How to make birdwatching fun for children on a day hike

Hairy Woodpecker

For many children, spotting and watching birds – especially raptors, those that are courting, and rare species – is a great element of a day hike. Besides being entertaining, birdwatching offers many opportunities for learning while ensuring a memorable rest break.

Unfortunately, sometimes the birdwatching experience turns out to be a bad one, due to novice mistakes, and the hobby never takes root. There are a number of steps you can take, though, to ensure a birdwatch is interesting and fun for children:
g Know what to expect before hitting the trail – Many hiking guides will list what rare or spectacular birds can be seen along a trail. Look up those birds online or in books to learn more about them. This will help you more easily spot and identify them once on the trail. You also can get a good introduction to the hobby and learn some ins and outs of it by going on guided bird walking tours.
g Hike in the morning – Most birds are easier to spot in the morning than at other times of the day. That’s because many search for food during the morning.
g Search for birds in pairs or groups – Two sets of eyes often are better than one, and three even more so. You’re more likely to spot a rare bird when multiple people are looking in different directions for it on a hike.
g Skip the bird calls – While this may be useful for game birds, typically it scares off birds because it raises their stress levels. Ditto with artificial lighting during the evening.
g Bring binoculars – You’ll have a difficult time getting close enough to most birds to notice details about them. In addition, bring enough binoculars for everyone on the hike so that all can participate.
g Keep your distance – Should you be lucky enough to get close to where a bird is feeding or come across its nest, keep your distance. This also induces stress and can disrupt its natural habits.
g Leave the bird guidebook at home – The time you have to observe a bird often is flitting is best. By flipping through pages to identify the bird, one of two things likely will occur: 1) You’ll make noise that scares it off, or 2) It will fly away before you even get close to identifying it. Instead, jot down notes about the bird’s various traits or sketch its appearance so you later can look it up in a guidebook. Also listen closely for its vocalizations, as that will be very useful in identifying it.

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

Great activity for day hiking kids: Birdwatching

Hairy Woodpecker

Generally, exploring and discovery is enough for kids, but sometimes even they can grow bored with that and become restless. Remember that they naturally have shorter attention spans than adults.

Fortunately, there are lots of tried and true activities you can do on the trail that’ll keep kids from getting bored. Among them is birdwatching.

Early morning is the best time to watch birds. You’ll want to bring binoculars for each member of the party so there aren’t antsy kids while waiting to look. Good times to visit a park or nature preserve is when birds may be flying over and stopping over on their annual migrations. A bird identification guide can help you figure out what you’re seeing.

Materials: Binoculars, bird identification guide

Ages: 16 and up

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

Spot spring’s first flowers on trail segment

Marsh marigolds line the Plover River bottoms on the Green Circle Trail.

Green Circle Trail map. Click map for larger version.

Day hikers can check to see if spring truly has arrived via Wisconsin’s Plover River Trail.

The hike is a segment of the Green Circle Trail, which runs 27 miles around the city of Stevens Point. Offering multiple access points, the Green Circle Trail consists of several segments that carry their own names. The Plover River Trail runs 6.2-miles round trip and is the segment between Wis. Hwy. 66 and Maria Drive.

To reach the trailhead, take Wis. Hwy. 66 northeast out of Stevens Point. Once past the airport, turn right/southeast into the old farmhouse, which is now used a warming house. Between the parking lot and the warming house, take the wide connector trail heading northeast. Once at the Green Circle Trail, turn right/southeast onto the crushed granite trail.

The trail initially heads through an open area. Here you’ll find nest boxes. Though designed for bluebirds, a number of other birds – chickadees, swallows, wrens – use the boxes, making this a great spot for birdwatching. During spring and summer, keep an eye out for various sparrows, including chipping, field, and vesper; during winter, juncos can be spotted. Circling this open area are red-tailed hawks.

Mixed forest
At 0.25 miles, the trail enters a mixed deciduous forest and reaches a loop coming from the north. Continue south. Jack pines dominate the forest. This is another superb spot for birdwatching with cardinals, towhees, and a variety of woodpeckers – downy, hairy, red-bellied, and even a pileated – flitting about.

The trail next skirts Stevens Point Municipal Airport’s east side. Horned larks nest here, and during winter sometimes snow buntings can be seen.

At about a mile, you’ll enter another open area. If you’ve been on this trail many years ago, you’ll probably wonder what happened to the trees. Hundreds of them had to be removed here due to oak wilt.

The trail then enters a red pine plantation and comes to the north side of the City of Stevens Point well field.

Wildflowers
Next the trail arrives at the meandering Plover River. Among the most scenic parts of the entire Green Circle Trail – which is saying a lot, given that almost the entire route is beautiful – here is where wildflowers, especially marsh marigolds, galore can be found.

Preferring marshes, fens and wet woodlands, marsh marigolds are a harbinger of spring, blooming here April through May. The round, bright yellow flower can be up to 1.5 inches wide. Each flower has five to nine petals that turn upward to form a shallow cup. The marigold plant grows 1-2 feet high and can be found all across Wisconsin, though you may be surprised by the incredible number of them on this segment of the trail.

Another early blooming plant you’ll find in the river bottoms – though it’s hardly sweet like the marsh marigold – is skunk cabbage. One of the earliest wildflowers to bloom in spring, it can actually melt the surrounding snow and ice.

