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.

Red Cedar State Trail runs along scenic river

Red Cedar State Trail at Downsville, Wis.

Among the hiking gems of west-central Wisconsin is the Red Cedar State Trail, an old railroad grade turned multi-purpose trail.

The wide, fairly level trail hugs the scenic Red Cedar River, passing weeping walls and bald eagles nests along the way. Running 14.5 miles one-way, the trail is too long to enjoy via a day hike. But with its many access points, the trail can be done in segments.

Trailheads (from north to south) for the Red Cedar State Trail include:
• Menomonie – The northern terminus of the trail is in Menomonie’s Riverside park off of Wis. Hwy. 29. Park next to the old train depot turned visitor center. The trail heads 2.7 miles south to Irvington.
• Irvington – Access the trail from the parking lot off of Paradise Valley Road immediately north of County Road D/440th Avenue in Irvington. The trail runs north to Menomonie’s Riverside Park and 4.3 miles south to Downsville.
• Downsville – Parking is in Downsville off of County Road C east of Wis. Hwy. 25. The trail can be taken north under the bridge and over the river to Irvington or 6.7 miles south to the Dunnville Bottoms.
• Dunnville Bottoms – The trail crosses County Road Y at the Dunnville Road intersection. Parking is available directly across the river; you’ll have to walk along the county road bridge to the trail access. The trail heads north to Downsville and 0.9 miles south to the Chippewa River State Trail.

The trail ends with a scenic bridge crossing of the Chippewa River and junction with the Chippewa River State Trail. The shortest route to this bridge is via the Dunnville Bottoms access, but parking lots also are available in Durand’s Tarrant Park and in Meridean along the Chippewa River State Trail.

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

Great trails found in Chippewa Valley’s cities

Duncan Creek at Irvine Park in Chippewa Falls, Wis.

Several small cities and villages can be found in Wisconsin’s Chippewa Valley. Most of those communities have longed served as agricultural centers, but the region’s four dominant towns became manufacturing, education or government hubs. Not surprisingly, those four all are on the region’s three major rivers.

Eau Claire, with a population of nearly 70,000, sits at the confluence of the Chippewa and Eau Claire rivers. At one time, this was the nation’s lumber capital, but that role gave way to industry in the 20th century. Today, it’s best known as the home of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and as a regional government and retail center. Recent efforts to make the city trail-friendly has led to a number of hiking opportunities there, especially in the campus/downtown area and on the Chippewa River State Trail.

Menomonie, to the west, is the valley’s second most populous city at around 16,500. The Red Cedar River, a major tributary to the Chippewa River, runs through town. It is home of the University of Wisconsin-Stout campus and offers several excellent trails, most notably the Red Cedar State Trail.

Chippewa Falls, the valley’s third largest city at about 14,000, also is on the Chippewa River and shares a similar lumbering and manufacturing legacy as Eau Claire to the south. Today, it is headquarters for the original Cray Research and home of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company. The southern end of the Old Abe Trail is located here; a couple of other good trails also can be found in Irvine Park.

Though smaller than a couple of other cities in the valley – specifically Altoona and Bloomer – Durand with 2000 people is Pepin County’s seat of government. It is downstream from Eau Claire on the Chippewa River, and the Chippewa River State Trail’s southern terminus is here.

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

Trail heads through Wisconsin game park

Satellite map of Lions Club Game Park Nature Trail.

Day hikers can seek buffalo, elk, deer and waterfowl up close on the Lions Club Game Park Nature Trail in north Menomonie, Wis.

The 0.5-mile loop at the Lions Club Game Park essentially circles a pond with animal enclosures always on at least one side of the trail. There’s no fee to enter.

Feed the animals
To reach the trailhead, from U.S. Hwy. 12/N. Broadway Street in Menomonie, go east on Pine Avenue. Upon reaching Wakanda Park, turn left/north onto Game Park Road. A parking lot is at the road’s end.

Animal pens can be found on the parking lot’s east side. The buffalo enclosure is on the north side.

Upon reaching the buffalo, head right/east on the trail between the fences. The route here cuts between two ponds.

Though a small game park, the buffalo eat about 600 bales of hay a year while the elk scarf down 12 large round bales. If the animals approach you, don’t be afraid – they’re just expecting a little something to eat, and feeding the animals is entirely okay here. All of them enjoy leftover garden greens, especially corn, and the elk particularly like green leaves from deciduous trees.

