Fall colors await on trail to Lapham Peak

Colorful leaves surround Lapham Peak in autumn.

Plantation Path map.
Click for larger version.

Hikers can head through a colorful oak woods and to the top of an observation tower on the county’s highest point at Kettle Moraine State Forest-Lapham Peak Unit.

The ADA accessible 1.8-mile Plantation Path loops past prairie and through a woods of red and white oak, quaking aspen, and black cherry. A connector trail to the Ice Age National Scenic Trail leads to the observation tower atop Lapham Peak, which rises to an elevation of 1,233 feet.

To reach the trail, from Delafield, take County Road C south. Turn left/east toward the park office. Park in the Homestead lot.

The paved trail leaves from the lot’s eastern side. In short order, the trail splits from the Kame Terrace and Kettle View trails. Go right/south.

Fall leaves along the trail range from the cinnamon of northern red and yellow of white oaks to the reds of black cherry and golds of quaking aspen. But for the white oak, the trees make up a classic southern dry-mesic forest.

At intersection marker E21, the trail divides, beginning a set of three loops. Head right/northwest. The route described here follows the three loops’ eastern sides.

Red and white oak
Found on the trail’s uplands is the northern red oak. The third most common tree in Wisconsin – nearly 1 in 11 of the state’s trees is a red oak – it’s also enormous. Growing quite straight and very tall, the red oak can reach up to 92 feet high with a trunk diameter of 39 inches. In old growth forests, the red oak soars even taller, and some even have been measured at 141 feet high. Red oaks grown in open areas, such as lawns, tend to be stouter, though, but can have a trunk diameter of up to 6.6 feet.

A XXL tree like the red oak also produces big acorns; in fact, the acorns are the largest of all Wisconsin’s oaks, measuring 1-1/8 inches long. With acorns that size, the tree is fairly easy to spot in autumn. The thoroughly fissured bark on mature red oaks is another giveaway.

The trail soon reaches a T-intersection, which marks the beginning of the second loop. Continue straight-left/south.

Also look for the white oak on the trail. White oaks primarily grow in the western and central parts of Wisconsin, so it’s a rare sight in this area of the state. You easily can spot the tree because of its scaly, ash gray bark. They grow up to 80 feet tall with a massive canopy.

The tree is extremely long-lived, lasting for around 200-300 years. One white oak in New Jersey was known to be more than 600 years old before dying.

At the trail’s next T-intersection, you’ve come to the beginning of the third loop. Continue straight-left/southwest.

Black cherry, quaking aspen
Watch for the black cherry tree on the trail’s higher ground. Eleven species of cherries grow in Wisconsin, and all are shrubs or small trees with the exception of the black cherry, which can grow quite tall. It’s easy to identify in a woods, as the bark is smooth and highly colored with small broken lines; it looks somewhat like the old punch cards used to store computer data.

The black cherry delights hikers during two seasons – autumn when its edible cherries ripen and its leaves turn color, and spring when its sweet-scented white flowers open.

At intersection marker E25, a connector trail leaves the Plantation Path and heads left/west. Take it to the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, where you’ll turn right/west.

Another tree you’ll see plenty of on the Plantation and the Ice Age trails is the quaking aspen. It’s the most common of the 35 populus tree species – which includes poplar, aspen, and cottonwood – across North America. A pioneer species, it quickly replaced the continent’s many forests when they were logged off in the 1800s. Prevention of forest fires has allowed the quaking aspen to maintain its hold. It is the most abundant and widespread tree in neighboring Minnesota.

The quaking aspen’s flat, spade-like leaves flap at the slightest breeze. In autumn when the leaves turn amber, that makes for quite a show, especially so on trees that grow at least six stories tall and that under ideal conditions can reach 10 stories.

Observation tower
At the next trail junction, turn right/north for the observation tower. Lapham Peak is the highest point in Waukesha County. The observation tower rises 45 above that. On a clear day, from the tower’s top you can see all the way to the Illinois border.

Upon coming down from the tower, head north. Walk along the edge of the Tower Parking Lot and the road. Enter the parking lot for the Hausmann Nature Center. Spend some time taking in the exhibits and if with the kids the children’s interactive area at the center. Then take the connector at the building’s back to the Plantation Trail. Go left/north.

