Autumn hikes on Minn.-Wis. border, Part I

Mount Charity, Minnesota

If living in a border county or traveling near the Wisconsin-Minnesota state line, plenty of great autumn trails await.

Southern and central Minnesota’s border with Wisconsin follows the Mississippi River from Prescott, Wis., south to the Iowa border. Maple, basswood, oak, aspen and birch dominate.

Minnesota

Dakota County
Day hikers can enjoy modern sculptures in a forest setting at the Caponi Art Park in Eagan. A variety of pathways head through the 60-acre site that in autumn is made all that more magical by the changing leaves of birch, maple and basswood. Most of the sculptures were created by Italian-born Anthony Caponi, who as an adult adopted Minnesota as his home. From Interstate 35 in Eagan, take Diffley Road east. Turn right/southeast and park in the lot. The art park is on both sides of the highway with an underpass connecting them.

Goodhue County
Hikers can traverse the top and the base of a bluff looming 430 feet above Lake Pepin at Frontenac State Park. The 2.6-mile Bluff Side Loop Trail offers impressive views as it heads up and down the steep bluff with a series of wooden stairs and switchbacks. Fall is a particularly good time to visit with the bird migration through the area at its peak and the leaves resplendent in an array of harvest colors. A couple of picnic spots along the way offer vistas of the lake below with the visible Wisconsin shoreline about two miles away. From the park entrance, go left/northwest on County Road 28; follow the road to its end, where it loops back upon itself and forms a parking lot.

Houston County
Among the most scenic hikes in Minnesota is the Root River State Trail, and that’s especially so in autumn. A range of fall colors line the trail, thanks to the great variety of trees that grow there. Riverside features black ash, willow, box elder, cottonwood and elm while the highlands boast maples, basswood and oaks. A great segment of the trail to hike begins in Houston and runs 2.3 miles west to a picnic area for a 4.6-mile round trip. From Minn. Hwy. 76 in Houston, turn north on Plum Street and park at the Houston Nature Center. The nature center, as well as the International Owl Center just two blocks away, are well worth a visit, and if you have little ones, they’ll love the playground near the trailhead.

Wabasha County
One of the best urban areas in the Midwest to enjoy fall colors in the small town of Wabasha. For seven weeks from September through October, the small town celebrates a harvest festival. You can enjoy the festivities and take a nice stroll on the 0.8-mile round trip riverwalk. The Wisconsin shoreline on the opposite side of the Mississippi River is lit up in golden hues, the perfect match to the streets’ autumn decorations. To reach the riverwalk, park in downtown Wabasha. Finding a spot on Big Jo Alley near Pembroke Avenue is best, as the National Eagle Center is at the corner of those two streets. The riverwalk is behind the center.

Washington County
The fresh scent of pine needles upon the pathway and the gentle rush of water along the river’s rock walls instantly lulls you into a feeling of serenity on the Riverside Trail at William O’Brien State Park. The 1.5-mile trail loops through a floodplain and typically is open during summer and autumn when water levels have gone down. Roughly half of the trail follows the river, mainly through a good mix of hardwoods common to a floodplain forest in this region. During autumn, their leaves turn gold, red, orange and brown. Across the water is Wisconsin, and with the two undeveloped shorelines, tranquility reigns. From Marine on St. Croix, Minn., take Minn. Hwy. 95 north into the park. Turn right/east onto O’Brien Trail North/County Road 33. The road curves south, dead ending in a parking area alongside Lake Alice. The trail begins at the picnic grounds immediately east of the parking lot.

Winona County
A great view of the Mississippi River awaits at the Great River Bluffs State Park on the 2.2-mile round trip Kings Bluff Trail. After heading through a forest of white pine and the yellow to maroon-colored leaves of ash trees, the trail arrives at Kings Bluff, which offers a spectacular vista of the river valley below, a blue ribbon surrounded by the yellows of various birch and aspen. From Interstate 90 at the Minnesota-Wisconsin border, take County Road 3 north. Turn right/east onto Kipp Drive, which becomes Park Road. About two miles in, look for a small parking lot on the left/northwest. The trail heads northwest from the lot.