Waterfowl on pond
At the next trail junction, go right/southeast. You can go the opposite direction, but that heads toward the freeway so can be noisy.

The freeway, though, is the whole reason the park came to be. During the 1950s when Interstate 94 was being built here, community leaders thought adding elk that could be seen from the freeway would be a good way to bring people to town. It worked, and today people still can spy some of the animals, usually the buffalo, as zooming through.

When the trail reaches the next junction, turn right/west. The dirt road going left/east leads to a street. As the trail heads along the south side of pond, look for the ducks, geese and pheasants that have staked out a claim in the wetlands and wooded areas.

Once the trail reaches Game Park Road, turn right/north, walking along the fenced side back to the parking lot. A couple of animal enclosures are located along this leg of the trail.

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

Loop runs alongside west Wisconsin lake

Map of Menomin Loop.

Day hikers can enjoy a pleasant walk alongside a lake and through restored prairie on the Menomin Park Loop in western Wisconsin.

About 12 miles of mountain biking trails and several walking paths head through the county-owned Menomin Park that is largely undeveloped that used to largely be farmland. A great way to see the highlights of the 151.6-acre park is a 1.9-miles lollipop trail.

To reach the trailhead, from Wis. Hwy. 29 in eastern Menomonie, take Red Cedar Drive north. After the street becomes Domain Drive, turn onto the dirt road heading left/north side. A parking lot is the road’s end.

Lake Menomin
From the parking lot, the trail meanders north through a restored prairie land. At the first trail junction, go left/east, beginning the loop.

The trail then curves northwest along Lake Menomin’s shoreline. The quarter of a mile is forested on one side.

At 1009 acres, Lake Menomin is a man-made reservoir caused by the damming of the Red Cedar River. The lake reaches a maximum depth of 34 feet and sports largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, panfish, and walleye.

As the trail curls east away from the lake, it crosses a small stream and turns south, skirting a small wetlands with prairie on the other side. The prairie grasses can get quite tall here in summer. At the next trail junction, turn left/east. There’s a woods on one side and prairie on the other.

Dogs welcomed
Take the next trail heading right/south. This runs through a forested area.

At the next trail junction, go left/east and then at the one after that, turn right/south. This places hikers back on the stem trail leading to the parking lot.

Great news for dog owners: Fido is allowed at the park.

Be aware that various literature sometimes refers to the area as 3M Park or as Lake Menomin Park.

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

Strange orbs haunt Devil’s Punchbowl

Run! This gorge is haunted!

Topo map, Devil's Punch Bowl Trail.

Short day hike heads into
geological wonderland
in west-central Wisconsin

Intrepid souls can explore an allegedly haunted glen in west-central Wisconsin.

A 0.25-mile round trip trail at the Devil's Punch Bowl Scientific Study Area takes day hikers to a waterfall and a gorge carved out of sandstone. Be sure to also keep an eye out for strange balls of light that many claim maneuver about the surrounding woods.

To reach the trail, from Menomonie head west on Wis. Hwy. 29. Turn left/south onto County Road P then left/southeast onto 410th Street. Look for the parking lot on the left/east side of the road between 490th and 450th Avenue.

The hike begins with a descent from the parking lot down a stairs to the waterfall’s lip, which is made of hard sandstone. By midsummer, the stream is a mere trickle; waterflow is fairly good during the spring snowmelt, though. The water drops into the punch bowl, a gorge through which the intermittent stream makes it way to the Red Cedar River.

Into the gorge
Next, return to the parking lot and follow the trail heading southeast. This cuts along the edge of a meadow then enters a woodlands. Once there, a wooden stairs winds to the bottom of the gorge, which is about 60 feet deep.

The gorge is strikingly beautiful, a fern-covered glen with a light sheen of moss growing over the rock walls, as water from the falls fans out across small rocks in the streambed.

The gorge walls are compressed layers of sediment – aka sandstone – which settled at the bottom of warm tropical sea that covered this region around 500 million years ago.

Flooding from glacial meltwater carved out the soft sandstone around 10,000 years ago. Springs now drip water out of the recessed portions of the walls, which in winter results in otherworldly ice formations.

Orbs and gnomes
Beyond the intriguing geology may be something even more fantastic – strange orbs of light that some have reported at the site. These orbs apparently are able to change their size, shape and color, as they shift between trees. Other visitors at night have claimed to hear disembodied voices and strange noises.

Among the rarer stories is that of meeting small, gnome-like people. The pointy-eared creatures (replete with pointed hat) are about three- to four-feet tall.

