the waterway on its way to Lincoln Park. Many rare warblers stop in the park during the fall migration. An extensive effort is underway in the park to eliminate invasive species, such as buckthorn, reed canary grass, and garlic mustard, and to restore wetlands as well as replace ash trees ravaged by emerald ash borer. In 2019, a total of 175 small trees – birch and oak – and shrubs – elderberry, hazelnut, chokeberry and nannyberry – were planted in the park’s southern section, making for a great walk in which fall colors are at eye level. From downtown, take State Street west. Turn left/west onto West High Street. The road ends in the park.

Milwaukee County
Day hikers can traverse a wooded ravine with great views of Lake Michigan at Seven Bridges in Grant Park on Milwaukee's South Shore. The 0.4-mile round trip Seven Bridges Trail, with its stone steps and footbridges, makes for a great autumn hike. Along the way are yellow-leafed American beech and birch, amber-, orange- and red-colored maples, and gold to maroon white ash. From the junction of Interstates 94/41 and College Avenue, take the latter east. Go right/south onto South Lake Drive then left/east onto Grant Park Drive. Park in the spaces off the road at the Seven Bridges Trailhead.

***

An observation tower offers great views of Lake Michigan and 185 acres of forest right in the Milwaukee metro area. The 0.26-mile Green Tree Accessible Loop at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center heads through a woods of beech, sugar maple, basswood and red and white oak. On the loop’s northeast side is a 60-foot high tower that you can go to the top of. From Interstate 43, head east on E. Brown Deer Road. Turn right/south onto E. Bay Road and into the center. Park in the lot at the road’s end. Walk east from the road to the trailhead.

***

Autumn colors with a view of Lake Michigan awaits at Big Bay Park in Whitefish Bay. A short 0.44-mile round trip path heads along the tree line, atop the bluff, while another heads to the Lake Michigan shore, where there's a concrete pier. In fall, yellow-, olive- and russet-colored leaves brighten the walk. From the intersection of Interstate 43 and West Hampton Road, take the latter east. Turn left/north onto North Lake Drive then right/north onto North Palisades Road. Park on the street.

Ozaukee County
Migrating raptors and fall colors set against the backdrop of beautiful Lake Michigan await at Lion’s Den Gorge Nature Preserve. After passing a wetlands popular with waterfowl, the 2-mile round trip Lion’s Den Trail enters a deep, verdant gorge. Aspen stands and mature white birch with their fluttering yellow leaves abound. The trail then delivers you to a long, secluded beach. From Port Washington, drive south on County Road C/Lake Shore Road. Turn left/east onto High Bluff Drive, which enters the park. When the road becomes a roundabout, park in the first/southern lot.

Sheboygan County
The brilliant colors of sugar maples await hikers at the Maywood-Ellwood H. May Environmental Park in Sheboygan. The 0.25-mile Maple Forest Loop runs through the 135-acre city-owned park. each autumn, the maples' leaves turn amber, orange and crimson. Watch for whitetail deer and the many songbirds that call the park home. From Interstate 43, take exit 128 onto Wis. Hwy 42 and go southeast. Turn right/west onto Mueller Road. Park entrance is on the left/south. The trail leaves from the sugar house next to the Ecology Center.

Manitowoc County
Yellow and orange leaves along a pretty river await hikers on the Henry Schuette Park segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail in Manitowoc. Half of a 1.2-mile loop runs along the wooded Manitowoc River before the waterway spills into Lake Michigan. From U.S. Hwy. 151 in Manitowoc, go north on South 35th Street. Turn left/west onto Meadow Lane, which becomes Broadway Street when it curves north. Park at the playground then take the sidewalk along Broadway north. The trailhead is on the street’s right/east side. Check ahead to ensure the trail is not closed due to high water levels.

Kewaunee County
A pretty fall hike along a river awaits on a segment of the Ahnapee State Trail. The 2.25-mile round trip rail-trail between County Road M and Washington Road sits in the Ahnapee River’s wetlands cooridor where migrating birds gather each autumn amid the bronze grasses. On higher ground, look for the willows’ shimmering gold leaves in the breeze, dogwoods’ deep scarlet leaves and berries, and bog birch’s amber. From Algoma, take County Road M north. The parking lot is on the northeast corner of where the the road and trail meet.