Its flower is shaped like a shell and usually brown to purple, though it also can be a quite attractive yellow, that grows 3-6 inches tall. Unfortunately, it gives off a strong odor of carrion, which attracts insects who then unwittingly pollinate its flowers.

Skunk cabbage prefers wet areas, so look for it in depressions. It mainly is found in the state’s southern half.

Hardwood forest
The trail leaves the river bottom after about a half mile and passes through a mature hardwood forest. Watch for beaver stumps along the river. Birds that can be seen in the area during spring and summer include barred and great-horned owls, red-shouldered hawk, and even sandhill cranes.

Next the trail arrives at a connector to a Green Circle trailhead parking lot off of East Maria Drive. Vireos, warblers, and other songbirds hang out in this cutback area during April and May.

The connector marks a good spot to turn back. You can add a half-mile one-way (1-mile round trip) by continuing on the Circle Trail to Hofmeister Drive. Be aware that you’re closing on Interstate 39, however, so the noise level rises.

In winter, the Plover River segment becomes a cross-country ski trail.

Other segments
Other exceptional segments of the Green Circle Trail include:
• Moses Creek segment – Running 2.4 miles, the trail heads through stands of mature hardwoods and white pine and offers an excellent opportunity to see pine warblers, red-eyed vireos and scarlet tanagers. It offers crushed granite surface and the Green Circle Trail’s longest boardwalk, at 0.5 miles long, which passes through wetlands.
• Riverfront segment – The 1.2 miles paved section follows the Wisconsin River from Bukolt Park south through Pfiffner Pioneer Park to the Hwy. 66 bridge. With its location near downtown and the UW-Stevens Point college campus, it’s among the trail’s most popular segments.

Leashed dogs are allowed on all segments of the Green Circle Trail except for the one heading through the Schmeekle Reserve.

Unique birds await hikers in Sax-Zim Bog

Great gray owl. Photo courtesy of
Minnesota DNR.

Route crosses northern Minnesota
in rural Hibbing-Eveleth region

Day hikers can enjoy prime birdwatching country on a trail in Minnesota’s Sax-Zim Bog.

Located northwest of Duluth near Hibbing and Chisholm, the McDavitt-Admiral Corridor Trail runs 0.75 miles one-way (1.5-miles round trip). The trail actually is unnamed but has been christened here for convenience’s sake.

Filled-in lake
To reach the trailhead, from Hibbing, take Minn. Hwy. 37 east. Turn left/south onto County Road 7 then right/west onto County Road 27. You are now traveling the northern edge of the McDavitt-Admiral Corridor, so named because of the two north-south roads that border this prime birdwatching zone. Next, go left/south onto County Road 83 (aka McDavitt Road), which becomes County Road 213. In about 1.5 miles, look for a dirt road on the left/east side. Turn into it and park off the road.

Walk the dirt road northeast. You’ll pass trees on the left/north and open country on the right/south. A black spruce-tamrack bog, the corridor’s terrain is fairly level.

If you think the soil below your feet looks like it belongs at the bottom of a stream, you’re right. Much of the bog is a lacustrine plain, meaning it once was a lake that since has filled with sediment washed into it.

Bits of the lake remain as ponds. A little more than half-way across the corridor, you’ll come across a small series of them.

More than 240 species
The unique terrain also makes for a great place to spot a variety of birds. In fact, more than 240 species of migrant and breeding birds have been tallied in the Sax-Zim Bog.

Along the trail, great gray owls can be spotted year-round while the summer yields Connecticut warblers and yellow-bellied flycatchers. During winter, a feeder in the area makes this an excellent area spot to see boreal chickadees, gray jays, and redpools; also making the cooridor home during winter are black-backed woodpeckers and white-winged crossbills.

In addition to birds, a number of interesting plants can be found in Sax-Zim. Among them are bog birch, pitcher plant, leatherleaf, stemless lady’s slippers, and sundew.

Upon reaching County Road 788 (aka Admiral Road), turn back. You can extend the hike, however, by crossing the road and circling a pond on other side; depending on how wet the ground is, this can add up to 0.6 miles to the walk.

Read more about day hiking Northeast Minnesota in my Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota guidebook.

St. Croix Valley’s best birdwatching trails

A number of day hiking trails in Minnesota and Wisconsin’s St. Croix River Valley offer great birdwatching opportunities.

As the river valley stretches directly north from the Mississippi River almost to Lake Superior, during spring and autumn several migratory birds stop off to feed and rest. Many even stay for the summer.

Here’s a sampling of the best river valley trails to spot birds.

Purple Trail (Kinnickinnic State Park)
An overlook of where the Kinnickinnic and St. Croix rivers merge is ice-free year around, making it prime feeding ground for American bald eagles during winter. Prairie restoration along a segment of the trail has created homes for partridge and ringneck pheasants.

North River Trail (Afton State Park)
Birds of prey, particularly red-tailed hawks and turkey vultures, find excellent feeding grounds atop the blufftop prairies and in the valley below where the St. Croix River reaches its widest span.

Hidden Ponds Nature (Black) Trail (Willow River State Park)
Three ponds amid woodlands is a favored nesting and feeding grounds for a variety of songbirds. The bright red scarlet tanager is among them.

Riverside Trail (William O’Brien State Park)
Traditional waterfowl, including geese and wood ducks, frequent Lake Alice and the St. Croix River along the trail. Bring some bread crumbs to feed them, which will delight any toddlers or preschoolers hiking with you.