The creek can be followed east to the river where it first intersects with the Red Cedar Trail. By late June, though, the creek's shores beyond the glen usually are overgrown and generally impassable – unless you're an orb of light, of course.

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

Wetlands deliver primitive hiking experience

Muddy Creek Wildlife Area

Topo map, Elk Mound Swamp trails.

A couple of wetlands offer great bushwhacking country for hikers in west-central Wisconsin.

The Red Cedar Waterfowl Production Area and the Muddy Creek Wildlife Area are both conveniently located near the freeway in western Dunn County. Though there are no marked path, some deer and jeep trails do cut across both areas.

Red Cedar Waterfowl Production Area
From Menomonie, take Interstate 94 east then turn onto County Road B south. Go left/east onto 610th Avenue; turn right/south onto 730th Avenue. A parking lot is on the road’s left/east side. Cross the road and head west into the production area.

A U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service property, the area provides nesting and feeding grounds for waterfowl. Migratory birds – including songbirds – often can be spotted here in spring and fall.

Though only 336.1 acres in size, the production area is a vital zone for waterfowl, as Wisconsin has lost about 2 million hectares of wetland since gaining statehood in 1848. The Red Cedar WPA adjoins the Strehlau Waterfowl Production Area to its north.

Muddy Creek Wildlife Area
From Interstate 94, at Exit 52 take U.S. Hwy 12/Wis. Hwy. 29 west. Watch for the parking area on the highway’s right/north side. A gated jeep trail leads from the parking loop’s northwest corner into a woods that hugs Muddy Creek’s banks.

Most of the state wildlife area’s 4100 acres consists of marshy lowlands, known locally as the Elk Mound Swamp. But amid the wetlands are islands of prairie and woodlands, the latter mainly consisting of aspen, oaks and white pine. Farm fields along the wildlife area’s edges have been converted to tallgrass prairie.

For ecologists, though, the wetlands are what prove most interesting. As a transition zone, the area is one of the few spots in Wisconsin where plant species from both northern and southern sedge meadows can be found.

Bushwhacking tips
While you’ll want to stick to deer trails or vehicle tracks as much as possible when visiting these two areas, that won’t always be possible. Don’t cut grass, however, and tread lightly no matter where you walk.

Be aware that whether you stay on a trail or bushwhack, the ground can be soft and muddy. Because of this, hiking boots definitely are needed during any visit.

You’ll also want to wear pants as the grass often will be high and wet. Avoid denim pants and cotton shirts, which when wet are difficult to dry out, though a cotton/poly combo usually is okay.

Tall grasses are ideal spots for ticks, but they can be kept off you by wearing long-sleeved shirts and tying each pants leg bottom tight over your boots. Always check your body afterward for any hitchhiking critters.

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

Great day hikes abound in Menomonie area

Scene alongside the Red Cedar Trail.

River views, an observation tower, and large North American fauna await day hikers in the western Wisconsin city of Menomonie.

The city – whose name is derived from the local Native American word for “wild rice people” – is centered on Lake Menomin, a former marshy area along the now dammed Red Cedar River. Interstate 94 cuts across its north side and U.S. Hwy. 12 through its center and southeast side.

Among the many great day trails in and near town are:
• Caddie Woodlawn Historical Park walking paths – The pioneer homestead home of the girl who inspired the 1935 Newbery Medal for children’s literature is preserved off of Wis. Hwy. 25 about nine miles south of Menomonie. No formal paths exist, but there’s plenty of space to walk about between a log cabin to a more modern farmhouse.
• Hoffman Hills State Recreation Area trails – Several trails run through the state-protected woodlands, including one around two ponds and another to an observation tower. The 705-acre park is off of 740th Street north of County Road E northeast of Menomonie.
• Menomin Mountain Bike Park – Five miles of mountain biking trails and several walking paths head through woods and fields and over water and hillsides; some of them follow Lake Menomin’s east shore. Access the park from a lot at the end of a dirt road off of Domain Drive west of Stokke Parkway.
• Junction Trail – The former rail line turned hiking trail runs between the city library and Oak Avenue on the north side of town. Park along Oak Avenue east of North Broadway.
• Lion’s Club Game Trail – At Wakanda Park, a half-mile nature walk heads past bison, elk and reindeer. Parking is along Game Park Drive north of Pine Avenue.
• Menomonie Dog Park trails – Dog owners can take Rex and Queenie on a variety of walking trails at the 11-acre park off of Brickyard Road north of Wis. Hwy. 29. Dogs must have license and a dog park tag (the latter is available at a park kiosk near the entrance).
• Red Cedar Trail – The former rail line runs 14 miles along the Red Cedar River to the confluence with the Chippewa River. With a limestone surface and fairly flat grade, the easy-to-hike trail offers great views of the two rivers, wooded bluffs, high rock walls, and plenty of wildlife including bald eagles. In Menomonie, park at the Depot Visitor Info Center off of Wis. Hwy. 29 immediately west of the Red Cedar bridge.
• Stokke Trail – The mile-long trail heads alongside a cascades-filled section of the Red Cedar River between Riverside Park off of Wis. Hwy. 29 (where there’s parking) and Second Street NW near the dam that holds back the river to form Lake Menomin.

