Great day hikes abound in east St. Croix Cty.

Glen Hills West Trail

Though primarily thought of as farm country, Wisconsin’s eastern St. Croix County offers a number of great day hiking trails. Whether a local looking to explore or a traveler on Interstate 94 needing to stretch your legs, there’s probably a trail that’s right for you.

Eastern St. Croix County loosely is centered on three small cities – Glenwood City to the north, Woodville in the center, and Spring Valley in the south (though that farming village technically is in Pierce County).

Here are some of the great trails near those towns:

Glenwood City
• Glen Hills East Trail – Tucked within Wisconsin’s dairy country is a hilly, wooded region that gives day hikers the chance to get back to nature. Glen Hills County Park in eastern St. Croix County offers a plethora of trails amid 700 acres of maple and oak hardwoods. The 2-mile round trip unnamed trail (christened here for convenience’s sake) heads from a vista to a campground.
• Glen Hills West Trail – A pleasant walk through the woods alongside a pretty lake awaits day hikers on the west side of Glen Hills County Park. To reach the trailhead, from U.S. Hwy. 12 west of Wilson, take Wis. Hwy. 128 north. Turn right/east onto Day Use Road then go right/south onto Picnic Point Lane, which dead ends at a parking lot atop a vista.
• Glen Hills Southwest Trail – This rustic 1.2-mile round trip route heads through woods as skirting the Glen Lake’s curving, southwest corner at Glen Lake County Park. It runs from the playground on Picnic Point Lane to the campground.

Woodville
• Wildwood Trail segment – Day hikers can enjoy a bucolic walk on a segment of the Wildwood Trail. The seven-mile hiking, biking and snowmobiling trail runs between the communities of Woodville and Spring Valley in eastern St. Croix County. Among the most accessible and pleasurable parts of the trail runs 2.3-miles round-trip from western Woodville past farm fields.

Spring Valley
• Crystal Cave tour – Day hikers can explore Wisconsin’s longest cave near the village of Spring Valley. The Crystal Cave tour runs about 0.5-miles round trip through 1,300 feet of passageways. Several deeper passages are closed to the public. The cave is a commercial venture, so a fee is charged to be part of a tour. To reach Crystal Cave, from Spring Valley take Wis. Hwy. 29 west. In about a mile after ascending the hill, turn left/south onto the cave entrance road.
• Eau Galle Dam Trail – Day hikers can walk across the largest earthen dam in the Midwest on the Eau Galle Dam Trail. The 0.8-mile round trip hike sits in the popular Eau Galle Recreation Area. To reach the trailhead, from Spring Valley, head west on Wis. Hwy. 29. In about a mile, turn right/north onto Van Buren Road then right/west onto Eau Galle Dam Road.
• Northwest Day Use Loop – The 0.75-mile trail parallels the wooded park road in the Eau Galle Recreational Area. One side runs alongside the scenic Eau Galle River. Park at the lot where Boston Road (east of County Road B) crosses the river.
• Overlook Trail – The 0.76-mile round trip trail heads from an overlook of Lake George (often referred to as the Eau Galle Reservoir) down to a beach then back up again at the Eau Galle Recreational Area. Park at the overlook off of Eau Galle Dam Road.
• Pond Trail – The 0.22-mile loop through a grassy area circles a small L-shaped pond at the Eau Galle Recreational Area. Park at the lot nearest the beach, off of Eau Galle Dam Road.
• West Ridge Trail/Low Land Trail Loop – The two paths can be combined into a 1.14-mile lollipop trail that heads from the beach through woodland at the Eau Galle Recreational Area. Park in the lot closest to the beach.
• Wildwood Trail – Among the most accessible and pleasurable parts of the trail runs 1.7 miles round-trip from near downtown Spring Valley alongside a small stream through a pleasant woods. To reach the trailhead, from Wis. Hwy. 29 in Spring Valley turn north on McKay Avenue then left/west onto County Road B (N. Second St.). In four blocks, turn right/north onto Herb Avenue. As that street curves east, park in the small lot off its left side; the trail heads west from the lot. Note that this trail starts in Pierce County then enters St. Croix County on its way north to Woodville.

Learn more about nearby day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of St. Croix County guidebook.

Wildwood Trail segment passes farm fields

Wildwood Trail west of Woodville, Wis.

Wildwood Trail map

Day hikers can enjoy a rustic walk on a segment of the Wildwood Trail near Woodville, Wis.

The seven-mile hiking, biking and snowmobiling trail runs between the communities of Woodville and Spring Valley in eastern St. Croix County. Among the most accessible and pleasurable parts of the trail is a 2.3-miles round-trip from western Woodville that heads past farm fields.

To reach the trailhead, from downtown Woodville take County Road BB west. Park on the street near the post office then walk along the road about 600 feet west. The trailhead is on County BB’s left/south side just past the Solum Drive intersection.

A former railroad right-of-way, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway Company trains used the route until the mid-20th century. In 1970, St. Croix County purchased most of the railbed.

The trail segment at Woodville heads into the dairy country for which this part of Wisconsin is so well known. While the path is lined with tall trees and a thick understory, you’ll still catch good views of hay and corn fields on either side of the trail.

In about 0.1 miles, the trail crosses 250th Street. Shortly after that, a bridge heads over an intermittent stream that flows off the higher elevations to the northwest.

At 0.75 miles into the hike, the trail gradually curves to the east. Where it reaches the middle of that curve and heads directly southeast marks a good spot to turn back. Any farther south brings you close to Interstate 94 and its river of vehicular noise.

Another option for hiking the trail is starting just north of the 250th Avenue and 42nd Street intersection, where there’s a gravel parking lot. Going northwest heads past another intermittent stream while the southeast route runs through a thick woods.

As a former rail grade, the trail is wide and often open, so be sure to don sunscreen or a brimmed hat. Motorized vehicle traffic – except snowmobiles in winter – are prohibited on the trail.

Learn more about nearby day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of St. Croix County guidebook.