Other trees in the woods include black oak, shagbark hickory, red maple, basswood, paper birch, and white pine.

At intersection marker E21, turn left/southwest. This is the stem trail that heads back to your parking lot.

Fire tower offers great view of autumn colors

The Parnell Observation Tower sits at the highest point in Wisconsin's
Kettle Moraine State Forest.

Parnell Tower Trail map. Click for larger version.

Day hikers can head to an observation tower on Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine State Forest highest point via a short trail. During autumn, the walk through the surrounding forest and the view of it from the tower is a fantastic sight.

The 0.7-mile out and back Parnell Tower Trail heads to the 60-foot wooden Parnell Observation Tower. The hike can be lengthened, though, by adding a loop, known as the Parnell Tower Trail Loop, which runs 2.9 miles.

To reach the trailhead, from Plymouth take Wis. Hwy. 67 west. Turn left/south onto County Road A (aka Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive). County Road U joins County A from the east; in just under 2 miles when County Road U goes right/west, turn onto it. In about 0.15 miles, turn right/north into the parking lot for the trail. A gravel trail – the short stem leading to the loop – heads north from the lot’s northern side.

The stem immediately ascends beneath a canopy of maple trees. Half of the path up the hill consists of log steps. At 0.2 miles is a bench for resting.

Northern red oak, basswood, sugar maple and white ash dominate the dry mesic forest on this part of the hill.

Across southern Wisconsin, Northern red is the most common oak species. They grow quite tall – up at 75 feet high – and have a deeply ridged black bark. During the autumn, their leaves range from russet to bright red, and they drop lots of large acorns, each one up to an inch round.

Observation tower
Slightly taller at up to 80 feet high, basswood has heart-shaped leaves. The tree likes the same rich soils as sugar maples so they often are found together in Wisconsin forests. In autumn, their leaves range from light yellow to dark gold or tan.

Sugar maple with its rounded dense crown can grow up to 75 feet high. The younger trees have smooth bark, but as the trunk ages, it turns shaggy. In fall, the leaves change to yellow, orange or red depending on exposure to sunlight.

White ash grows to a height of 80 feet and perhaps is best known as the wood used to make baseball bats. Its autumn leaves range from yellow to deep purple and maroon. Unfortunately, the white ash is a favorite of the emerald ash borer, and so is in danger across the state.

At 0.3 miles, the trail reaches the observation tower. The top offers 360 degree views, and the autumn leaves and quilt of farmland below seems to stretch forever. Long Lake and 1,230-foot Dundee Mountain can be spotted to the southwest. On clear days when views reach up to 45 miles, look for Lake Michigan to the east and Lake Winnebago in the northwest.

Longer hike
If interested in just a short hike, after descending the tower retrace your steps back to the parking lot. If you’re up for some exploring, though, take the trail the left/east and begin the loop.

From 0.7 to 0.9 miles, several rocks can be seen alongside the trail, which heads down the Kettle (Interlobate) Moraine that the tower sits on. The moraine was formed during the last ice age when sediment pushed forward by advancing glaciers was left behind, as the ice sheet melted. The rock show ends as the trail reaches a gully.

The trail enters a stand of birch at 1.1 miles. Yellow birch reaches a height of 75 feet. It’s easy to spot, as its bark, which ranges from shiny yellow to gray-silver, curls into strips. During autumn, its leaves turn bright yellow and gold.

You’re certain to see at least signs of the forest wildlife if not spotting some of them. Among the forest’s denizens are whitetail deer, foxes, skunks and chipmunks.

Kettle bog
At 1.2 miles, the trail arrives at a glade surrounded by oaks. A kettle bog is to the right.

Kettle bogs formed at the end of the last age. As the glaciers melted and retreated, large chunks of ice were left behind. Glacial sediment surrounding the ice check dammed the meltwater in place, forming lakes. At the edge of the lakes were swampy flats layered with peat, or decomposed sphagnum moss, creating a bog.

The trail turns rocky as going to the bottom of ravine and then is hilly, with a lot of ups and downs, the rest of the way.