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

Video of Wisconsin’s Red Cedar State Trail

Day hikers can enjoy a variety of wilderness areas on the Red Cedar State Trail in western Wisconsin.

The 14.5-mile trail passes through woodlands, prairies, marshland bottoms, and farmland, all while skirting the Red Cedar River. Sandstone bluffs and other interesting formations including the Devil’s Punchbowl also can be found along the way.

Running from Menomonie to the Chippewa River State Trail, the trail can be accessed at four major points: off Wis. Hwy. 29 in western Menomonie; County Road D in Irvington; Wis. Hwy. 72 in Downsville; and the County Road Y at the Dunnville Wildlife Area.

Here’s a video of the Red Cedar River taken from the trail near the Irvington access:

Here's an article more fully describing the trail from its start in Menomonie to the Devil’s Punchbowl.

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

Red Cedar State Trail segment offers rapids, weeping wall, bald eagles, footbridges

Riffles in Red Cedar River.

Red Cedar State Trail map, courtesy of Wisconsin DNR.

Segment of path
in Wisconsin
offers top scenery 

Bald eagles, churning rapids, and a weeping wall await day hikers on a segment of the Red Cedar State Trail in west-central Wisconsin.

Running 14.5 miles alongside the Red Cedar River, the trail is too long to enjoy via a day hike. But with its many access points, the trail can be done in segments. Among the most scenic of them is the 1.6-mile (3.2-miles round trip) section from Riverside Park to the Devil’s Punchbowl.

To reach the trailhead, from downtown Menomonie take Wis. Hwy. 29 west. Upon crossing the Red Cedar River bridge, turn at the second left (or south) into Riverside Park. A parking lot sits next to an old train depot turned visitor center, with the trail leaving from the lot’s south end.

The trail sits atop a reclaimed railroad bed. Because of that, it’s wide, fairly level, and hugs the river almost the entire way.

Railroad days
Heading south from the parking lot, the trail first passes the foundation of what once was a wooden building housing the locomotive and tender that made a daily run between here and Durand, Wis. A spur of the Old Milwaukee Road, the line was abandoned in 1973. Eight years later, it was reclaimed as a bicycle and hiking path.

Next the trail crosses Gilbert Creek, which flows into the Red Cedar. Remains of the old steel girder railroad bridge now hold up the footbridge.

From the creek, several breaks in the treeline offer framed views of the Red Cedar. 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.

Maples, pines, aspen, birch and oak can be found alongside the trail. Ferns often fill the understory of the embankment on the trail’s west side.

Weeping wall
A number of animals make their home in the river valley. Most dramatically on this section of the trail, bald eagles usually can be seen atop trees spying the waterway for a meal, while sandhill cranes sometimes make their way up from a wetlands further south on the river. Squirrels and chipmunks also can be spotted.

Much of the next several hundred yards offers a tranquil walk with only the sound of songbirds and rustle of leaves.

Close to a mile into the walk, the river bends again, and the sound and sight of riffles dominates. Riffles form when a shallow waterway curves over a coarse streambed. The result is a mini-rapids. Past the next footbridge is a bench for hikers to rest and enjoy the riffles.

Continuing south, the trail next passes a weeping wall, or layers of sandstone from which springs drip water down the rock face. Plants cling to the ledges where they can catch the water, making for a hanging gardens. The wall stretches for a couple of hundred feet.

Devils Punchbowl
At the 1.6 mile mark, you’ll cross a stream flowing out of the famous Devils Punchbowl. Unfortunately, there’s no path from the Red Cedar into the punchbowl gorge other than walking through the creek itself.

