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| Sisters’ Farm Trail System |
There’s no better way to experience autumn colors in west-central
Wisconsin than a hike.
The brilliant yellows, oranges and red
of maples to the scarlet and russets of oaks...the crisp, fresh autumn air and
the last warm rays of sunlight before winter arrives...the crunch of fallen leaves and acorns beneath your boots...stopping to enjoy a warm mug
of apple cider or a caramel apple pulled from your backpack – it all calls for an afternoon on the trail.
Fortunately, there are plenty of great autumn trails across west-central Wisconsin to hike. Some are right out your back door, while some are a day trip that you can do in an afternoon.
Chippewa County
Day hikers can enjoy a pleasant walk around several placid lakes and ponds on the South Loop at the Hickory Ridge Recreational Area east of Bloomer. Though primarily cross-country skiing trails, the series of stacked loops can be hiked during the other seasons. The South Loop, a 3.1-miles round trip lollipop, is a good choice, as almost the entire trail runs through a northern hardwood forest. In Wisconsin, such a forest typically consists of sugar maple, beech, basswood, white ash, and yellow birch. The trail makes for a colorful walk in autumn when the leaves change. From Bloomer head west on Wis. Hwy. 64. Go left/north onto County Road AA then right/east onto 226th Avenue, which as veering south naturally becomes 225th Avenue (aka Bob Lake Road). The parking lot is on the north side of the road just east of Big Buck Lake.
Eau Claire County
Day hikers can enjoy a walk along two waterways through a wildlife-laden forest in the heart of Eau Claire. Several undesignated trails run through the Putnam Park State Natural Area on the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campus. Hike the natural area’s eastern section, which is largely centered on Little Niagara Creek. The natural area is heavily forested, with red and white pines dominating the higher ground while hackberry, paper and river birch, and red and silver maple thrive in the lower, wetter areas. Tamarack and white cedar also can be found in the eastern portion’s wettest sections. Day hikers will be impressed by the size of the trees, especially the red and white pine, which have largely been undisturbed for more than a century. It can be reached by walking alongside Putnam Drive, which starts across from campus parking lot #14.
Rusk County
By Wisconsin standards, the 1300-foot high Blue Hills are like mountains. With that kind of relief from the surrounding terrain, it’s an excellent place to see a variety of fall colors. The Blue Hills primarily sit in a mixed deciduous forest of maple basswood, and oak, but you also can find red and white pines, balsam and hemlock. The Blue Hills West Trail’s first stacked loop at 2.3 miles total is particularly good during autumn. From U.S. Hwy. 8 in Weyerhaeuser, go north on Second Street. Take the road out of town for about seven miles. At the Y intersection, turn right/east. After passing Christie Mountain, turn left/north onto Fire Lane Road. Next, go left/west onto Excelsior Road (unmarked); if you pass the turnoff for the East Side Trailhead and parking lot, you’ve gone too far.
Fortunately, there are plenty of great autumn trails across west-central Wisconsin to hike. Some are right out your back door, while some are a day trip that you can do in an afternoon.
Chippewa County
Day hikers can enjoy a pleasant walk around several placid lakes and ponds on the South Loop at the Hickory Ridge Recreational Area east of Bloomer. Though primarily cross-country skiing trails, the series of stacked loops can be hiked during the other seasons. The South Loop, a 3.1-miles round trip lollipop, is a good choice, as almost the entire trail runs through a northern hardwood forest. In Wisconsin, such a forest typically consists of sugar maple, beech, basswood, white ash, and yellow birch. The trail makes for a colorful walk in autumn when the leaves change. From Bloomer head west on Wis. Hwy. 64. Go left/north onto County Road AA then right/east onto 226th Avenue, which as veering south naturally becomes 225th Avenue (aka Bob Lake Road). The parking lot is on the north side of the road just east of Big Buck Lake.