Ridge View (Osceola and Chisago) Trails (St. Croix National Scenic Riverway)
Game birds including turkey and grouse, songbirds such as the scarlet tanager, and raptors like bald eagles, can be spotted in the diverse ecosystems the trail passes through.

Summit Rock Trail (Wisconsin Interstate State Park)
Atop the hill overlooking the river, sit and enjoy juvenile bald eagles gliding past you on the thermals. Often they fly within a few feet of you.

Redhorse Creek Northern Loop (Chengwatana State Forest)
A wide range of birds call this vast preserved area home. Among them are bald eagles, northern harriers, osprey, sandhill cranes, and warblers.

Hay Creek Trail (Crex Meadows Wildlife Area)
An internationally recognized bird area, just about any bird that frequents the Upper Midwest can be spotted at Crex Meadows. Most famous among them are giant sandhill cranes.

Read more about day hiking the scenic riverway in my guidebook Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.

Great tips on birdwatching for hikers

• How to find a bird's nest on a day hike
• Traits to look for when identifying birds on a day hike
• Meet the red-shouldered hawk
• Meet the Canada warbler
• Meet the Louisiana Waterthrush
• How to make birdwatching fun for children on a day hike

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

Hike to oyster fossil field in California desert

The West Mesa Trail passes the full length of the Willis Palms.

Some 3.1 million years ago, the smoothound shark lived in the waters
covering the Coachella Valley.

West Mesa Trail topo map. Click for larger version

This article originally was written for and appeared on the Uken Report.

Day hikers can head to an oasis brimming with wildlife and fossils on the West Mesa Trail near Palm Desert.

The 2.2-mile lollipop trail sits at the base of Little San Bernardino Mountains in the Coachella Valley Preserve. It’s sometimes referred to as the Willis Palms and West Mesa Trail on maps and in other literature.

To reach the trailhead, from Interstate 10 take Ramon Road east at Thousand Palms. As approaching the foothills, turn left/north onto Thousand Palms Canyon Road. A parking lot is on the road’s left side in about 0.66 miles. The trail heads northwest from the lot along the base of the mountains.

Desert flowers
The trail’s opening section consists of loose sand, as the route heads through a wash. Be sure to wear quality hiking boots; a trekking pole also can help with stability.

In about a quarter mile, leave the trail’s stem for the loop. Go right/northeast around the base of the foothill in front of you. The trail gradually gains elevation.

At about 0.8 miles from the trailhead, you’ve reached the loop’s north side. The trail then heads up and crosses the foothill. Your reward for the exertion are great views of the Coachella Valley spreading before you (Thousand Palms and Palm Desert are directly ahead) with the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains rising above it.

At roughly a mile in, you’ll begin the descent down the foothill. If hiking a day or two after a rainfall in late winter or early spring, wildflower blooms usually can be spotted along the way. Chia, the desert gold poppy, desert sand verbena, dune evening primrose, and sand blazing star all grow in the area. Butterflies and the carpenter bee often flit about the blossoms.

Desert wildlife
Though appearing like wasteland, a number of creatures actually thrive near the wash and on the foothill. The lizard is ubiquitous with the zebra tailed, dune and leopard species, as well as chuckwallas, all common. Footprints of roadrunners, black-tailed jackrabbits, and coyotes usually grace part of the trail. If you’re really lucky, you may sight the paw prints of the rarely seen bobcat, desert kit fox, or raccoon.

Once at the foothill’s base, the trail turns southeast and quickly arrives at Willis Palms. The oasis of California fan palms stretches 1200 feet from northwest to southeast. It is one of several oasis that line the San Andreas Fault, which causes water from the valley’s aquifer to seep upward through cracks in the earth.

Willis Palms is a testament to nature’s resilience. A fire burned much of the grove in November 2010, but within weeks the flora already was growing back. Bats and birds lost their homes when the fire destroyed the palms’ skirts, but all have since returned.

Today, Willis Palms is a good spot for birdwatching. Cactus wrens, hummingbirds, mourning doves, and Gambel’s quail have been spotted there. Look up, and you may see an American kestrel, raven, red-tailed hawk, or even a great horned owl eyeing the ground for a meal.

Oyster fossil field
Sign of life from a long ago age also can be found at the oasis. Erosion has exposed an oyster fossil field formed when this part of the world was at the bottom of an ancient sea about 3.1 million to 3.2 million years ago. At that time, the Gulf of California extended into the Coachella Valley with the warm shallow waters running about 30 to 98 feet. Fossils for at least four kinds of sharks and rays as well as three kinds of fish also have been found around the oasis.

To locate the oyster fossil fields, look for large white patches as the ground rises off the desert floor beneath the fan palms. Oyster shells stick out of the fairly soft rock. Only take pictures, though – collection of the ancient marine fossils is illegal.

Around 1.9 miles in, you’ll reach the stem trail. Continue straight/southeast to the parking lot.

The West Mesa is not the best-marked trail and there are crossing routes, so be sure to carry a map and compass. Almost all of the trail is exposed to the sun and wind, so always don sunscreen, sunglasses and a sunhat. To avoid the desert heat, the trail is best done October through March; the preserve is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. during those months.

6 Great Activities for Hiking Kids

• Intro: Hiking activities, games are age dependent
• Animal Homes
• Bird Trail
• Birdwatching
• Boot Twister
• Braiding
• Build Your Own Compass
• BONUS: "Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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

7 great beaches await at Indiana Dunes NP

West Beach on Lake Michigan at Indiana Dunes National Park. NPS photo.

