Top fall hikes in southwest Wisconsin, Part II

Hixon Forest Nature Center

There’s no better way to experience autumn colors in southwest 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 southwest Wisconsin to hike. Some are right out your back door, while some are a day trip that you can do in an afternoon.

La Crosse County
Hikers can head through an oak woodland to the top of a bluff at Wisconsin’s Hixon Forest Nature Center. The 3-mile round-trip Lookout Trail, reached via a segment of the Sumac Trail, sits at the edge of the La Crosse metro area. The trail is exceptional during autumn when acorns and leaves cover the trail beneath a harvest-hued canopy. Fall leaves in their expansive canopy range from brown and wine-red to orange-red on the white oaks and the golden leaves, which are far richer than the yellows of the sugar maple, of the shagbark hickory. Also look for the hickory’s fragrant, edible nut; it has a sweet flavor. From U.S. Hwy. 53 in La Crosse, go east on La Crosse Street. Turn left/north onto Wis. Hwy. 16/Losey Boulevard North then right/east onto Bluff Pass Road and right/south onto Milson Court. The road ends at a gravel parking lot.

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Hikers can walk alongside and cross a stream via five different bridges on the Halfway Creek Trail. The 3.4-mile trail connects Holmen to the Great River State Trail in Midway. Maple, aspen, oak and the occasional pine line the creek, making for a colorful autumn walk. Start at Halfway Creek Park in Holmen; the trailhead is on the park’s southwest side. One good turnaround spot to avoid crossing under U.S. Hwy. 53 is the connector trail to Judith Court for a 1.13-mile round trip and three bridge crossings.

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Autumn colors and great views await in the Greens Coulee-Savanna Oaks site in Onalaska. The Mississippi River Valley Conservancy's 81 acres includes a scenic bluff that rises 400 feet above the valley floor adjacent to the city’s Greens Coulee Park. A 1.4-mile lollipop-plus route heads to the bluff's peak, where reds, oranges and yellows fill much of the fall canopy along the way. From the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 53 and East Main Street in Onalaska, take the latter east. Turn left/northeast onto Green Coulee Road then right onto Clifford Drive. Look for the kiosk at the of the cul-de-sac, where parking is available.

Monroe County
Hikers can walk through a thick forest in the shadow of Castle Rock at McMullen Memorial County Park. The 1.5 mile (one way) U-shaped trail runs between the towering rock and the campground at its base. In autumn, the woods features red, oranges and yellows mixed with pine green; its colors usually peak the second week of October. Wazeda Lake sits to the east, and to the southeast is the Jensen Cranberry Bog, which shimmers red from cranberries atop it each fall. From Warrens, take Aspen Road west. Turn right/north onto Atlantic Road and enter the park. A parking lot is on the southeast side of the road as it loops back on itself. The trail leaves from campsite No. 26.

Richland County
There’s no better place to see fall colors than the heart of the Driftless Area where high hills and low coulees ensure a cascade of harvest colors. The 1.6-mile Tower Drive Trail and North Woods Trail in Miner Hill Trails Park is one such spot. After 305 feet of elevation gain, the trail reaches the top of Miner Hill at 1060 feet above sea level. Yellow, orange and red sugar maple, amber basswood, and russet oak cover the hill. In Richland Center, park along East Court Street east of Sheldon Street and follow Roosevelt Drive up the hill.

Trempealeau County
Great views of the Mississippi River await at Perrot State Park. The 2.4-miles round trip Brady’s Bluff West and East trails are particularly impressive in autumn. Start up Brady’s Bluff West Trail and pause at the hill’s summit, which offers impressive views of the Mississippi River Valley, a brilliant blue ribbon through a forest of golden leaves. Descending the summit via the Brady’s Bluff East Trail heads through a woods of russet-leaved oaks. From Wis. Hwy. 35 in Trempealeau, take 10th Street west. Turn right/north onto Park Road, which becomes South Park Road. Park in the lot before the boat launch; the trailhead is on the opposite side of the road.

Vernon County

Hikers can step back in time and walk through the woods as in the days of old at Wildcat Mountain State Park. The rugged 2.5-mile Old Settlers’ Trail includes 390-feet of elevation change as heading through a forest of sugar maple, basswood and oak, all very colorful in autumn. An additional 0.8-mile round trip spur goes to the Taylor Hollow Overlook, which offers a fantastic view of the village of Ontario in the coulee below. From Westby, take Wis. Hwy. 27 north. In Cashton, turn right/east onto Wis. Hwy. 33. Once in the park, go left/east past the park office and at the split turn left/northwest to the Upper Picnic Area. Park there; a connector trail goes north to the Old Settlers’ Trail.