***
Day hikers can walk under a canopy of amber, orange and scarlet leaves at Irvine Park. A paved 1.1-mile paved trail loops through the park’s southeast corner, runs alongside a creek and passes through a tiny zoo, making it a perfect autumn outing if children are with you. From downtown Chippewa Falls, head north on Wis. Hwy. 124. Turn left/west onto Bridgewater Avenue. Go right/north onto Bear Den Drive and pull into the parking lot on the left/west. At the lot, angle northeast past the restrooms. At Bear Den Drive, walk left/north along the sidewalk. ***
A cornucopia of colors await hikers each autumn at Lake Wissota State Park. Though much of the park consists of evergreen plantations, sections of it contain deciduous forests. Try the south end of the Lake Trail, which runs 1-mile round trip from the beach house to the Red Pine Trail junction. Yellow-, orange, and red-leaved sugar maples, russet-colored oaks, and a few evergreen red and white pine – surround the trail. From Chippewa Falls, head north on Wis. Hwy. 178. Turn right/east onto County Road S. Immediately after the Chippewa River bridge, go right/east on County Road O. The park entrance is about two miles on the right. Park in the lot for the beach house.***
For more Chippewa County trails, see Day Hiking Trails of the Chippewa Valley.Eau Claire County
Day hikers can enjoy a walk along two waterways through a wildlife-laden forest in the heart of Eau Claire. Several undesignated trails run through the Putnam Park State Natural Area on the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campus. Hike the natural area’s eastern section, which is largely centered on Little Niagara Creek. The natural area is heavily forested, with red and white pines dominating the higher ground while hackberry, paper and river birch, and red and silver maple thrive in the lower, wetter areas. Tamarack and white cedar also can be found in the eastern portion’s wettest sections. Day hikers will be impressed by the size of the trees, especially the red and white pine, which have largely been undisturbed for more than a century. It can be reached by walking alongside Putnam Drive, which starts across from campus parking lot #14.
***
Hikers can enjoy a waterfalls shrouded in autumn colors while perched atop rock that is at least 1.85 billion years old at Big Falls County Park. Though there’s no designated trail, hikers easily can walk a half-mile along the Eau Claire River and across the rock. The waterfalls – surrounded by trees that have turned yellow and various shades of red– consists of two drops that total 25 feet over outcroppings of ancient gneiss. From Eau Claire, take U.S. Hwy. 12 east. Turn left/north on N. Elco Road. At County Road SS (aka 9 Mile Creek Road), go right/east. This road runs out at County Road K (aka N. 130th Avenue); head left/north onto County K. Just before crossing the Eau Claire River, turn left/west onto Big Falls Forest Road. The sandy road heads straight to a parking lot; from there, walk west toward the river. ***
Day hikers can walk through an oak savanna and along a stream at the Beaver Creek Reserve north of Fall Creek. The 1.3-mile round trip Interior Loop runs through a small section of the 400 acres overseen by the Friends of Beaver Creek Reserve. Each autumn, the savanna's oak leaves range from yellow-brown to wine red. A variety of colors also can be seen on other trees along the creek and the trail's uplands portion. From U.S. Hwy. 12 in Fall Creek, go north on County Road K. The reserve is on the north side of the Eau Claire River. Park in the lot for the nature center on the road’s right/south side. From there, take a connector trail east to the trailhead. ***
For more Eau Claire County trails, see Day Hiking Trails of the Chippewa Valley.Rusk County
By Wisconsin standards, the 1300-foot high Blue Hills are like mountains. With that kind of relief from the surrounding terrain, it’s an excellent place to see a variety of fall colors. The Blue Hills primarily sit in a mixed deciduous forest of maple basswood, and oak, but you also can find red and white pines, balsam and hemlock. The Blue Hills West Trail’s first stacked loop at 2.3 miles total is particularly good during autumn. From U.S. Hwy. 8 in Weyerhaeuser, go north on Second Street. Take the road out of town for about seven miles. At the Y intersection, turn right/east. After passing Christie Mountain, turn left/north onto Fire Lane Road. Next, go left/west onto Excelsior Road (unmarked); if you pass the turnoff for the East Side Trailhead and parking lot, you’ve gone too far.
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Autumn colors can be found aplenty on the Sisters’ Farm Trail System just outside of Ladysmith. Ten miles of trails cover the varied terrain inside a bend of the Flambeau River. Leaves along the trail shimmer red, yellow and orange. From downtown Ladysmith, take U.S. Hwy 8 south. Turn right/west onto Port Arthur Road then straight/left-south on Sisters’ Farm Road, which leads to the parking lot.