Dunbar Beach at Indiana Dunes National Park. NPS photo.

Ah, the beach – sunbathing and swimming, flying kites and building sand castles, enjoying a summer sunset or taking in the dramatic approach of a storm. All of that and more is possible for those visiting Indiana Dunes National Park.

America’s newest national park features seven major beaches (listed here from west to east):
• Miller Beach – The Paul H. Douglas Trail (formerly the Miller Woods Trail) runs 2.1 miles (one-way) through forests to Miller Beach in Gary, Ind. While the Lake Michigan beach doesn’t always offer the greatest views – industry sits on either side of it – is is the closest park beach to Chicago and if hiking to reach it you get to cross incredibly high dunes, a fun adventure on its own. The trail starts at the Douglas Center for Environmental Education. Be aware that temperatures on the beach can be significantly colder or hotter than in the trail’s wooded portion.
• West Beach – Not all of the park’s beaches sit on Lake Michigan. Loop 2 of the 1.2 miles-round trip West Beach Trail heads to a beach on Long Lake; it’s a great spot for birding as well with a viewing platform for watching. If you prefer a beach on the Great Lake, however, no worries; just take the West Beach Trail to the 0.7-mile Dune Succession Trail (which is Loop 1 of the West Beach Trail) and follow it to a Lake Michigan shoreline perfect for sunbathing, building sand castles, or flying a kite. Pick up either trail at the parking lot off of West Beach Road east of County Line Road. The Lake Michigan beach also can be accessed via the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk. This 0.9-mile loop allows hikers to explore the eastern end of West Beach. A fishing pier and 900-foot breakwater leading to a lighthouse adjoin the beach. Both surfing and suntanning are popular on the beach. Start the hike by parking in the second lot off of Riverwalk Drive east of Midwest Steele road.
• Porter Beach – A quarter mile of Lake Michigan beachfront can be hiked near the park’s center. Park in the lot at the end of Waverly Road north of U.S. Hwy. 20. The lot allows you to walk the beach at neighboring Indiana Dunes State Park to Porter Beach’s east. That stretch, if walking northeast, offers industry-free views on the horizon. The west end of Porter Beach also can be accessed via the Cowles Bog Trail, the third or westernmost loop of which runs 0.2 miles along Lake Michigan; you first have to pass vast fen and major dunes, but the reward is an incredible amount of privacy on the beach.
• Kemil Beach – Immediately east of Indiana Dunes State Park, Kemil Beach offers far more than sands and waves. You can take a little time away from the beach umbrella and hike a dune or go birdwatching on the Dune Ridge Trail. A parking lot is off of East State Park Road north of U.S. Hwy. 12.
• Dunbar Beach – Immediately east of Kemil Beach, visiting Dunbar is like going back to the future. In addition to swimming and suntanning, you can walk past five historic homes of tomorrow featured in the 1933 Century of Progress World's Fair. Park in the lot off of Lakeshore Drive east of East State Park Road.
• Lake View – While not much different from the adjacent Dunbar Beach, Lake View does offer covered picnic shelters that overlook Lake Michigan. Use the parking lot on Lakeshore Drive west of Broadway; do not park in the Town of Beverly Shores’ private beach parking lot just east of the lot, though, as it’s not part of the national park and can result in a ticket.
• Central Beach – This is one of the better beaches, as it’s far from industry, unlike those on the park’s west side. During spring and summer, bank swallows nest in the dunes. You can access the beach a couple of ways. One is to park at the end of Central Avenue north of U.S. Hwy. 12. For the more adventurous, instead take the Beach Trail, which leads to 0.4 miles of Lake Michigan beachfront at the base of Mount Baldy Dune; the 1.12-miles round trip begins at the parking lot off of Rice Street north of U.S. Hwy. 12 just west of Michigan City, Ind.

Instilling a love of nature in kids through birdwatching

Have kids carry binoculars to better see birds they might encounter on a hike.

Today, nature writer and birder Ernie Allison guest blogs for Hikes with Tykes.

Autumn is a great time for birding – there’s a lot of migration starting, and it’s great weather to be outside and see some wildlife. I’ve worked hard to make nature a big part of both my kids’ and grandkids’ lives, so that means lots of hiking year round. Throughout the years, I’ve learned some tips to making bird-centric hikes more engaging for kids, making the experience more pleasant for everyone involved.

Rob did post an article a few months ago about making bird watching fun for children on a day hike, so you should check that one out if you missed it and then continue reading for further tips.

Human preparation
As in most ventures with kids, making sure everyone is well-rested and fed before the trip will save a lot of frustration. Birding is most fruitful in the mornings, so following the “early to bed, early to rise” rule is best.

Tell the kids what they’re looking for
You’re probably not going to go birding without knowing what’s common in the area. Pull pictures of your most likely sightings from the internet so that the kids know what they’re on the lookout for. Let them study the pictures in the car, but when it comes time to hike, gear their attention to actual nature, not picture replications.

Making the kids aware of what to look out for makes it easier to create an “I Spy” game of the day. You can also make a checklist and see how many you can check off. If your kids are disappointed for missing some, make it an opportunity to elongate the game and return another time.

