Wooded trail passes creek, Red Cedar River

The Birch Creek Trail loops across a wooded
bluff overlooking the Red Cedar River.

Day hikers can enjoy a woodland walk with wildflowers at the Keil Birch Creek Preserve in southwestern Menomonie, Wis.

The 0.75-mile Birch Creek Trail loops through the 28-acre preserve along the Red Cedar River. It is part of the Lower Chippewa River State Natural Area, which mainly protects prairie and oak savanna along the riverway and its tributaries.

To reach the trailhead, from downtown Menomonie take Wis. Hwy. 25 south. Turn right/west onto 490th Avenue, which becomes Scritsmier Avenue, then left/south onto 430th Street/River Heights Road. Park in the cul-de-sac at the road's end and head south onto the trail.

To save the more dramatic views for the hike's end, at the first junction go left/southeast.

Wildflowers
Wild geranium blooms in profusion here during late May through early June. Lavender to purple in color, it has heavily veined five petals about 1-2 inches wide. Colonies in natural woodland openings are formed from long-lived clones of an individual plant. The flower grows all across Wisconsin.

When the trail splits again, continue left/southwest, as this takes you around the full loop.

A couple of other wildflowers that can be seen along the trail are false lily of the valley, starflower, and jack-in-the pulpit.

False lily of the valley's diminutive white flowers sit on a small spike cluster. Also known as the Canada mayflower or the wild lily of the valley, it produces green berries that turn dull red with white speckles. It can be found in both deciduous and conifer woods throughout Wisconsin.

Though small at only a half-inch across, the starflower’s all-white, seven-pointed flower stands out against its leaves like jewel on green velvet. It prefers moist areas and grows in the state's northern half.

Jack-in-the-pulpit blooms in spring. Its erect 2- to 3-inch long flower sits inside a green or purple hood at the top of a single stalk. American Indians cooked its below ground stem as food, so it's sometimes referred to as Indian turnip. The plant contains calcium oxalate crystals, however, so no part of it above ground is edible, as it causes a burning sensation in the mouth.

Birch Creek
At 0.19 miles, Birch Creek comes into view. By early summer, the upper creek usually is dry.

A short by steep side trail heads to the creek. During spring, the spur is worth taking as the creek spills over a small four-foot drop.

At 0.34 miles, a trail joins from the right/north. This is the other end of the trail at the second split when the hike began. Continue left/west.

The intermittent creek has carved a gorge out of the soft sandstone in the bluff. These rock walls grow increasingly striking as the gorge deepens.

At 0.42 miles, a very narrow, steep spur leads to the bottom of the lower gorge where the creek flows into the Red Cedar River. Due to the sheer drop-off, the trail is not recommend for children. Adults would be well advised to not take it either.

River views
Next the trail curves north. The Red Cedar can be seen through the trees on the left/west. The river flows 85 miles from Lake Chetac in Washburn County through the cities of Rice Lake and Menomonie on its way south to the Chippewa River near Pepin.

Maples, pines, aspen, birch and oak grow alongside the trail. Ferns often fill the understory.

At 0.73 miles, the trail arrives back at the stem leading to the parking lot. Go left/north on it.

Leashed dogs are allowed on the trail. Mountain bikes are verboten.

Topo map of the trail:

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Hike heads through rare Wis. sand prairie

The threatened red-shouldered hawks can be found in the sand prairies and
oak openings of Wisconsin's lower Chippewa River.

Topo map of  Lower Chippewa River State Natural
Area footpath.

Day hikers can explore a rare savanna and prairie in western Wisconsin at the Lower Chippewa River State Natural Area.

The state natural area actually consists of several disconnected sites along the Chippewa River, stretching across three counties. Many of those sites are inaccessible, but one interesting area than can be walked is northwest of Caryville and makes for an interesting 0.4-miles round trip hike.

To reach the trailhead, from Wis. Hwy. 85 in Caryville, take County Road H north. Turn left/west into the state natural area's parking lot; if you cross the Chippewa River bridge, you've driven too far.

While there’s no designated trail, an out-and-back footpath through the sand prairie and oak openings runs straight from the parking lot’s southwest corner to a small, sparse grove of trees; simply follow the line of the tallest trees in the grass to the grove about 0.2 miles from the lot.

When Europeans first arrived in Wisconsin, the state has more than 7.7 million acres of native prairie; most of it was plowed under for fields or built on for homes. Today, a mere 8000 acres remain.

The LCRSNAs aim to preserve Wisconsin’s few remaining prairies and savannas along the Lower Chippewa River. The collection along the river contains a full 25 percent of Wisconsin's existing prairies and savannas.

Such state natural areas protect a wide range of disappearing animals. In fact, six state-threatened species – the Acadian flycatcher, cerulean, hooded and Kentucky warblers, red-shouldered hawk, and yellow-crowned night heron – all can be found in the LCRSNA. It is one of three places remaining in the world where the endangered Pecatonica River mayfly still exists. Meanwhile, the rare blue suckers, crystal darters, goldeyes, and the paddlefish prefer sections of the Chippewa and Red Cedar rivers next to prairies and savannas.

Upon reaching the grove, turn back for the parking lot.

A segment of the Chippewa River State Trail also runs along the southern edge of the same state natural area.

Learn more about nearby day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of the Chippewa Valley guidebook.