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.

***

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.

***

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.

***

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.

***

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.

Bluff offers great autumn view of Mississippi

The top of Mount Charity delivers on autumn views.

A beautiful view of the Mississippi River resplendent in fall colors awaits each autumn at John A. Latsch State Park.

The 1-mile round trip Riverview Trail heads to the top of Mount Charity, a bluff alongside Ol’ Man River. The trail consists

of nearly 600 steps that head up a deep ravine in the bluff.

To reach the trailhead, from Winona take U.S. Hwy. 61 north. In about 10 miles, turn left/southwest into the park. There’s no entry fee, and the parking lot is wedged between the highway and the bluff. The trail heads south from the lot.

Mount Charity
During the autumn, the bluffside brims with color: the yellows of birch, ironwood, black walnut, and elm; the oranges and scarlets of oaks; the golds, oranges and reds of maples; and the olive of basswood. Evergreen cedar accents the harvest hues.

Mount Charity is one of three rocky bluffs in the area that rise above 500 feet. During the 1850s, steamboat captains relied on them to navigate the Mississippi. They named the bluffs Faith, Hope, and Charity.

In addition to being charitable with autumn colors, the bluffland is rich in wildlife, some of which you’ll be able to see now that summer’s green foliage has thinned. Among the mammals are coyote, fox, opossum, squirrels, raccoons, and white-tailed deer. Peregrine falcons and bald eagles grace the skies, though you’ll have the best chance of seeing them once you reach the blufftop.

In large part, the bluff was simply too steep for development, so was saved for the Driftless Area’s wildlife. Thank park namesake John A. Latsch, a local businessman, for ensuring it was open to the public. In 1925, he purchased the bluff and persuaded an adjacent landowner to donate with him about 350 acres to the state for a park. Latsch was fairly familiar with the the three bluffs, as he often fished the river below them. A few years later, he also donated land that became Perrot State Park, downriver in neighboring Wisconsin. The Minnesota park has since expanded and now totals 450 acres.

There are a couple of lookout points along the way where you can rest. The step’s rise does range from five inches to a foot, so be sure to watch your step.

At Mount Charity’s top, hikers are treated to an impressive view of the river below, a blue ribbon through a landscape wrapped in gold leaves. Harvest hues fill the bluffsides on both sides of the river. Lock and Dam No. 5 can be see to the southeast with barges lazily making their last trips of the season through it.

Floodplain gold
At this spot on the Mississippi, almost all of the floodplain sits on the Wisconsin side. Green ash, silver maple, and river birch dominate the sloughs and river valley. All turn similar hues of yellow in autumn.

Green ash is among the first trees to change colors in autumn, often the first week of September. A common ash species, it quickly takes over old fields and other disturbed sites. It grows up to 82 feet high with a trunk diameter of up to 24 inches. Young green ash has smooth bark, but it becomes thick and fissured with age. A major concern for green ash is the emerald ash borer, an invasive species. Minnesota’s green ash has no protection against it.

Silver maple is one of the most common trees in the United States but not found in the west-central part of Minnesota. Highly adaptable, it often can be spotted along waterways and in wetlands. The silver maple also is fast-growing; a 10-year-old sapling can stand up to 26 feet high, making it the best bet for future NFL lineman in the woods. It tops out, though, at 82 feet. It used to be a favorite in urban landscaping, but because its roots crack sidewalks and old pipes, as well as because it resprouts quickly, many cities now ban its planting.

River birch, also known as black birch or water birch, usually grows in floodplains and wetlands. It can reach a height of 100 feet. The base of the river birch usually consists of several slender trunks, each of which can grow up to 60 inches in diameter. The bark of young river birch consists of loose layers of curling scales and often looks as if it has been damaged, but that’s not the case. As the tree matures, those scales form hard plates.

After taking in the views, return the way you came; a path does briefly lead away from the blufftop into the woods, but it quickly dissolves into a deer trail with little to see. If children are with you, make sure they stay away from the edges at the blufftop.

Riverview Trail map. Click for larger version.

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 climbs, crosses Whitewater River bluff

Limestone blocks cross the Middle Branch Whitewater
River on the Dakota Trail. Photo by MNDNR.

Dakota Trail topo map. Click for larger version.