You’ll enter a stand of birch, as curving onto the loop’s north side, about 1.6 miles in.

Ice Age Trail
A downside of the trail is that it runs under a high-tension line starting at 1.8 miles. This unfortunately lasts for much of the loop’s northern leg. Upon reaching a small glade, the trail then swings onto the loop’s western side.

A backpackers shelter that sleeps 10 sits at 2.5 miles in. This is near where the Ice Age National Scenic Trail connects with the loop. The IAT runs concurrent with the trail for about a quarter mile; when they split, go left/east to stay on the tower trail loop.

From there, you’ll head up a steep hill. At the top is the observation tower. Look for the stem trail’s steps and descend them back to the parking lot.

Hiking boots are a must on the trail. Slopes can be steep while roots and rocks sit on sections of the trail, and after rain those inclines can be muddy. Insect repellent also is a must.

Trail heads to Wisconsin’s third highest hill

Autumn view from Rib Mountain.

Gray Trail map. Click for larger version.

Day hikers can see the world from 741 feet above the surrounding countryside at Wisconsin’s Rib Mountain State Park.

The 1.8-mile round trip Gray Trail traverses Rib Mountains’ north and south slopes. A brief side trip on the Blue Trail leads to the observation tower.

To reach the trailhead, from Interstate 39 in Wausau, exit onto Rib Mountain Drive, heading southwest. Go straight-right/west onto Park Road and ascend the hill. Park in the first lot on the road’s left/south side. The trail leaves from the lot’s southwest corner.

The first junction is at 0.1 miles. The Yellow Trail splits left/south. Continue right/west. You’re at 1700 feet above sea level.

Ancient volcanoes
About 1.45 billion years ago, a string of volcanoes stretched along what is now the west side of Interstate 39. Rib Mountain’s current location was at about the center of the volcanic region, known as the Wolf River Batholith.

The trail gradually climbs until reaching Cobler’s Nob. The Yellow and Gray trails split here at 1750 feet elevation and then rejoin. Stay on the Gray Trail be going left/west.

Deep below the volcanoes, magma that fed them cooled and hardened into rock. Over time, erosion reduced these craters to just their roots, which is what remains today between Rib Mountain south to Mosinee. Those roots are still impressive – Rib Mountain is a four mile-long ridge of ancient, hard quartzite that at 1924 feet is Wisconsin’s third highest point.

The trail rejoins at 0.41 miles and 1840 feet elevation and then splits. Go left/southwest. Along the way, you pass Sunrise Lookout.

Autumn glory
As September comes to a close, trees for miles around and on Rib Mountain turn brilliant yellows, oranges and reds. For a bird’s eye view of the harvest colors across the mountainside, consider taking a ski lift ride (at Granite Peak Ski Area) to the top then hiking around the summit and to the 60-foot tower before coming back down.

At the next junction, the trail meets the Lower West Yellow Trail from the left/southeast. Continue right/northwest. The CCC Gazebo is to the trail’s left/west.

The mountain got its name from the Ojibwe, who called the nearby Rib River O-pic-wun-a-se-be. The first part of the word means rib.

The Gray Trail crosses the park road at 0.68 miles and 1880 feet elevation. From there, leave the Gray Trail and walk straight-northwest alongside the road.

Observation tower
On the left side, pick up the Blue Trail at about 0.78 miles and go west. This leads to directly to the observation tower, which sits at 0.88 miles and 1920 feet elevation.

From the 60-foot tower’s top, you can see about 30 miles on a clear day. To the northeast is Wausau and the Wisconsin River, the latter of which runs to the southeast. Big Rib River is immediately north. Marathon City and a vast patchwork of farmland and tiny woods is to the west and Mosinee to the south.

Spend some time as well enjoying and scrambling over the ancient rocks at the summit. One of them – the Queen’s Chair – is perfect for a selfie.

After taking in the sights, retrace your steps back to the parking lot.

Autumn leaves highlight Blue Mound hike

Autumn scene from the base of the west observation tower, Blue Mound State
Park. Photo courtesy of Wisconsin DNR.

Flint Rock Nature Trail map. Click for larger version.