Door County
Hikers can enjoy majestic views of blue Green Bay and the yellow and orange leaves of a blufftop forest at Ellison Bay Bluff County Park. An unnamed 1-mile trail loops through a woods of sugar maple, white ash, red oak, birch and beech. A spur trail leads to an observation deck at the edge of the 100-foot high limestone bluff. An enclosed catwalk extends outward from the bluff; walking on it will make you feel like you’re flying. From Ellison Bay, take Wis. Hwy. 42 south. Turn right/west onto Porcupine Bay Road then right/north onto Ellison Bluff Road. The road loops through the park; leave your vehicle in the lot on the loops’ southwest side.

Brown County
Hikers can head through a remnant of the great oak forests that once covered all of Brown County. The 1.15-mile round trip McMahon Woods Trail sits in the Cofrin Memorial Arboretum, which surrounds the UW-Green Bay campus. The trail runs alongside McMahon Creek, which flows into nearby Green Bay. Russet-colored oaks dominate the McMahon Woods' uplands while colorful sugar maples can be found in the understory. Fifty-nine different trees and shrubs can be seen along the trail. From Wis. Hwy. 57, take Nicolet Drive north. Turn right/southeast onto South Circle Drive. Roadside parking is available along the road’s first curve.

***

A grove of cottonwoods awaits hikers on the Woodcock (Blue) Trail at Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve in Suamico. The 0.75-mile trail heads north from the interpretive center and curves around a small pond in the preserve’s northwest corner. During autumn, it’s a gloriously beautiful walk, as the tall eastern cottonwoods – which are largely absent in this part of Wisconsin – turn a bright yellow. From U.S. Hwy. 141 in Suamico, take Lineville Road east. Turn left/north onto County Road J/Lakeview Drive and then right/east into the preserve. Park at the center.

Oconto County
Hikers can head to the county’s highest point for great views of the surrounding forest. The 1.3-mile Butler Rock Trail climbs 160 feet to 1093 feet above sea level. It includes a 0.7-mile spur trail that stays at ground level as circling to the face of Butler Rock in Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. The newly developed trail crosses a forest whose canopy in autumn turns orange, red and yellow-green. From Wis. Hwy. 64 south of Mountain, take Old Hwy. 64/Forest Road 2308 east. Turn left/north onto Butler Rock Road then left/northwest onto Butler Lookout Lane. The trail starts where the road ends.

***

Day hikers not bothered by heights can enjoy a spectacular vista of autumn leaves from Mountain Lookout Tower. The 0.26-miles round trip hike sits in the vast Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. The tower is at an elevation of 1,254 feet. The road heads through a classic Northwoods setting that is beautiful any time of the year but particularly so in autumn. A September walk takes you past sugar, red and mountain maples, white, red and black oaks, paper, yellow and river birch, aspen, beech, basswood, and sumac. Various green conifers – including pine, spruce, fir, and juniper – dot the hardwood forest. From the village of Mountain on County Road W just east of Wis. Hwy. 32, take National Forest Road 2106 (Old 32) north. In about 2.25 miles, turn right/southeast onto Mountain Tower Road. Pull off to the side of the road so you’re not blocking traffic. Hike the road up to the tower.

Marinette County
A walk through a forest in the state’s rare Northeast Sands eco landscape awaits hikers at Governor Thompson State Park. The 3.5-mile Forest View Trail loops through a forest of yellow-leafed aspen, orange and red maples, and marigold scrub oak dotted with evergreen jack pine and hemlock. Less than 3 percent of Wisconsin falls into the sands eco landscape. From Crivitz, take County Road W west. Turn right/north onto Parkway Road then left/west onto Ranch Road. Enter the parking by going right/north on Paust Lane. Park in the lot for Woods Lake and walk north alongside Paust Road to the trailhead.

Top fall hikes in southeast Wisconsin, Part I

Petrifying Springs Park

There’s no better way

to experience autumn colors in southeast Wisconsin than a hike.

The brilliant yellows, oranges and red of maples to the
scarlet and russets of oaks...the crisp, fresh autumn air and the last warm rays of sunlight before winter arrives...

the crunch of fallen leaves and acorns beneath your boots...stopping to enjoy a warm mug of apple cider or a caramel apple pulled from your backpack – it all calls for an afternoon on the trail.