Wisconsin

Pierce County
Hikers can walk through a rare old growth oak forest on the Purple Trail at Kinnickinnic State Park. The 1.2-mile loop sits near the confluence of the St. Croix and Kinnicknnic rivers. Pioneers and 19th century logging companies cut most of the trees in this part of Wisconsin, but the trail passes through one of the few woodlands to escape the ax. The oaks are majestic, especially when their leaves turn tan, orange and brown in autumn. The trail includes a deck overlooking the confluence where eagles can be spotted. From Prescott, take Wis. Hwy. 29 east then turn left/north County Road F north. Turn left/west onto 820th Avenue then left/south into the park; follow the entry road west all of the way to its end and park in the St. Croix Picnic Area Lot.

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Amber, orange and crimson leaves surround and reflect off of the blue waters at Nugget Lake County Park east of Ellsworth. The Nook Trail and the Lake Overlook combine for a mile-long round trip that gets you up close to 117-acre Nugget Lake and to a great vista of it. From Ellsworth, take U.S. Hwy. 10 east. Turn left/north onto County Road CC then right/east onto County Road HH, which curves south. The park entry is on the road’s right/west side. Park in the lot where the road runs out.

Pepin County
Day hikers can explore a bluff steeped in majestic white oaks and legend high above Lake Pepin. The Maiden Rock Bluff Trail runs 1.4-miles round trip in west-central Wisconsin overlooking beautiful Lake Pepin. It’s located in the Maiden Rock State Natural Area, which preserves a blufftop prairie that turns golden in autumn. From Stockholm, take County Road J north. Turn left/northwest onto County Road E then go left/west into Long Lane. The road dead ends at a grassy parking lot on the blufftop. A trailhead is a few yards east of the lot and heads north from the road.

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Day hikers can enjoy a walk alongside a lake and through the woods on the Silver Birch Park Trail. The 0.6-mile round trip trail runs through Silver Birch Park to Holden Park Campground. As if it were a mirror, Silver Birch Lake impressively reflects the blue sky and clouds on days when the wind is low. The reflection seems to stretch forever – not surprisingly as the lake’s surface area covers 145 acres. A tree canopy covers the walking path, which makes for a nice autumn stroll when leaves change color. From Durand, head west on Wis. Hwy. 25 then turn left/south onto County Road P. Go left/south onto Silver Birch Road. At County Road NN/Round Hill Road, turn right/west. The next left/south is the park entry road.

Buffalo County
Day hikers can see ancient fossils on a spectacular vista that one time sat at the bottom of the sea. The 0.22-miles round trip Buena Vista Overlook Trail marks a must-see for anyone traveling the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River. Located in Alma’s Buena Vista County Park, it’s an easy walk and a spectacular one in autumn. From the vista, a rainbow of leaf colors lead downhill to large swaths of gold around the Mississippi River. From Wis. Hwy. 35 in Alma, turn east onto County Road E; known as North Street in town, it curves and becomes Second Street then curls again as ascending the bluff. Near the top, turn left/north onto Buena Vista Road. The road dead ends at the park entrance.

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.

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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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.

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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.

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.

Prairie wildflowers await atop river bluff

The blackberry lily blooms in mid- to late-summer on the Trout Valley Trail.

Trout Valley Trail map

Day hikers can discover blufftop wildflowers on southeastern Minnesota’s Trout Valley Trail.

The 7-mile lollipop trail sits in the Trout Valley Management Unit, one of several units making up the Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest. The forest protects 1,588 square miles of Minnesota’s Driftless Area.

To reach the trailhead, from Weaver, Minn., head south on Minn. Hwy. 61 for two miles. Turn right/west onto Wabasha County 29; upon crossing the county line, it naturally becomes Winona County 31. A parking lot is on the trail’s left/east side.

The trail’s gravel stem heads with a 300-foot climb up the bluff. Though steep, every step you take crosses eons of geological history, as the limestone and sandstone beneath your feet was set down more than 400 million years ago when this part of the world was alternately beneath and at the edge of a shallow tropical sea.

Blufftop wildflowers
At the second trail junction – specifically the one that is a large ATV turnaround – go right/south. You’re now on the looping Trout Valley Trail.

The terrain crosses a fairly flat, open area. This is a great stretch for wildflowers.

Blufftop wildflowers generally are the same as you’d find in prairies to the west. That’s because the flat tops of bluffs – like prairies – receive a lot of sun and have sandy soil.

During early spring, look for hoary puccoon, Indian paintbrush, prairie smoke, pussytoes, white shooting stars, and wood betony. By late summer, an entirely new set of wildflowers – including asters, evening primrose, fleabane, goldenrod, Queen Anne’s lace, yarrow, yellow coneflowers, white campion, and wild bergamot – are in bloom.