Day hikers can explore a unique river valley on the Dakota Trail at Minnesota’s Whitewater State Park.

The 4.2-miles round trip hike goes up and down a small bluff overlooking a fast-moving river and even crosses it. And the best part of the hike is that thanks to the lack of stagnant water in the 2700-acre park, you rarely have to deal with a pesky mosquito.

To reach the trail, from either Weaver or St. Charles take Minn. Hwy 74 to the state park. Leave your vehicle in the lot at the nature store then cross Hwy. 74 to the trailhead.

The trail begins with a hearty aerobic workout. It climbs 238 wooden steps to a landing at the base of a limestone bluff then takes another 109 steps up to the summit. At times, the stairs are so steep that they are almost as vertical as a ladder.

To the right of the last stair is the Coyote Point overlook, which gives a good view of your ascent route and the river valley below. After taking in the scene, go left/northwest onto the main trail, which thankfully becomes fairly level and is made of packed dirt – but also narrows as skirting the bluff edge.

There are plenty of vistas to enjoy of the Whitewater River Valley from atop the bluff. Among the best of them after Coyote Point is Ice Cave Point at 0.4 miles from the trailhead.

Loess
At 0.55 miles, the trail junctions with the Coyote Point Trail. Continue left on the main trail. This places you at the edge of the bluff as the trail gently rolls, so be careful of the long drop-offs. The trail also narrows after passing through several large boulders but comes to a stone ledge with a great vista.

The trail reaches a junction with an unnamed and unmarked trail at 0.9 miles. Continue left.

At the 1-mile mark, the trail turns rocky and steep as it descends to Middle Branch Whitewater River. Despite the river’s appellation, there are no roiling rapids; the river so named because the water appears white when spring runoff carries light-colored clay into it. This clay is fine-textured loess left by glaciers during an ice age preceding the most recent one; once the ice retreated, wind blew the loess into this area of Minnesota.

Prone to erosion, deep gullies through the loess often formed on hillsides after mud slides filled ravines and streams. Farmers who settled in the Whitewater River Valley during the 1800s quickly discovered their efforts would be for naught as the loess in which they planted their crops quickly blew and slid away. Some towns from that era – like Beaver and Whitewater Falls – even are buried under mud.

Forest and wildlife
Next you’ll pass the junction with the Valley Trail, which weaves about the river bottoms. Go right and remain on the main trail.

The trail then crosses the shallow Middle Branch Whitewater River on large limestone blocks laid out across the water. The river moves fast here; the gradient averages about 25 feet per mile, and because of that flooding is common, sometimes closing Hwy. 74 downstream between Weaver and Elba.

Next, the trail heads up the limestone bluff through an open forest. Basswood, maple, oak and shagbark hickory dominate the river valley and hillsides with pine prevailing atop the bluffs.

All of this makes an ideal home for a variety of wildlife, including white-tailed deer, rabbits, ruffed grouse, squirrels, and wild turkey. The rare timber rattlesnake also makes the valley and bluffs its abode, but sightings are rare. Trout flourish in the river, and sometimes you’ll see more anglers than hikers in the park.

Back to bluff's bottom
Once back on the bluff top, take a short spur trail to Signal Point overlook, which offers a view of bluffs lining the river’s opposite shore. The limestone bluffs here were formed around 450 million years ago when rivers deposited layer after layer of sediment in a warm, tropical sea. After taking in the sights, return to the main trail and go left.

The trail here follows the bluff’s edge with the river and a modern group camp on your left. Look for Jack-in-the-pulpit, wild ginger, and ferns growing in the forest understory. Eventually the trail arrives at Eagle Point overlook, a rock ledge.

Continue left along the blufftop and go down a few steps. The trail narrows and turns rocky and steep as descending to Hwy. 74.

After crossing the highway, the trail rolls through ravines past ferns, oak, shrubs, and rocks covered in moss. It soon reaches the grassy south picnic area. From there, follow the park road around a small (albeit high) bluff to your parking lot, which is about 0.5 miles away.

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

Hike heads across Mississippi River bluffs

King's and Queen's bluffs rise some 60 stories above the Mississippi River.
Photo courtesy of MNDNR.

King's Bluff Trail map.