Fortunately, there are plenty of great autumn trails across southeast Wisconsin to hike. Some are right out your back door, while some are a day trip that you can do in an afternoon.

Kenosha County
Among the best places to see fall colors are streams, where the leaves reflect beautifully against the blue water or brighten a gray sky. Such is the case at Petrifying Springs Park, where an unnamed trail traverses 2 miles (round trip) through a woods and alongside Pike River in the park’s southwest corner. Be sure to take the side trails with footbridges crossing the river, where you can enjoy orange and yellow leaves on trees and shrubs, some of them falling into the water and slowly gliding downstream. In Kenosha, from Wis. Hwy. 31 exit east onto Berryville Road/7th Street. Take the second right/south. Drive 0.17 miles to the second parking lot. Pick up the hiking trail from the paved sidewalk on the lot’s west side, going southwest into the woods.

***

Hikers can experience the richly colored orange-red leaves of the hawthorn tree that grows along Pike Creek near Kenosha. The 0.4-mile looping Hawthorn Trail runs in the Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum. Hawthorns grow from 16 to 49 feet tall, and when more shrub than tree-like, their leaves branch out all around the trunk from the ground to its top. A bonus in autumn: The woods is a major stopover for migrating songbirds. From Kenosha, head north on Wis. Hwy. 31. After crossing Somers Road, turn left/west into the nature sanctuary. Park at the nature center; the trail begins west of it.

Milwaukee County
An observation tower offers great views of Lake Michigan and 185 acres of forest right in the Milwaukee metro area. The 0.26-mile Green Tree Accessible Loop at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center heads through a woods of beech, sugar maple, basswood and red and white oak. On the loop’s northeast side is a 60-foot high tower that you can go to the top of. From Interstate 43, head east on E. Brown Deer Road. Turn right/south onto E. Bay Road and into the center. Park in the lot at the road’s end. Walk east from the road to the trailhead.

***

Day hikers can enjoy autumn leaves at a state forest smack dab in the middle of Wisconsin’s largest urban area. The 1.28-miles round trip self-guided Nature Trail loops through Havenwoods State Forest in Milwaukee. A grove of Norway maple sits at the trail entry. The maple typically turns yellow but some will glow orange-red. Another part of the woods along the trail includes box elder, which turns brilliant gold, elm for a mix of yellow, russet, bronze, orange and wine, white ash to amber and maroon, and hawthorn to hues of purple. From Interstate 43 in Milwaukee, go west on West Silver Spring Drive. Turn right/north onto North Sherman Boulevard then left/west onto West Douglas Avenue. Park in the lot at the nature center.

***

Day hikers can enjoy autumn colors at Greenfield Park in West Allis. Orange, yellow and russet leaves line a segment of the Oak Leaf Trail, which runs 0.8 miles through a woods between two parking lots. You can extend the hike by continuing on the Root River Parkway to the south or around a willow-shaded pond to the north. From the junction of Interstate 94 and Wis. Hwy. 100, take the latter south. Turn right/west on West Rogers Street. The road enters the park and ends at a parking lot, from which where the trail heads south.

***

A walk through a rainbow of harvest hues awaits at the Wehr Nature Center in Franklin. The looping 1-mile Woodland Trail passes sugar maple, aspen and oak lit up in amber, orange, russet and red during fall. From the junction of Interstate 43 and Wis. Hwy. 100/South 108th Street, take the latter south. Turn right/east onto West College Avenue then once in Whitnall Park go right/south onto Nature Center Drive.

***

Day hikers can traverse a wooded ravine with great views of Lake Michigan at Seven Bridges in Grant Park on Milwaukee's South Shore. The 0.4-mile round trip Seven Bridges Trail, with its stone steps and footbridges, makes for a great autumn hike. Along the way are yellow-leafed American beech and birch, amber-, orange- and red-colored maples, and gold to maroon white ash. From the junction of Interstates 94/41 and College Avenue, take the latter east. Go right/south onto South Lake Drive then left/east onto Grant Park Drive. Park in the spaces off the road at the Seven Bridges Trailhead.