Teach appropriate outdoors behavior
Birding is a quiet activity. This isn’t to say to expect your kids to be silent, because that just probably isn’t going to happen. But let them know why animals are so skittish of humans. Encourage low voices and careful walking. Have them look out for signs of wildlife on the ground (this can also keep them from taking unexpected falls). Impart the importance of “pack it in, pack it out” and treating nature with respect. The whole experience of birding is educational. Take the opportunity to teach behavioral, scientific, and eco-centric lessons.

Followup
Kids pick up habits and passion through repetition. Going on a yearly family hike is great if that’s all you can do, but try to incorporate nature into your family’s everyday life. After the trip, you can look up more information about the birds you saw, teaching feeding, migration, and mating habits of different wild bird species.

You can also put out bird feeders to bring nature to you. I love the idea of wildlife gardens, utilizing plants to attract birds, beneficial insects, and other wildlife to your yard. Gardening as a family creates a family project, allows bonding opportunities, and has great nutritional benefits. And of course, can allow for some great bird sightings.

By instilling a love of nature in your kids, you can make individual hiking trips a lot more fun for everyone. If you have any tips and tricks for bird watching with kids, share in the comments!

Ernie Allison is a grandfather, hiker and birder who writes about nature and conservation. He resides in Idaho.

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

Minn. State Parks offer fun activities for kids

Minnesota State Parks
Junior Park Naturalist patches

If traveling to Minnesota, its state parks offer a variety of programs for children. By participating, you’ll find your children not only come away with great memories but also learn something about nature.

Minnesota state parks (where I’m currently traveling) offer:
g Junior Park Naturalist patches/certificates – Download a nature activity booklet about pinelands, prairies or hardwoods; when children complete them, they can attend a program at the park and receive a free patch and certificate.
g Park Explorer patches – Kids who’ve completed the Junior Park naturalist program can purchase activity books about nature, history and the earth, at the park gift store. Completing the activity book earns the child a Park Explorer patch.
g Project Learning Tree – A number of nature-oriented family games and puzzles are available online via the Minnesota DNR. Volunteers and park rangers sometimes offer nature programs at park visitor centers as well.

Walking events frequently are held at many state parks. Some focus on birdwatching, others on wildflowers or wildlife, and few on the geological sites.

Be sure to check out the park system online for a full list of activities in the state where you’re traveling.

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

Some overlooked day hiking trails in Chippewa County, Wis.

Ice Age National Scenic Trail
at Chippewa Moraine State
Recreation Area. Photo courtesy
of Wisconsin DNR.

While much of Chippewa County, Wis., is largely farm country, split by the Chippewa River, a major Wisconsin tributary to the Mississippi, near the Barron County border, you can find a few good, overlooked hiking areas, including:
g Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area trails – The Ice Age National Scenic Trail cuts through this public land, which also boasts an interpretative center, on County Road M, about two miles east of Wis. Hwy. 40. An Ice Age National Scientific Reserve, other trials here include three loops of 0.7 miles (Mammoth Nature Trail), 1.8 miles (Dry Lake Trail), and 4.5 miles (Circle Trail) in length.
g Marsh Miller Cedars State Natural Area trails – An extensive wetlands that will require some bushwhacking, the public land is a great birdwatching spot, boasting bald eagle and great blue heron. The area is only accessible via boat from adjoining Marsh-Miller Lake.
g Morris-Erickson County Park trails – Located off of State Hwy. 40, the county park offers a boat landing, several electric campsites, and playground. For campers, a pleasant hike is along the park's shoreline of crystal clear Long Lake.

Read more about family friendly day hiking trails in my Headin' to the Cabin guidebooks.

Hike through three wetlands areas on Wisconsin boardwalk

Interpretive Boardwalk Trail heads through wooded wetlands.
Photo courtesy of Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center.

Boardwalk trail runs 0.75 miles near Ashland

Day hikers can wander along a northern Wisconsin trail that wends its way through three coastal wetland ecosystems: a sedge meadow, a black ash swamp, and a cedar and tamarack swamp.

The Interpretive Boardwalk Trail runs 0.75-miles at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center west of Ashland.

To reach the trail, from Ashland take U.S. Hwy. 2 west. Turn right/west onto County Road G. The visitor center is the next right/left. Park in the center’s lot.

On the lot’s north side, take the paved trail heading northwest. After about 30 yards of lawn, the trail enters a sedge meadow and turns into a boardwalk.

Three coastal wetlands
Sedges – which look like tall grass – rushes and forbs dominate the sedge meadow. Those plants flourish on the wetland’s saturated soils.

Thanks to the sedge meadow and the center sitting next to the Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge, the trail offers a number of birdwatching opportunities. Among the highlights are bald eagles, migratory raptors, and spring warblers.

As the trail reaches the northern edge of its loop, it leaves the sedge meadow for the wooded swamp ecosystems.

The black ash swamp, so named for the tree that dominates that wetlands, also is known as a northern hardwood swamp. It typically occurs alongside lakes or streams. Because the landscape drains poorly, often the soil is a mucky sand.

A cedar and tamarack swamp, sometimes called a coniferous swamp, is named for the northern white cedar and tamarack that rule this type of wetlands. A foot of water can inundate it. When the flood recedes, ferns often grow in the understory.

Fun visitor center
As veering southeast, the trail runs along the border of the sedge meadow and the wooded swamps. At the first intersection in that transition area, continue straight/southeast.

Upon reaching the lawn area at the loop’s end, the trail becomes paved again. Turn left/south to re-enter the parking lot.