Day hikers can explore a forest that once stretched across half of America and enjoy fantastic views of the Mississippi River on the King's Bluff Trail.

The 4.94-miles round trip hike crosses a number of blufftop ecosystems at Minnesota’s 3000-acre Great River Bluffs State Park. A “natural state park,” Great River Bluffs deliberately has few modern amenities.

To reach the park, from Winona take U.S. Hwy. 14 south. Turn left/southwest onto County Road 3 then left/east onto the park road (aka Kipp Drive). Leave your vehicle at the gravel lot on the road’s left/west side about two miles into the park. The trailhead is at the lot’s northwest end; go left/northwest onto it. The trail is wide with a surface of either mowed grass or dirt.

Your hike begins in an open bluff prairie, full of native grasses and wildflowers. The tall dense grasslands provides the perfect home for the rare buff-colored Henslow’s sparrow. While you may not see one, you’re certain to hear its soft song that sounds like tsi-lick. While most sparrows build their nests in trees and eaves, the Henslow constructs a grass nest about 2-3 inches off the ground. Its numbers declined greatly from the 1960s through the 1980s thanks to the conversion of bluff prairies to farmland.

Oak-hickory forest
The trail soon enters a dense hardwood forest of pine, mixed oak and shagback hickory. The forest is a remnant of the oak and hickory forest that once stretched all the way from Minnesota to the Atlantic Ocean. As pioneers moved across the continent, though, the trees were cut for lumber and to open up land for farming.

About a quarter mile in, you’ll come to a junction for an interpretive nature trail; go left/west onto it. The side trail, lined with white and ash pine, heads to a vista of a small river valley that runs along the bluff’s side.

The trail loops back to the main route; when it does, go left/north. Several old, twisted, gnarled oaks, appearing like some fairy tale illustration come to life, dominate this portion of the walk.

At 0.7 miles, you’ll reach a trail junction; go left/north onto the interpretative spur trail that leads to a scenic overlook atop King’s Bluff.

King’s Bluff sits atop sediments deposited around 450 million years ago when this part of the world sat beneath a sea. As layers upon layer of sediment settled at the sea bottom, it gradually hardened into the limestone, dolomite, and sandstone that we see in the exposed bluff sides today.

Goat prairie
The interpretive trail soon enters a goat prairie. All across the river bluffs, as here, a number of south- to southwest-facing slopes sit at an angle of 50 degrees, allowing them to take in a greater amount of heat from the sun than the surrounding, more vertical rock. When winter nights cool the ground, though, the rock tends to crack and weather away in a constant cycle of freezing and thawing. This prevents trees from taking root, but grasses and wildflowers flourish.

At the end of the spur trail is a vista of the Mississippi River and its backwaters with Wisconsin on the far shoreline. Queen’s Bluff also is visible to the east. Atop it you’ll spy a rare grove of northern white cedar, a survivor from glacial times when frigid Glacial River Warren filled the river valley to the bluff tops, as meltwater flowed south to the Gulf of Mexico.

After taking in the sights, return on the spur trail to the main trail and go left/east onto it. The trail next passes through an oak forest.

At nearly 3 miles from the trailhead, another spur heads left/northwest onto Queen’s Bluff. This offers another great vista of the Mississippi River Valley. Watch the skies for the endangered peregrine falcon, which nests on the bluff. Peregrine falcons can dive at up to 200 miles per hour, making it the fastest animal alive.

The falcon is just one of many impressive creatures that inhabit the state park. Black squirrels, coyotes, eagles, opossums, spotted skunks, vultures, white-tailed deer and wild turkeys all have been spotted here. The endangered timber rattlesnake also makes its home on the bluff rocks, but sightings are rare.

Picnic at overlook
From the overlook, head back to the main trail and go left/east onto it. The trail quickly curves south.

At the next junction, head left/north. This parallels the park entrance road and ends at another great Mississippi River vista from Queen’s Bluff. Picnic tables are located near the overlook.

Once you’ve taken in the view, retrace your steps for nearly 0.3 miles back to the last junction. Rather than go the overlook, continue straight/southwest on the trail alongside the road back to your parking lot.

The hike is best done during dry weather and at least a couple of days after the last rainfall. The trail can come close to cliff edges and is slippery when wet.

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