Soon the grasslands gives way to a tree plantation on your left. The trail here is about as wide as a country road and heads through a tunnel of pine trees.

Blackberry lily
Next the trail passes a cultivated field for about a half mile before re-entering the woods. Though wide, the trail is rocky and steep as it descends between two bluffs into a valley.

You’ve reached the valley floor when the trail passes parking area for a snowmobile trail.

What comes down must go up, and the next 0.6 miles is another precipitous ascent. Watch for the blackberry lily along the trailside.

The blackberry lily’s brilliant orange flowers usually bloom in August. The plant grows up to two-and-a-half feet high and are easy to spot because of the spear-shaped petals that are mottled a dark crimson, giving them the nickname of the leopard lily. Its seed pods contain spherical seeds that look like blackberries.

Mississippi river views
At the bluff’s top, the trail makes a hairpin turn, skirting the edge of an open area. Red pines and a variety of shrubs populate this barrens.

Once the trail curves west, pause for a great vista of the Mississippi River below. You’re at about 1160 feet elevation, a full 46 stories above the river. The bluffs and hills on the other side of the river are in Wisconsin.

Bald eagles often can be seen riding the thermals over the bluffs and diving down to the river. They also search the goat prairies along the Mississippi River bluffs for prey.

Other wildlife that can be spotted on the trail include white-tailed deer – you’ll probably spot their tracks on the trail through the tree plantation – and butterflies that flit about the wildflowers in the blufftop prairie.

The trail continues to skirt the north side of the irregular-shaped blufftop, providing glimpses of the river through the tall pines and birch.

Valley vista
When the trail makes a sharp, almost right angle, look for railing that marks a fantastic vista of the bluffs and valleys that sit off the river.

Next the trail enters a woodlands. Upon passing a marshy area, the trail reaches the ATV turnaround. Turn right/west onto the stem trail and retrace your steps to the parking lot.

The state forest is named for Richard J. Dorer, who supervised wildlife development at the Minnesota Department of Conservation in the 1940s-1950s. He proposed a groundbreaking plan for managing woodlands and rehabilitate land deeply eroded by farming.

In 1960, Minnesota put the plan into effect by creating the state forest across seven counties. This included replanting bluff sides and runoff ponds. When Dorer died in 1974, the state forest was named in his honor.

Trail crosses sand dunes formed in ice age

Sand dunes at Weaver Dunes Hiking Trail. Photo courtesy at MN DNR.

Weaver Dunes Hiking Trail aerial map

Day hikers can explore what in prehistoric times was the confluence of three major local rivers near modern Lake Pepin.

Today, the terrace where the Mississippi, Chippewa and Zumbro rivers once joined boasts 30-foot high sand dunes and serves as a nesting sight for hundreds of the rare Blanding’s turtle. Two portions of this sand prairie and floodplain are protected as part of the Kellogg-Weaver Dunes Scientific and Natural Area in Minnesota.

The 1.7-mile Weaver Dunes Hiking Trail heads through the dunes in the southernmost of the two units, which locally is referred to as the Weaver Dunes Preserve.

Shifting rivers
To reach the trailhead, from U.S. Hwy. 61 in Kellogg, Minn., take County Road 84 east. After leaving the village, the road heads south, passing the first unit. Turn left/east onto 605th Street; the blue address tag 60042 marks the road. The hike starts where the road runs out.

This is the stem to a lollipop trail. After veering straight north, the loop portion of the trail begins. You may go either direction on it.

Some 18,000 years ago as nearby ice age glaciers receded, meltwater flowed down the Chippewa, Zumbro and Mississippi rivers through this area, leaving behind sediment. Gradually, the sediment buildup shifted the Chippewa and Zumbro rivers’ confluence north. Then, over the next 4000 years, wind action shaped the sediment into dunes.

Today, the grass-covered sand dunes provide homes and food for a variety of creatures. Most notable among them is the rare Blanding’s turtle, which every June migrate here to build their nests. The turtles are easy to spot – and not just because of their bright yellow throat and high, dome-shaped carapace. They arrive in numbers, as about a thousand mother turtles trek a mile from nearby wetlands to lay their eggs here. Indeed, the American Museum of Natural History calls these dunes the most important site in the United States for Blanding’s turtles.