Wildflowers abound on old pine forest trail

Declined trillium grows along the Hemlock Trail.

Hemlock Trail topo map.
Click map for larger version.

Day hikers can see what Wisconsin once looked like – towering white pines with wildflowers galore below them – at Mt. Pisgah Hemlock-Hardwoods State Natural Area.

The 1.4-mile Hemlock Trail runs through an area that escaped the lumberjack’s ax when much of the state’s great pineries were clearcut during the late 1800s. The state natural area is located within Wildcat Mountain State Park.

The trail consists of a dirt surface with leaves or pine needles often covering it. Best of all, the route is shaded most of the way.

To reach the trailhead, from Ontario take Wis. Hwy. 33 south. In 2.5 miles, turn right/southwest onto a park road heading to the Lower Picnic Area. In 0.6 miles, the road comes to the picnic area; park there. The trailhead is near the picnic area’s bulletin board.

The trail follows the Kickapoo River. It’s a popular section of the river to float down and for good reason – a number of interesting sandstone cliffs line the river canyon.

Towering pines
If the rock formations don’t wow you, the 400-year-old white pine certainly will. They are truly enormous, with some of the tree trunks measuring six feet as they soar 15 to 20 stories high. White pine like these once covered the state, and this is one of the few spots left where they remain.

Along the trail, several wildflowers usually are in bloom during the first two weeks of May. Among them are wild ginger, showy orchids, declined trillium, Virginia bluebells, bloodroot, Jack-in-the-pulpit, and skunk cabbage.

Wild ginger dots the hillsides. The flower is a brown to green, though sometimes red, tube about one- to two-inches long. It usually blooms between two leafstalks on the ground, as it relies on ground-dwelling insects, like beetles, to pollinate it. Though the leaves smell like ginger when crushed, this is not the plant that bears the spice used in cooking. The plant is found throughout Wisconsin.

Showy orchids offers beautiful flowers. Its purplish-pink two petals and three sepals form a hood that sits above two white petals, all about an inch long. Several flowers grow on a single stem. The plant mainly thrives in the state’s southern half.

Other wildflowers
Declined trillium usually blooms April-May on the forest floor. Its white flowers are three-parted and about 1.5-inches wide. The flower typically grows on a stem just above the leaves at an angle. The plant can be found in the Driftless Area and southern Wisconsin.

Virginia bluebells, also known as Virginia cowslip and longwort, sport a flower that starts pink but changes to light blue or purple. Each flower consists of five petals that fuse to form an inch-long bell-shaped tube known as a corolla. Bluebells are found in the southern half of the state, but a related species grows along Lake Superior.

Among the first of the wildflowers to bloom on the hillsides in spring is bloodroot. Sometimes it pops up from soil that has just thawed. It sports a large white flower, about 1.5 inches wide, with 8-10 petals and a yellow center. The red orange juice in its stem has been used over the centuries as a dye and an insect repellent. It grows all across Wisconsin.

Skunk cabbage is another of the earliest wildflowers to bloom in spring, and can actually melt the surrounding snow and ice. It prefers wet areas, so look for it in depressions. Its flower is shaped like a shell and usually brown to purple, though it also can be a quite attractive yellow, that grows three- to six-inches tall. Unfortunately, it has gives off a strong odor of carrion, which attracts insects who then unwittingly pollinate flowers. Skunk cabbage is found in the southern half of the state.

Jack-in-the-pulpit’s erect two- to three-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.

Mt. Pisgah
After the river bottoms, the trail climbs to the summit of Mt. Pisgah, which tops out at 1152 feet above sea level. The last several feet to the summit are switchbacks.

Near the top, during early June look for broomrape, also known as cancer root, poking through oak leaves on the forest floor. A threatened plant, its blooms in June. Its purplish flowers are cup-shaped and half-inch to a full-inch long. Several flowers will bloom in a cluster on a spike rising out of the ground. Broomrape is a parasite that attaches itself to other plants’ roots.

An observation post sits atop Mt. Pisgah, some 450 feet above the river. While there are some good views of the river valley below, high trees block some of the sightlines. Be sure to look up – eagles nest in the area and often fly near the bluff.

East loop
Heading down the east side of the loop are a couple of interesting plants.

Partridge berry is a trailing vine that in late spring sports a fuzzy four-petaled white flower. It produces red berries with two spots on them. The plant can be found throughout Wisconsin and is quite common in eastern North America forests.

Chicken of the Woods fungi also is abundant here. The bright orange fungi grow in shelves. Look for them on oaks.