A picnic table sits at that stream’s entry into the Red Cedar. This marks a good spot for a quick rest and to turn back.

On the return, you’ll catch new views of the river and also of the distant University of Wisconsin-Stout clock tower, an iconic symbol of Menomonie.

A trail pass is required if bicycling the route, but there’s no fee for walking it.

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

Day hike through idyllic glades on WI trail

Pond on Catherine Hoffman Hartl Memorial Wetland Trail

Map of Catherine Hoffman Hartl Memorial Wetland Trail,
courtesy of Wisconsin DNR.

Day hikers can enjoy a walk through a restored prairie and around two tranquil ponds on the Catherine Hoffman Hartl Memorial Wetland Trail in west-central Wisconsin.

The 0.76-mile trail at Hoffman Hills State Recreation Area is a few miles northeast of Menomonie. In a county built in large part on its agricultural heritage, the recreation area and this trail offer a perfect escape back to nature.

To reach the trail, from Exit 45 on Interstate 94 east of Menomonie, take County Road B north. Turn right/east onto 650th Avenue, which eventually becomes County Road E. Follow County Road E/730th Street as it goes north. The highway zigzags to the park entrance, which is a little more than a mile north of 690th Avenue. Follow the park entrance road to the main parking lot.

Walk north from lot into the grassy picnic area, looking for the sign pointing toward the trail. Cross the park road, and you’ve reached the trailhead. The trails are wide and mowed with a few interpretive signs along the way.

Restored prairie
The trail skirts a restored prairie dominated by big bluestem grass. Big bluestem roots can grow up to 12 feet underground and the stem itself can grow up to 8 feet high. In September, the yellow stems of this field usually reach about five feet high, impressive to child and adult alike.

As late as the 1800s, such prairies were common in southern Wisconsin before pioneers plowed them under into farm fields. Patches of such prairie existed as far north as Dunn County with bison and elk inhabiting them.

The trail next edges a wooded hillside dominated by birch then curves north through the prairie. At 0.17 miles, a short trail leads to a rocky knoll with a bench that overlooks the bluestem.

Continuing north, the trail gradually becomes more wooded as passing quaking aspen. Keep an eye out here for some of the recreation area’s wildlife, including white-tailed deer, red-tailed hawk and mallard ducks – and if you’re lucky, even a great blue heron. You’re certain to hear a number of insects and songbirds as well. Several birdhouses sit off the trail.

At 0.3 miles, the trail heads under a set of majestic weeping willows. At the trail junction immediately after the willows, go left/west.

The trail then runs through an idyllic glade on the south side of a pond. Curve clockwise around the pond, and on its northwest side at the next junction turn left/west.

Second pond
As the trail cuts through wetlands, watch for a number of plants native to marshes in this part of Wisconsin. Among them are the arrowleaf violet, brittle gentian, great blue lobelia, marsh marigold, sweet Joe-Pye weed, and white turtlehead.

The trail then loops around a second, larger and prettier pond. Go clockwise through the glade. On the north side is a stem trail leading to a bench at the pond’s shoreline.

Follow the trail back through the wetlands to the first pond. This time, however, walk along the pond’s north side.

At the next junction, day hikers with a little extra energy can turn left/north onto a connecting trail for a couple of loops (the western loop is 0.6 and the eastern loop 0.68 miles) through the northern portion of the restored prairie area. These loops are a bit less maintained, however, so you probably won’t want to walk them unless wearing jeans.

If not doing those extra loops, return to your vehicle by going right/south and following the trail past the east side of the pond then back under the willows and through the prairie to the parking lot.

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

Author reading from fathering/hiking book in Menomonie, Wis.

In celebration of fatherhood, I’ll be reading about hiking and fatherhood on Thursday, June 6, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Bookends on Main in downtown Menomonie, Wis. The readings are of the completed essays in an anthology that I’m penning, Trails and Trials: Journeys of a Father and Son. Among the book’s topics: Fathers’ fears of handling a newborn, traditional vs. nontraditional roles of a father, and fathers being nurturers. Each essay shows how hiking offers the answers to these and other complex issues of being a father. After the reading, I’ll be on hand to answer questions and sign any of my various hiking books, the most current of which is available for purchase at Bookends on Main. It’ll be a great evening to visit Menomonie – the annual Downtown Clean-Up is that evening from 5 to 7 p.m. Bookends on Main is an independently owned and run bookstore, located at 214 E. Main St. in Menomonie.

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