Come August through early autumn, the sand prairie is alive with turtle hatchlings. Volunteers often work to help the hatchlings cross a local road separating the sand prairie and wetlands.

Birds and cool bugs
With all of those hatchlings and bounty of fish that the wetlands and nearby rivers provide, the preserve also is a popular spot for raptors and migrating waterfowl. Every spring and fall, trumpeter swans flying in V-formation usually can be spotted overhead. Smaller grassland birds also like to nest in this Paleozoic plateau.

And there are plenty of cool bugs here too. The rare Ottoe skipper butterfly can be seen in midsummer. Frittilary butterflies and iridescent jumping spiders also are worthy looking for. And recently a previously unknown species of tiny moth was discovered here.

Local fauna also deliver a good show. Through the summer, the small pink blossoms of rough-seeded fameflowers open for just a few hours each afternoon. Yellow-fruited sedge stands out in midsummer. Come autumn, the grasses turn a brilliant red.

The Nature Conservancy acquired the Weaver Dunes Preserve in 1980 in an effort to preserve what is now Minnesota’s largest expanse of dry barrens prairie and savanna. Since then, they’ve removed most of the non-native pines and collected then spread seeds from the prairie plants in site.

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

Great hikes abound in Wabasha, Minn., area

View from Mississippi Riverwalk, Wabasha, Minn.

From walks along the mighty Mississippi River to hikes through ancient sand dunes, several great day trails can be found in the Wabasha, Minn., area.

Among them:
• Bridge Trail – This 1-mile looping trail paralleling the Zumbro River in the Zumbro Bottoms Unit of the Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest is frequently used by horse riders; it and the surrounding trails in the bottoms can be busy on weekends. Access the trail from the parking lot along the Zumbro Bottoms Road just east of the Zumbro River.
• Easy Wheeling Nature Area Trail – A 0.6-mile paved loop that is wheelchair accessible twice crosses a creek feeding the Zumbro River at the Kruger Forest Management Unit of the Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest. A forest road off of County Road 81 south of Minn. Hwy. 60 leads to the trail, which connects to other unpaved routes.
• Kellogg-Weaver Dunes Hiking Trail – The Kellogg-Weaver Dunes Scientific and Natural Area sits on a terrace where the Mississippi, Chippewa and Zumbro rivers once joined. This 1.7-mile trail heads through the dunes. Pick up the path at the end of 605th Street east of County Road 84.
• Malone Park walking path – Hikers can enjoy a pleasant walk alongside a Mississippi River back channel at Malone and Izaak Walton parks in Wabasha. The 0.25-mile trail sits smack dab in the middle of the small river town. The walking path leaves from the Malone Park parking lot on Church Avenue. Extend the hike by crossing Grant Boulevard to the north and following the grassy shoreline another 0.12 miles in Izaak Walton Park.
• McCarthy Lake State Wildlife Management Area walkabout – A primitive trail crosses grasslands to a marshy area surrounded by trees from a parking lot off of County Road 84 south of Newton Road. These grasslands provide an important nesting area for Blanding’s turtles.
• Mississippi Riverwalk – Hikers can learn all about bald eagles and explore an urban stretch of Ol’ Man River on the Mississippi River on the Mississippi Riverwalk. The 0.8-miles round trip walk is easy, educational and scenic. To reach the riverwalk, park in downtown Wabasha. Finding a spot on Big Jo Alley near Pembroke Avenue is best, as the National Eagle Center is at the corner of those two streets.

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

Eagle center, riverwalk await in Minn. town

Chief Wapasha III statue on Mississippi Riverwalk
in Wabasha, Minn.

Mississippi Riverwalk map

Hikers can learn all about bald eagles and explore an urban stretch of Ol’ Man River on the Mississippi River in Wabasha, Minnesota.

The 0.8-miles round trip walk is easy, educational and scenic. You may even want to bring along a picnic basket.

To reach the riverwalk, park in downtown Wabasha. Finding a spot on Big Jo Alley near Pembroke Avenue is best, as the National Eagle Center is at the corner of those two streets.

Make the center your start point. It offers two floors of interactive exhibits about bald and golden eagles and every day offers a variety of programs featuring live eagles. Among the exhibits are a life-size replica of an eagle’s nest and an opportunity to see the world as if you had an eagle’s eyesight.