A walk through a maple-oak forest that blazes with color each autumn awaits day hikers at Wisconsin’s Blue Mound State Park.

The 1.5-mile Flint Rock Nature Trail loops up and down Blue Mound’s side as well as around and over large rocks. It ends near an observation tower that hikers can go to the top of.

Blue Mound peaks in a flat meadow at 1719 feet, making it the highest point in southern Wisconsin. Limestone once covered the surrounding landscape at that height, but over millions of years it eroded away, leaving this remnant.

Interrupted fern
To reach the trailhead, from County Road ID in Blue Mounds head north on Mounds Park Road (maps sometimes refer to it as Mounds Road). Follow the road to the beginning of where it circles back on itself. Park in the small roadside lot on the circle’s northwest side. From there, walk west along the roadside for a little more than 100 feet to the trailhead, which goes north into the woods.

From September through October, hikers will be delighted by the array of autumn colors here – the yellow, orange and red hues of sugar maple as temperatures cool, the amber of basswood, the deep crimson of red oak, the russet of white oak, and the gold of shagbark hickory.

The trail narrows as passing around half-buried boulders amid the trees. At 0.2 miles, the path intersects Indian Marker Tree Trail; continue straight/north.

From there, the path heads down a slope through a growth of interrupted fern. Reaching up to 40 inches high, colonies of the interrupted fern grow in clumps. They like both shade and open, moist woods. When the fern emerges each spring, a light wool covers it then falls off.

Maples and basswood
On the loop’s north side, the Willow Spring Trail briefly joins the trail; continue left/west and then straight/west when the Willow Spring parts ways. You’ll know you’re going the right way if you cross a plank bridge over a small stream at 0.3 miles from the trailhead.

Among the trees you’ll spot on the loop is the sugar maple. Wisconsin’s state tree, the sugar maple is popular first for its seasonal leaf color – which changes from summer’s deep green to fall’s yellow, orange, red and then a dark burgundy – and of course, for its sweet maple syrup that tastes perfect on pancakes, waffles and French toast. The tree reaches heights of 80-115 feet and is easily identifiable by its distinctive leaf, seen on the Canadian flag. Sugar maples can live up to 400 years.

The next half-mile is downhill. At 0.5 miles is another plank bridge and a bench to catch your breath, followed by three more small bridges.

Often found mixed with sugar maples is the basswood. Usually basswood rises between 60 to 120 feet high with a trunk diameter of 3 to 5 feet. It grows faster than most North American hardwoods. The leaves can be between 3-6 inches long. They alternate on the twig with the one nearest the branch the largest. The tree can live around 200 years.

Oaks and hickory
The path goes uphill then down to a flat wetlands at 0.9 miles. At a mile in are more boulders to walk around and a couple of more bridges to cross.

Red oaks, which prefer to grow in glacial drift and well-drained soils along streams, also can be found in Blue Mound’s woods. The red oak grows straight and up to 92 feet high; its trunk diameter can be up to 39 inches. The tree is easy to differentiate from other oaks; its stout branches grow at right angles to its stem branch, resulting in a narrow, round head. Younger red oaks also can be quite tall, as they grow rapidly; a 10-year-old tree can be up to 20 feet high. Red oaks live up to 400 years.

White oak also can be found in Blue Mound. The tree’s name comes from the color of its wood; its bark actually is a light gray. It usually grows up to 100 feet high with a massive canopy supported by large branches. Mature oaks drop massive amounts of acorns, so don’t be surprised to see squirrels and chipmunks scampering beneath them. White oaks can live 200 to 300 years, though some are known to be around 600 years old.

Shagbark hickory likes to grow among the oaks. In Wisconsin, hickory is found in only the southern part of the state. The leaves are long, between 12-24 inches, usually with five leaflets. Hickory grows well over 100 feet high and often lives around 350 years.

West observation tower
After the boulders and bridges, the trail ascends again. Steps laid into the ground help make the climb easier. The trail reaches the west observation tower at 1.7 miles. Hikers can head to the tower’s top and enjoy a view of the surrounding forest, which stretches for several miles. It’s a particular spectacular view when the autumn leaves are in their full color.