***

Day hikers can amble through a maple-beech forest in the heart of Wisconsin's largest metro area at the Forest Exploration Center in Wauwatosa. During autumn at the 60-acre woods in Hoyt Park, hikers can enjoy the amber, orange and reds of sugar maple and the golden-bronze of beech. This type of forest used to dominate southeast Wisconsin along Lake Michigan. From the junction of Interstate 41 and West North Avenue, take the latter east. Turn right/south onto Menomonee River Parkway, then right/southwest onto Underwood Parkway, and then left/south onto Forest Exploration Drive.

***

Autumn colors with a view of Lake Michigan awaits at Big Bay Park in Whitefish Bay. A short 0.44-mile round trip path heads along the tree line, atop the bluff, while another heads to the Lake Michigan shore, where there's a concrete pier. In fall, yellow-, olive- and russet-colored leaves brighten the walk. From the intersection of Interstate 43 and West Hampton Road, take the latter east. Turn left/north onto North Lake Drive then right/north onto North Palisades Road. Park on the street.

Ozaukee County
Migrating raptors and fall colors set against the backdrop of beautiful Lake Michigan await at Lion’s Den Gorge Nature Preserve. After passing a wetlands popular with waterfowl, the 2-mile round trip Lion’s Den Trail enters a deep, verdant gorge. Aspen stands and mature white birch with their fluttering yellow leaves abound. The trail then delivers you to a long, secluded beach. From Port Washington, drive south on County Road C/Lake Shore Road. Turn left/east onto High Bluff Drive, which enters the park. When the road becomes a roundabout, park in the first/southern lot.

Wildflowers abound on threatened dunes

The hoary puccoon blooms each spring on the Kenosha Dunes.

Kenosha Dunes Trail aerial map.
Click map for larger version.

Day hikers can explore a disappearing sand dune that boasts several unique wildflowers in southeast Wisconsin.

But visit soon. The Kenosha Dunes and the 1.9-mile lollipop trail running through it may not be there for long.

To reach the trailhead, from the junction of Wis. Hwys. 32 and 50, take the former south. Go left/east onto 75th Street then right/south onto Third Avenue. When the avenue reaches the roundabout, turn right/southeast into a parking lot.

Take the paved trail south. Upon reaching the sand dunes, the trail skirts the dunes on the right/west and Lake Michigan on the left/east.

Ice age dunes
The dunes sit at the north end of Chiwaukee Prairie State Natural Area, the most intact coastal wetland in southeastern Wisconsin and among the state's largest prairie complexes.

The stabilized dunes were created during the last ice age. As glacial Lake Michigan receded, wave and wind pushed lake sand and glacial till into dunes. As grasses took root on the new ground, what used to be under water became a ridge and swale.

The dunes are rapidly disappearing, though. Storms that produced extreme waves and higher lake levels are quickly washing away the sand down to the clay base that is Lake Michigan's lakebed. At some spots, up to 100 feet of dunes has disappeared since 2016, and scientists predicted they could be entirely gone by the middle of this decade.

At about 0.75 miles, the trail swings right/west through the dune's southern edge. Multiple footpaths head through the area that allow to go into the dunes.

Spring wildflowers
The dunes provide habitat for a number of wildflowers. During spring and early summer, look for puccoon, wild onion, ladies tresses, white fringed orchids, bird's-foot violet, marsh marigold, and shooting star.

Hoary puccoon's yellow-orange, five-petaled flower is a half-inch wide. They form a cluster about 2-3 inches wide atop a stem that is vaguely in the shape of a question mark. Native Americans used its roots to make a red dye. Puccoon is found throughout Wisconsin.

Wild onion, also known as prairie onion, yields a miniscule pink to rose flower that's a mere quarter- to half-inch wide. They form a round cluster about 1-2 inches wide atop a single, straight stem that can reach two feet high. The flower is so named because it smells like an onion, but it actually is a member of the lily family. It grows in all but the state's northern quarter.

Shining lady's-tresses blooms from late May through early July. Its oblong white flowers bloom along a tall, grass-like stem. The plant is found in only one other Wisconsin county.