The stretch between Wabasha and Red Wing on Lake Pepin is an eagle lover’s paradise. Every winter, hundreds of migrating bald eagles nest there because the current from the Chippewa River keeps the Mississippi River open. This offers ample opportunities for eagles to catch and dine on fish, one of their favorite menu items.

Bald eagles are impressive raptors with an average wingspan of 6 to 7.5 feet. They have incredible vision and can see an object as small as a rabbit up to three miles away. To catch their prey, they can fly up to 30 mph and dive at 100 mph.

After taking in the center’s sights, head north on Pembroke Avenue. In the circular area jutting into the river is a statue honoring the city’s namesake, Chief Wapasha III. The head of the Mdewakanton (Dakota Sioux), Wapasha signed treaties in 1851 and 1858 that ceded southern Minnesota to the United States. His band moved to a reservation on the Minnesota River and then the Crow Creek Reservation in the Dakotas.

The oldest continuous city in Minnesota, Wabasha boasts 50 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Mark Twain described it as the “City of the Healing Waters.”

From there, head northwest behind the National Eagle Center and onto the riverwalk. Here the Mississippi River narrows. The opposite shoreline are bottomlands, created as sediment brought downhill from the Chippewa River pile up in the Mississippi’s main channel. These bottomlands effectively mark the end Lake Pepin as they squeeze the Mississippi’s channel just north of Wabasha. The bottomlands are larger than the city itself.

Past the eagle center’s backside, the riverwalk passes a small park that often hosts fun children’s activities for the city’s annual harvest festival, a multiweek event that runs each September and October. A few small boat slips follow the park.

Next the riverwalk crosses under the Wabasha-Nelson bridge connecting the city with Wisconsin. The 2462-foot bridge rises six stories over the Mississippi River. It opened in 1988, replacing a 1931 bridge that included two right angles on the Minnesota side and was narrow by modern standards.

Upon reaching the bridge, the riverwalk officially ends, but you can extend your walk by continuing onto little-used Lawrence Boulevard. In short order, a small beach appears along the river, and stone steps lead from the street to the sand.

The beach can be taken past a few more small boat slips. After passing under the powerlines, you arrive at Beach Park, which has picnic tables (remember that picnic basket!), playground and a gazebo on a small point where a back channel of the Mississippi River flows off the main channel.

After playing and resting at the park, retrace your steps back to your vehicle.

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

Lake Pepin hikes abound in Lake City, Minn.

Lake Pepin from Frontenac State Park.

Several great beachfronts and other trails await day hikers in Lake City, Minn.

The city of a little more than 5000 sits on Lake Pepin, the widest portion of the Mississippi River. It’s known as “The birthplace of waterskiing,” so appropriately many of its hiking trails are close to the lake. Located a little more than an hour’s drive from Minneapolis-St. Paul, the quickest way to reach it is via U.S. Hwy 61.

Among the great trails in or near Lake City are:
• Bluff Side Loop Trail – Hikers can traverse the top and the base of a bluff looming 430 feet above Lake Pepin at Frontenac State Park northwest of town. The 2.6-mile loop offers impressive views as it heads up and down the steep bluff with a series of wooden stairs and switchbacks. Fall is a particularly good time to visit with the bird migration through the area at its peak and the leaves resplendent in an array of harvest colors.
• Hok-Si-La beach walk – Birdwatching is a popular activity on the half-mile of beachfront at the Hok-Si-La Municipal Park and Campground at the city’s north end on Hwy. 61. The campground sits on a peninsula jutting into Lake Pepin at its midpoint.
• Lake City Concourse – A walk atop a breakwater for the marina runs about 700 feet one way. The masts tall of sailboats rise to one side of the walk while the lake and Wisconsin bluffs beyond stretch across the other. Park in the turnout off of Hwy. 61 near Elm Street.
• Lake City River Walk – This paved route runs 2.5 miles between Roschen Park and Central Point Road. As much of it runs alongside busy Hwy. 61, opt to instead parallel it by walking along the beach. Eagle viewing is excellent here from late February through March.
• Sand Point Trail – Day hikers at Frontenac State Park can take in a great view of Lake Pepin – and maybe glimpse a sea monster while doing so. Reports of Pepie – as the monster locally has come to be known – date to before pioneer times and have occurred as recently as a couple of years ago. The 1.4-mile round trip trail runs to the lake’s shore while heading through a swampy area perfect for creatures of the deep to hide.

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