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| A cordwalk parallels Lake Michigan over sand dunes near Sheboygan, Wis. |
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| Kohler Dunes Cordwalk map. Click for larger version. |
The 2.5-mile round trip hike in Wisconsin's Kohler-Andrade State Park runs entirely on cordwalk – boards tied together with steel cables. This ensures your feet don't sink into the sand and keeps you on the trail so fragile dune grasses aren't trampled.
The trail also passes the Sanderling Nature Center, which provides exhibits on dunes, and offers spurs to an interdunal pond and an overlook of the lake.
To reach the trailhead, from Sheboygan take Interstate 43 south. Exit onto County Road V and take it left/east to the park entrance. After passing through the entrance station, turn left/east. Park in the lot at the road's end.
Spurs to beach
Two spurs head off the cordwalk to the beach; the northernmost one, just 150 feet in from the trailhead, offers a nice overlook of Lake Michigan. Gulls flit about the shore, as sounds of waves crash on the beach. Sailing boats and fishing craft often can be seen in the distance.
Unlike boards nailed together on cement poured into the ground, the cordwalk is ideal for the dunes. Wind and rain constantly shifts the sand’s location, and the more flexible cordwalk can better adapt to the changes.
About 0.2 miles from the trailhead, the cordwalk reaches a roundabout with a depression in the middle. You can go either way, though staying left keeps you closer to the beach than going right. Blowing wind hollowed the depression. Scotch pines growing on the depression’s southwest side were planted as a wind break.
Upon reaching Sandering Lane and the Sanderling Nature Center, cross the road and continue left/southeast through the parking lot and along the trail. The cordwalk here briefly shares a segment with the Creeping Juniper Nature Trail Loop.
Desert vs. beach dunes
While desert dunes tend to be barren, dune grass covers those at Kohler-Andrade. Thanks to the grass, these dunes are more rounded than those in deserts, which rise into ridges with sharp drops. The grass diminishes erosion and even allows wildflowers to flourish.
Another difference with desert dunes is the way they are created. Many desert dunes tend to be sand blowing off a dry lake beds. Kohler-Andrade’s are barrier dunes, created when beach sand is blown inland during storms. Though the prevailing winds come out of the west, during storms the wind direction can switch direction and rise out of the east.
Thanks to the dunes, the Black River is unable to flow into Lake Michigan here. Instead, a wetlands from the river sits west of the dunes, and the river flows north about five miles before emptying into the lake.
At the next trail junction, go left/southwest, continuing on the cordwalk. You’ll pass a spur trail going right/west to an interdunal pond and after that a grove of wind-swept birch.
Along the cordwalk you can see a variety of plants that usually don't appear together. Among them are birch, aspen, the endangered dune thistle (found in only three other Wisconsin counties), goldenrod, milkweed, mullein, white pine wheat-grass, and willow. Beyond the barrier dune, juniper, white pine, and birch grows.
Dune wildlife
There’s a lot of wildlife here as well. You’ll likely see whitetail deer, definitely will spot gulls, and probably will cross pawprints for skunks that come here at night. During summer, watch for monarch butterflies fluttering about the milkweed.
Next the cordwalk passes a spur heading to the right/west. This leads to the group camp area.
The trail reaches its end at Old Park Road; a parking lot sits at the intersection. Once at the pet beach area, retrace your steps back to the trailhead.
As walking on the bare sand can damage the dunes’ fragile (and sometimes threatened) plants, always stay on the cordwalk or designated trail. If you brought Fido or Queenie with you, there is a pet beach area north of Sanderling Nature Center; on the cordwalk, pets must be leashed and stay on the trail.