If you have children, be sure to stop at the visitor center, where they can crawl through a beaver lodge and engage in other fun (but educational!) activities. Admission is free.

As you’re entering wetlands, don and carry bug spray on the hike. The trail is handicap accessible.

Read more about day hiking Bayfield County, Wisconsin, in my Day Hiking Trails of Bayfield County guidebook.

Observe effect of 1800s logging on day hike

Grove of paper birch

Birch, aspens grow where
white pine once dominated

Some 120 years ago, loggers swept through northeast Minnesota, as they fed a young nation’s growing need for lumber to build homes, make furniture, and lay rail beds. Hikers can see how that era altered the landscape on the Redhorse Creek Northern Loop in the Chengwatana State Forest.

Islands of upland boreal forest in a sea of brushland and marshes forms this state forest along the St. Croix River in Pine County. The Chengwatana offers primitive camping sites and has designated trails for off-road and all-terrain vehicles.

To reach the state forest, from Interstate 35, take the Beroun exit onto County Road 14. After 6.25 miles, turn south onto County Road 10/Evergreen Road. In a little more than three miles when County Road 10 and Evergreen Road split, turn left/southeast onto the gravel road (staying on Evergreen Road) then go left/east onto Chengwatana Forest Road. Watch for signs that make finding your way easy.

Where the Chengwatana Forest Road itself forks, go right/southeast. After crossing a stream, you’ll come to a parking lot on the road’s left side.

'White-pine town'
For the trailhead, follow the road you came in on south to a gate. On the other side of the gate, the trail is a stem leading to three stacked loops. Redhorse Creek is on the stem’s left.

At the first trail junction, you’ve reached the northernmost of the stacked loops. Go left/northeast so you do the trail clockwise. The trail is largely forested with a few spots that open to meadows.

The state forest’s name is an anglicized version of the Ojibwe word zhingwaadena, which means white-pine town. During the 1800s, eastern white pine was the dominant tree here. Then the area was heavily logged with the pine trunks floated down the St. Croix River to sawmills in Stillwater. The loop you’re on comes near the St. Croix after about a mile of walking.

At the next fork, go right. If you go left, you can extend the trail by either a little more than a mile by adding the middle stacked loop or by a little more than two miles through combining the middle and southern loop; the last combination also will take you alongside the river.

Today, paper birch and bigtooth and quaking aspen have largely replaced the white pine. The old granddaddy of the forest still can be found here, though, along with balsam fir, burr oak, jack pine, red oak, red pine, tamarack and white spruce.

Upon reaching the next trail junction, continue on your trail (that is, head west). If you accidentally turn, you’ll end up on a segment of the trail shared by the middle and southern loops.

The state forest still is logged today, though it’s controlled. The loop passes through a few areas in which companies have timber permits.

Excellent birdwatching
At the next fork, go right/north. You’re now solely on the northernmost loops and curving toward the trailhead.

Keep a watch out for wildlife. You’re likely to spot the footprints of, if not see, white-tailed deer, bear, beaver, mink, muskrat, ruffed grouse and turkey in the forest.

A number of other birds also can be seen here, thanks to the marshes and rivers. Bald eagles, northern harriers, osprey, sandhill cranes, and warblers all call the Chengwatana home. In spring and autumn, migrating waterfowl can be spotted as well.

The next junction is the stem you took to enter the loop. Go left onto the stem back to the parking lot.

Read more about day hiking the scenic riverway in my guidebook Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.

Day trails abound in Turtle Lake, Wis., area

Skinaway Lake Recreational Park trail

Cabin-goers to the Turtle Lake, Wis., area will find a number of good hiking trails in that area. Among them are:
• Cattail State Trail – From the village limits, the trail heads west into Polk County to Joel. This five-mile segment includes wetlands and a thick woods, both of which teem with wildlife, including white-tailed deer, otter, mink, fox, eagles, osprey a couple of hundred bird species and even black bear. Alternately, you can go east on the trail for up to 5 miles to Almena.
• Joel Marsh Wildlife Area jeep trail – Berry picking and wildlife watching are popular activities on this wildlife area; among the first pair of nesting trumpeter swans were located here in 1991. An old jeep trail begins where the main road ends south of Joel Flowage and runs for almost a mile to 120th Avenue.
• Loon Lake State Wildlife Area trail – Along the oddly named 18-1/2 19-1/2 Avenue is a trail heading east through woodlands to a pond. The wildlife area is an excellent place for birdwatching with around 140 species spotted.
• Silver Creek County Forest – A number of trails run through this county forest south of the village; a good one begins at the end of 5-1/2 Street and parallels Turtle Creek for a 1-mile round trip. It includes a spur leading to the waterway.
• Skinaway Lake Recreational Park trails – On the north side of town, a trail makes its way through a mixed hardwood forest along the shores of Skinaway Lake. The lake is popular for its largemouth bass and several varieties of panfish.

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

Wisconsin state flower flourishes on loop

The wood violet is Wisconsin's state flower.

Upper-Lower Trails Loop.
Click map for larger version.

Day hikers can see carpets of wild violets – Wisconsin’s state flower – at Door County’s Logan Creek State Natural Area.

The 1.2-mile Upper-Lower Trails Loop runs through the 170-acre site. Though a state natural area, the Ridges Sanctuary owns and manages the property, which is open to the public.