Be sure to wear hiking boots and carrying a trekking pole, as sometime parts of the trail wash out after a good rainstorm. In May 2019, the eastern side of the loop was closed after a storm.

Fall color hikes abound in Westby, Wis., area

Wildcat Mountain State Park

There’s no better way to experience autumn colors in the Westby, Wisconsin, area 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 around Westby to hike. Some are right out your back door, while some are a day trip that you can do in an afternoon.

Wildcat Mountain State Park (Ontario)
Hikers can step back in time and walk through the woods as in the days of old at Wildcat Mountain State Park. The rugged 2.5-mile Old Settlers’ Trail includes 390-feet of elevation change as heading through a forest of sugar maple, basswood and oak, all very colorful in autumn. An additional 0.8-mile round trip spur goes to the Taylor Hollow Overlook, which offers a fantastic view of the village of Ontario in the coulee below. From Westby, take Wis. Hwy. 27 north. In Cashton, turn right/east onto Wis. Hwy. 33. Once in the park, go left/east past the park office and at the split turn left/northwest to the Upper Picnic Area. Park there; a connector trail goes north to the main trail.

Hixon Forest Nature Center (La Crosse)
Hikers can head through an oak woodland to the top of a bluff at Wisconsin’s Hixon Forest Nature Center. The 3-mile round-trip Lookout Trail, reached via a segment of the Sumac Trail, sits at the edge of the La Crosse metro area. The trail is exceptional during autumn when acorns and leaves cover the trail beneath a harvest-hued canopy. Fall leaves in their expansive canopy range from brown and wine-red to orange-red on the white oaks and the golden leaves, which are far richer than the yellows of the sugar maple, of the shagbark hickory. Also look for the hickory’s fragrant, edible nut; it has a sweet flavor. From U.S. Hwy. 53 in La Crosse, go east on La Crosse Street. Turn left/north onto Wis. Hwy. 16/Losey Boulevard North then right/east onto Bluff Pass Road and right/south onto Milson Court. The road ends at a gravel parking lot.

Greens Coulee-Savanna Oaks (Onalaska)
Autumn colors and great views await in the Greens Coulee-Savanna Oaks site in Onalaska. The Mississippi River Valley Conservancy's 81 acres includes a scenic bluff that rises 400 feet above the valley floor adjacent to the city’s Greens Coulee Park. A 1.4-mile lollipop-plus route heads to the bluff's peak, where reds, oranges and yellows fill much of the fall canopy along the way. From the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 53 and East Main Street in Onalaska, take the latter east. Turn left/northeast onto Green Coulee Road then right onto Clifford Drive. Look for the kiosk at the of the cul-de-sac, where parking is available.

Great River State Trail (Holmen)
Hikers can walk alongside and cross a stream via five different bridges on the Halfway Creek Trail. The 3.4-mile trail connects Holmen to the Great River State Trail in Midway. Maple, aspen, oak and the occasional pine line the creek, making for a colorful autumn walk. Start at Halfway Creek Park in Holmen; the trailhead is on the park’s southwest side. One good turnaround spot to avoid crossing under U.S. Hwy. 53 is the connector trail to Judith Court for a 1.13-mile round trip and three bridge crossings.

Sugar Creek Bluff State Natural Area (Ferryville)
Day hikers can head through a wooded blufftop that ends at a goat prairie offering fantastic views of the Mississippi River below on the Sugar Creek Bluff Nature Trail. The 1.5-mile round trip trail sits in the Sugar Creek Bluff State Natural Area. After passing through a small prairie, the trail enters a dry-mesic forest of red and white oak, shagbark hickory, white ash, and basswood. About 0.7 miles in, the trail reaches a goat prairie with the Mississippi below. During autumn, the land surrounding the river below turns into a sea of yellow as silver maple, green ash and river birch rule the sloughs and river valley. From Ferryville, go south on Wis. Hwy. 35. Turn left/northeast on North Buck Creek Road. In about a mile is a small parking area with a Mississippi Valley Conservancy kiosk.

La Riviere Park (Prairie du Chien)
Hikers can enjoy autumn colors at La Riviere Park in Prairie du Chien. Covering 300-acres, the park sits in the bluffs overlooking the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers. The 1-mile A-Dan La Riviere Trail loops through the park’s woods, where each autumn leaves turn yellow, tan and russet. From downtown Prairie du Chien, head south on U.S. Hwy. 18/Wis. Hwy. 35. Turn left/northeast onto Vineyard Road. Go Left on Public Road to the parking lot. The trail is shared with mountain bikers.