Just east of the tower, the trail leaves the woods and enters the open meadow atop the mound. At the park entry road, turn left/north and follow it back to your parking lot.

Be sure to wear good hiking boots for this trail. The path and rocks along it can be slippery after a rainfall.

Tour of Wisconsin’s major trees, observation tower await day hikers near Menomonie

Observation tower, Hoffman Hills State Recreation Area

Map of Tower Nature Trail, courtesy of Wisconsin DNR.

Day hikers can see a dozen major trees that dominate Wisconsin forests while heading to a 60-foot observation tower in Hoffman Hills State Recreation Area.

The roughly two-mile Tower Nature Trail sports a lot of steep ups and downs, so preschoolers and young elementary children may have trouble making it all the way on their own. It’s a good workout for moderately fit adults, but the payoff – in views and better health – is worth the effort.

To reach the trail, from Exit 45 on Interstate 94 east of Menomonie, Wis., 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.

You’ll find the trailhead is at the center of the parking lot’s east side. The trail is fairly smooth and wide, usually consisting of mowed grass, though some of the slopes are sandy. It’s mostly shaded.

From the parking lot, the trail heads up then downhill though a stand of birch and maple with an understory of ferns. During autumn, the yellow birch and red maple leaves make a splendid display.

The two trees dominating this section of the trail played an important role in Wisconsin history. Native Americans from this area used birch bark to make canoes, wigwams, baskets and cups. The maple was used by pioneers for furniture and today is a major source of syrup.

As the trail heads downhill, it enters a large stand of red pines. Also known as Norway pines, the tree is named for a town in Maine, not the country, as it’s native only to North America.

At 0.4 miles, the trail reaches the Whispering Pines Group Camp, an open area with a shelter, water pump, pit toilet, and fire pit. Head north at the four-corner trail junction in the camp.

Increasingly rare white pines
The trail continues uphill for another 0.4 miles, with the trail transitioning from red pines to maples. At the next trail junction, go right/east then in about 500 feet go left/north. Watch for blue jays and chipmunks and in the trail sand look for white-tailed deer tracks.

White pines can be found amid the maples in this section of the trail. During the 1800s, white pines were extensively logged off the Wisconsin landscape. What lumberjacks didn’t finish, modern industrialization may complete; white pines are extremely sensitive to air pollution and are rapidly disappearing.

Ridgelines can be followed along two side trails at two different spots in this area. Each adds about 0.45 miles to the hike, though, as they loop off and back onto the main trail.

As the Tower Nature Trail closes on the highest elevation in Hoffman Hills and the surrounding landscape, red oaks begin to dominate. Watch for the aptly named red squirrel, which likes red oaks, and if you’re hiking during early autumn, listen for the plink of falling acorns as they hit the ground.

The red oaks soon give way to white oaks, which brings you to the hill’s crest. At the top is the 60-foot Greg Schubert Memorial Tower, erected during the 1980s by the U.S. Army Reserve.

From the observation tower’s top platform, you can see about six miles in all directions on a clear day. A pretty quilt of farm fields and woodlands stretch below the hill in all directions.

Skirting a meadow, prairie area
Continuing west from the tower, the trail is largely downhill from the tower. Look for sumac, with its red fruit in fall, in the understory.

At the next trail junction, go right/west. You’ll loop around the hill side as losing elevation, passing quaking aspen and then hawthorne and dogwood along the way. Continue straight through the next junction. The route eventually re-enters the stand of red pines that stretches a fifth of mile to the group camp area.

Turn right/west at the next trial junction. You’ll skirt a meadow to your left and a wooded area sporting white ash trees on the right. An extremely hard wood, white ash is used to make baseball bats.

In about a 1000 feet, turn left/south; if you go straight, you’ll end up in the overflow parking lot. The trail’s last 1000 feet pass through a birch stand. To the right between the thin trees you can spot a prairie area across the park road.

At last the trail ends in an open grassy area with picnic tables, water pump and restrooms. The main parking lot is south of the open area.

Be forewarned that a number of trails branch off the main route, so keep an eye on trail markers and posted maps to stay on course. Should you accidentally take the wrong turn, the trail typically will loop back, but you’ll easily add a half-mile or more to your walk.