Orchids, violets
White fringed orchids bloom in early June through late July. The tiny, half-inch wide pearl white to cream flowers have a petal with fringed edges. Clusters of 10 to 20 flowers grow atop each stem. They are found mainly in southeast Wisconsin.

Also at the dunes is bird’s-foot violet. Colored pale to deep purplish blue, it is about 1.5-inches across and has five petals with the lower ones wider than the top ones. The flower’s center is orange. Unlike the wood violet, the bird’s-foot’s flower stands above its leaves. Bird’s-foot is a host plant for the Fritillary butterfly and mainly found in the southern part of the state.

Preferring marshes, fens and wet woodlands, marsh marigolds are a harbinger of spring, blooming here April through May. The round, bright yellow flower can be up to 1.5 inches wide. Each flower has five to nine petals that turn upward to form a shallow cup. The marigold plant grows 1-2 feet high and can be found all across Wisconsin.

The shooting star is another common prairie spring wildflower. Growing between 10-20 inches tall, up to five flowers can appear per stalk. Each flower has fived backward-curved purple petals rising out of a yellow center. Euro-American settlers called them “prairie pointers.” They mainly are found in the southeastern part of the state.

Summer, fall flowers
In mid- to late-summer, a whole new array of flowers bloom on the dunes. Among them are rattlesnake master, tall prairie blazing-star, black-eyed Susan, and coneflowers in mid-late summer.

Rattlesnake master yields a tiny, white to purplish, five-part flower. They form branched clusters of quarter-inch to inch-wide round balls. They are found in southern Wisconsin and a couple of northern counties.

The tall prairie blazing-star, also known as gayfeather, also blooms in summer. Growing 2-5 feet tall, it offers a spiky purple cluster of flowers. The spike can grow up to 18 inches tall and is loved by deer and butterflies. It grows in the southern third of the state.

Black-eyed Susan blooms in summer and fall. Its large 2-3 inch wide flowerhead consists of 10-20 brilliant yellow daisy-like petals and a brown, button-like center. It grows 1-3 feet high. Goldfinches and house finches love the plant. It’s also a host for the caterpillar of the black and orange silvery checkerspot butterfly. Black-eyed Susans thrive all across Wisconsin.

Yet another set of flowers bloom in fall. Among them are gentians, goldenrods and asters.

Erosion solution?
In around 0.95 miles, the sand trail curls right/north. The dunes are now on the right/east with a swale on the left/west.

With intervention, the dunes may yet survive. One proposal calls for building an artificial reef structure offshore. That would slow the waves before they hit the dunes, greatly reducing erosion.

At about 1.61 miles, the sand trail arrives back at the sidewalk. Go left/northeast onto it and return to your vehicle.

Due to the erosion, be aware that access to the trail and dunes can be limited at times.

Traipse around Lake Michigan lighthouse

Southport Lighthouse and keeper's house

Southport Lighthouse map. Click for larger version.

Day hikers can explore a restored lighthouse from the 1860s along Lake Michigan's western shores in Wisconsin.

The roughly 0.12-mile round trip walk heads to Kenosha's famous Southport Lighthouse. Located on Simmons Island, the station affectionately is known as the "Old Kenosha Light."

To reach the lighthouse, from the intersection of Wis. Hwys. 32 and 158 in Kenosha, take Hwy. 32 north. Turn right/east onto 50th Street, crossing the harbor channel onto Simmons Island. As 50th Street curves right/south, it becomes Fourth Street. You'll pass the light station. As the street curves left/east, it becomes 51st Place; a parking lot is on the right/south side across from the Kenosha History Center.

After parking, cross the street to the history center and follow the sidewalk left/west to the lighthouse and keeper's house.

The lighthouse stands 55 feet tall, and because it's located on a hill, rises 74 feet above Lake Michigan.

Erected in 1866, Southport replaced two older lighthouses. It was part of a concerted effort to turn Kenosha into a major shipping port. At one time, it was the first light Great Lakes ships coming from Chicago would see in Wisconsin.

Built of yellow Milwaukee Cream City brick, the lighthouse originally boasted a Fresnel lens fueled by kerosene. The lens was taken out of use in 1906 when Southport's duties were taken over by the new Kenosha North Pier Light. Southport still was used, however, as a 25-foot tripod mast was raised atop it to display storm warning flags and lights.