The trail is several miles south of the Ridges Sanctuary’s main site near Baileys Harbor. To reach the trailhead, from Jacksonport, take Wis. Hwy. 57 south. Turn left/south onto Loritz Road. An entrance to a gravel parking lot is on the road’s right/east side. Park there and take the trail at the lot’s northeast corner.

Three stacked loops make up the trail. The Ridges Sanctuary’s map splits the loops into four trails. Heading east, you’re on the Middle Trail. At the first trail junction, go north and begin the Upper Trail loop.

The trail heads through an upland beech-sugar maple forest. Visit in spring – especially mid- to late May – and you’ll be blown away by the number of wildflowers here. It’s especially a great place to see violets, which cover the forest floor.

Wood violet
Among them is the wood violet, also known as a common blue violet, which is Wisconsin’s state flower. Ranging in color from deep violet to lavender, (though sometimes they can be white), the flower consists of five distinct petals with three veined lower petals, and measures about an inch wide.

The flowers usually grow on their own stalk and stay beneath the plant’s heart-shaped leaves. The latter is high in vitamins A and C, and should you ever be lost in the woods with no food, know that they can be eaten raw. If you ever see violet-flavored jelly and candy, it was made from the flowers.

Wisconsin’s school children in 1908 selected the wood violet to represent the state’s scenic beauty for Arbor Day, and years later the legislature officially declared it the state flower. Three other states, including neighboring Illinois, have the wood violet as its state flower as well.

The wood violet is found throughout Wisconsin.

Also at the state natural area is the bird’s-foot violet. Colored pale to deep purplish blue, it is about 1.5-inches across and has five petals with the lower ones wider than the top ones. The flower’s center is orange. Unlike the wood violet, the bird’s-foot’s flower stands above its leaves. Bird’s-foot is a host plant for the Fritillary butterfly and mainly found in the southern part of the state.

Non-purple violets
Not all violets are purple, as is the case with two of those found at Logan’s Creek.

The downy yellow violet bears a five petaled sun-yellow flower about three-quarters of an inch wide. Violet veins on the petals act as guidelines for pollinating insects. Its stalks and leaves are downy. The plant grows all across Wisconsin.

Violets also can be white. Such is the case with the Canada violet. Its five-petaled flower has a yellow center, and it measures anywhere from one-fourth to an inch wide. As the flower ages, it can take on a pink hue. The blossom is one of the few violets that emits a fragrance. It grows throughout the state.

The trail next enters a wetland forest dominated by white cedar and black ash along with hemlock. Because of the different forest types that appear in the state nature area, its range of wildflowers is impressive. In late May, you’ll find spring-beauty, Dutchman’s-breeches, toothwort, large-flowered trillium, and trout-lily in bloom. During early June, look for orchids; more than 25 species grow on the site.

The varied forests also make this an excellent location for birdwatching, so bring your binoculars. Black-throated green warbler, eastern wood-pewee, great crested flycatcher, hermit thrush, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, and rose-breasted grosbeak all can be found here.

Clark Lake
Upon re-entering an upland beech-maple forest, a spur trail runs north toward Logan Creek; stay right/east and circle to the south, where you the trail comes upon another wetland forest.

In the wetlands, another of the stacked loops begins with a trail heading left/east. This is the Lake Trail and goes to Clark Lake, adding about 0.4 miles to the hike. More than 4500 feet of the lake’s shoreline sits in the state natural area.

If you skip the Lake Trail or when coming back on it to the Upper Trail, you have the option of going on the third stacked loop, the Lower Trail. Take it straight-right/south.

Initially the Lower Trail heads through a wetland forest but as curling west rejoins the beech-maple forest. This affords the opportunity to see more violets.

The Lower Trail takes you to the parking lot’s southeast corner.

Trail runs along top, base of Lake Pepin bluff

Yan Teopa Rock, a natural limestone arch in Minnesota, courtesy Wikipedia.

Map, Bluff Side Trail, courtesy Minnesota DNR.

Trail passes rare
Yan Teopa Rock
in Minnesota

Hikers can traverse the top and the base of a bluff looming 430 feet above Lake Pepin at Minnesota’s 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.

To reach the trailhead, from Red Wing, take U.S. Hwys. 61/63 south. At Frontenac Station, turn left/north onto County Road 2. Once past 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. Leave your vehicle there. Pick up the trail at the lot’s southeast corner.

Ancient limestone
On the trail, go north, following it alongside the parking lot. You’re atop Gerrard's Bluff (sometimes referred to as Point-No-Point) overlooking Lake Pepin. A couple of picnic spots along the way offer vistas of the lake below with the visible Wisconsin shoreline about two miles away.

After passing the parking lot, the trail splits. Go right/north. This heads to an overlook. The town across the way is Maiden Rock, Wis.

In 0.4 miles, the trail reaches a junction. Go right/north to stay near the cliff edge.

The bluff is made of limestone laid down about 500 million years ago as organic sediment settled at the bottom of a shallow sea. Even after eons of erosion, the bluff stretches three miles long.

After another 0.3 miles of walking, the trail reaches another junction. Continue straight/west so you remain close to the cliff edge.

Yan Teopa Rock
During the last ice age, Glacial River Warren drained Glacial Lake Agassiz, carving out what is now the Minnesota and the Mississippi river valleys. During peak flows, Gerrard's Bluff was an island in the Mississippi River.