These adjoining trails do provide an excellent opportunity to teach older children about map reading. They can follow a printed map of the recreation area, and when you see a trail marker, ask them where you are on the map then compare it to the signage, which nicely includes a “you are here” star.

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

Hike to, climb 100-foot observation tower

Entry to Mille Lacs Kathio State Park in Minnesota.

Hikers can climb a 100-foot observation/fire tower for a fantastic view of Mille Lacs Lake and the surrounding countryside at Minnesota’s Kathio State Park. To reach the tower, you’ll hike a series of connecting trails for about two miles through dense woodland in one of the state’s most popular parks.

From Onamia, take U.S. Hwy. 169 about 8 miles north of Onamia. At the Kathio Arrowhead sign, turn onto County Road 26. After a mile, you’ll come to the park entrance where a small fee is required. Follow the park road past the observation tower. At the first and second intersections, continue driving straight; just past the Ogechie Campground is a parking lot. Pick up the Hiking Club Trail at the lot’s northeast end and go right.

The park’s 35 miles of trails all are well maintained but easy to get lost on as they meander and frequently intersect. Watch for the trail junction markers to stay on track.

Paralleling the road you just drove in on, continue walking in a roughly eastern direction. At trail junction marker 20, depart Hiking Club Trail by heading right; you’ll then cross the road you came in on.

The park itself is a section of a terminal moraine, a geological term for where glaciers stopped advancing during the last ice age. The glaciers left behind gravel and boulders carried here from Canada. Upon melting, this region was underwater and slowly has been draining ever since.

Wildlife abundant in second-growth forest
At marker 21, go right/south. The collection of trails to the tower route you through a second-growth forest, consisting mainly of aspen, birch, maple and oak. When you spot conifer stands, you’re glimpsing what this region looked like more than a century ago before loggers canvassed the area. Closer to the ground in June, you may notice pretty white trilliums blooming.

Go left/east at marker 33. You’ll then cross another park road. To give you a sense of where you’re at, this is the road that made the second intersection with the park road that you came in on.

At marker 32, go straight/east. Despite the number of trails and roads, by this time you’ll probably have noticed the great variety of wildlife in the park. White-tailed deer, squirrels, chipmunks and even black bear scurry about at ground level while high overhead eagles, osprey, Canadian geese, and loons abound. When coming across small clearings and aspen stands, watch for ruffed grouse.

Go straight/east at marker 29. You may be wondering where the park’s name, “Mille Lacs Kathio,” comes form. “Mille Lacs” is a French term meaning “1,000 Lakes,” which is what early European explorers and fur traders called the region. Blame “Kathio,” however, on poor handwriting – when explorer Daniel Duluth wrote that he called the area “Izatys” – which the native Mdewakanton Sioux living here called themselves – the “Iz” looked like a “K.” One more error turned “Katys” to “Kathio,” which doesn’t translate to anything.

Ascending Isle Harbor tower
At marker 3, go left/north. People have lived in what is now “Kathio” State Park for at least 9,000 years, or since that last ice age ended. In fact, the park can boast that it’s one of the most important collections of archeological sites in the state. Nineteen ancient sites have been identified. You can visit one of them when you return to the parking lot where your vehicle is located; the Cooper Site, an ancient Sioux village, is within walking distance and southwest of the parking lot, sitting on the shore of Ogechie Lake.

But first, let’s get to the observation tower. At marker 4, go right/east. In this area, watch your step: Some trails are for both equestrian riders and backpackers, so be careful of horse manure that sometimes is on the path. You’ll cross another park road (this road leads to the first intersection with the park road that you came in on). You’ll then come upon marker 5; continue straight to the observation tower.

The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed the Isle Harbor tower in 1936, and it was moved to the park in 1982. Anyone can go up it during daylight, but be aware that the open stairways makes this unsuitable for young children, who easily could fall or be scared; older children, teens, and the height-averse certainly may find it a worthy challenge as well. The views from the top make it worthwhile, though.

Return the way you came. If you have the whole day, the park offers picnic areas, swimming beaches, a visitor center, and several quality interpretive/nature programs.

Click map for larger version.

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.