The keeper's house was built at the same time and of the same material as the lighthouse. In 1907, a two-story porch and a two-story addition to the kitchen and bathrooms were added.

By the early 20th century, better harbors and railroad connections in Chicago, Milwaukee and nearby Racine, Wis., doomed Kenosha to being a minor port, and Southport's importance diminished.

Today, the lighthouse brings dollars into the community in ways other than shipping. It's a major local tourism destination as serves as a museum. The light station was restored in the 1990s, with an automated electric light added to the tower.

Summer weekends mark the best time to visit the light station, as the keeper's house and tower typically are open to the public.

After taking in Southport, hikers can extend their walk by heading to the nearby Kenosha North Pier Lighthouse. Follow the sidewalk east of the Kenosha History Center to the beach. The lighthouse sits at the end of the concrete pier for an additional 0.53 miles round trip walk.

Standing 50 feet high, the North Pier Lighthouse is made of riveted steel plates. The lighthouse still is in service after more than 110 years. It is privately owned and there are no tours of it. Maps, brochures and websites sometimes is referred to as the Pierhead Lighthouse or the Kenosha Lighthouse.

Day hike Area 51 2.0 in haunted walk at Wisconsin recreational park

After sunset, watch the skies for UFOs at the Richard Bong State
Recreationa Area near Burlington, Wis.

Halloween hikers can walk atop what some believe is a secret government base where UFOs can land in Wisconsin.

Rumors have long swirled about an underground base at the Richard Bong State Recreation Area near Burlington. Even if the base doesn’t exist, UFO sightings are plentiful in the area.

To reach the recreational area, if in Burlington, take State Hwy. 142 east six miles to SRA; if in Kenosha, take same highway 17 miles west. Turn south into the park at the entrance station, then take the first right. Park in Lot C.

The trail leaves from the lot’s south side, heading about 5.75 miles across a flat prairie that makes much of the southern Wisconsin landscape. Summer offers the most scenic time to walk the trail, as the grasses will be green, as opposed to autumn, when most plants are brown and withered.

The real sights, however, might be in the sky. Since summer 2004, fireballs and other brilliant lights have been spotted in the Burlington area. In one report, U.S. fighter jets were seen chasing two UFOs.

Secret UFO base?
For the first half-mile, the trail is due east of the alleged secret base. The trail runs southeast, passing between two ponds then goes due south. It then crosses a hiking path and about 2200 feet from the trailhead reaches a trail junction. At that intersection, go right/west.

During the 1950s, the U.S. Air Force chose this site – which at the time was Bong AFB – for an airstrip from which Strategic Air Command would launch bombers against the Soviet Union in case of a nuclear attack. While a two-mile long airstrip for taking off and landing was bulldozed, concrete never was poured. Still, even after all of these decades, satellite maps of the recreational area clearly show the airstrip. Some say the airstrip project was just a cover story for construction of the secret UFO base.

During the next quarter mile, the trail meanders past a pond then turns north, heading straight for the would-be airstrip. When the trail veers northwest, you're on the strip, marked as a "special use zone" on park maps. The UFO base – if it exists – is below you.

Why build a UFO base in Wisconsin, especially so close to the Chicago and Milwaukee metro areas? Because a vortex that serves as an intradimensional portal for extraterrestrial craft to travel through exists above Burlington, believers say.

For the next two miles, the trail parallels the airstrip’s south side. After passing two ponds, the trail turns north.

Alien abuduction
In 1974, the state of Wisconsin bought the former air force base and renamed the 4,515-acre property the Richard Bong State Recreation Area. Today, campgrounds grace the land aboveground, and model rocket launches, appropriately enough, sometimes are held in the “special use area.”

You may want to think twice about camping overnight, though. At least one alien abduction report has been made in the Burlington area since 2004.

Upon reaching parking lot J, follow the road back; it parallels the airstrip’s north side. Along the way, you’ll pass the shorelines of two ponds, the latter of which has an observation platform. It’s a good way to get a bird’s eye view of the pond…or a little higher ground for spotting flying saucers.

The trail leads to the road that was used to drive into lot C. At that junction, turn right/southeast and walk road back to your vehicle. And check your watch for missing time.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.