In 0.2 miles, the trail reaches two more overlooks. These are good spots during autumn for birdwatching. An impressive 260 bird species have been seen in Frontenac State Park, as they are attracted to the locally diverse habitats of prairie, floodplain forest, hardwood forests and bluffland. Keep an eye out for both bald and golden eagles, hawks, various waterfowl including ruddy turnstones and sanderlings.

The trail passes a couple of access trails leading to the campground during the next 0.2 miles. Upon coming to the T-intersection, go right/south.

In short order, you’ll come to Yan Teopa Rock. From a wooden overlook, you can look down upon a the natural limestone arch, a rare sight in the Midwest. The formation’s name comes from what Dakota called it and aptly means “rock with opening.”

Lake Pepin shore
Next, switchbacks run for about 0.2 miles as the trail heads down the bluffside to the lakeshore. Along the way, watch how the trees change with the elevation. The top of the bluff is a mix of aspen, basswood, elm, maple and oak. Cottonwood, maple and willow dominate the bluff’s bottom.

Over the next mile, the trail runs along the lakeshore with Gerrard's Bluff above you. Warblers are abundant here.

A few access trails lead right up to the water and its stony shore. Lake Pepin, at 22 miles long at a slightly more than a couple of miles wide, is the largest broadening of the Mississippi River on its entire course. Sediment from the Chippewa River south of near Pepin, Wis., creates a dam the backs up the Mississippi to form the lake.

When the trail curves south, it begins climbing bluff again over 0.2 miles. Near the top, the trail splits; go right/north. Just below the bluff top is an overlook.

Once cresting the bluff top, you’ll arrive at another trail that is your start point at the parking lot.

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

Explore only river to cross Coachella Valley

Rock walls rise high above the Whitewater River.

Canyon View Trail map

This article originally was written for and published by the Uken Report.

Day hikers can walk alongside the only river that runs the Coachella Valley’s entire length.

The 3.75-miles looping Canyon View Trail sits in the 2851-acre Whitewater Preserve, managed by the Wildlands Conservancy. A section of the route is part of the Pacific Crest Trail and sports a 650-foot elevation gain.

To reach the trailhead, from I-10 in the northern Coachella Valley take exit 114 and turn north onto Tipton Road. Near the exit ramps, go left/north onto Whitewater Canyon Road. The road ends in about 4.7 miles at the preserve’s ranger station. Park there and from the lot pick up the trail, which heads northwest into the canyon.

Well-marked with rocks lining the path, number of other footpaths crisscross the route, so be sure to bring a map.

In 0.15 miles, the trail comes to a wooden post with an arrow pointing right. Go that direction and onto the PCT.

The trail next enters the river’s floodplain. This is a great spot for birdwatching. Look for the endangered Southwest willow flycatcher, a small perching bird with brownish-olive upper body, whitish throat pale olive breast, and two light wing bars. During the 1990s, fewer than 1200 pairs remained, mainly because of urban development destroying its riparian habitat. The Bell’s vireo also can be spotted here, and during the annual migrations the summer tanager and vermilion flycatcher stop off at the preserve.

Whitewater River
About 0.5 miles from the parking lot, the trail crosses the Whitewater River via a wooden footbridge. Depending on the amount of snow and rain the San Bernardinos receive and the season, the bridge can be washed out (usually in spring) and sometimes you can hop across the rocks (usually autumn). Most of the year, the river is ankle- or calf-deep at best.

The main river that flows through the Coachella Valley, the Whitewater runs 54 miles. Its North Fork starts at more than 10,000 feet high on San Gorgonio Mountain, with the meltwater flowing out of the San Bernardino Mountains making for a cold stream and a lush canyon.

Upon reaching the desert and the preserve, much of the river water drips through the porous valley floor and eventually pools in the Coachella Valley aquifer. Farther downstream, near Coachella, the Coachella Canal replenishes the river with water diverted from the Colorado. Ultimately, the Whitewater River drains south of Mecca into the Salton Sea.

About 0.66 miles in, the PCT splits; go left/south. The Canyon View Trail enters a side canyon and then heads uphill via a series of switchbacks. If with a hiking partner, you’ll need to walk single file. The trail gains about 475 feet until reaching the ridge above the canyon.

At the top, watch for the wooden post for PCT and turn left off of it onto the Canyon View Loop Trail. The level route runs alongside Whitewater Canyon’s westside, offering nice views of San Jacinto Mountain and the Santa Rosa Mountains.

Switchback views
Eventually the trail dips slightly but then rises to a great panorama of the preserve. Deer, bear and bighorn sheep all have been seen at Whitewater.

At about 2.35 miles, the trail descends into Whitewater Canyon. Parts of this section can be rocky, so watch your step. The reward for the hard work are great views of the river flowing from the canyon’s north end alternating with windmills in San Gorgonio Pass and the San Jacinto summit to the south.

Once at the canyon bottom, walk northeast along the side of road. Cross the river via the road’s bridge and then look for a trail curving into the floodplain away from the asphalt.

In just under a half-mile from the road, the trail passes the ranger station and arrives at your parking lot.

As the entire trail is in the open desert, always don sunscreen and sunhat as well as bring plenty of water. (You don’t want to drink from the river) Leashed dogs are allowed on the trail. There’s no fee to enter the park, which is open from 8 am to 5 pm; you’ll want to start the hike at least a couple of hours before closing time to ensure you are not trapped in the preserve as the gates are locked when the park closes.

Learn more about national park day hiking trails in my Best Sights to See at America’s National Parks 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.