Wildflowers abound on threatened dunes

The hoary puccoon blooms each spring on the Kenosha Dunes.

Kenosha Dunes Trail aerial map.
Click map for larger version.

Day hikers can explore a disappearing sand dune that boasts several unique wildflowers in southeast Wisconsin.

But visit soon. The Kenosha Dunes and the 1.9-mile lollipop trail running through it may not be there for long.

To reach the trailhead, from the junction of Wis. Hwys. 32 and 50, take the former south. Go left/east onto 75th Street then right/south onto Third Avenue. When the avenue reaches the roundabout, turn right/southeast into a parking lot.

Take the paved trail south. Upon reaching the sand dunes, the trail skirts the dunes on the right/west and Lake Michigan on the left/east.

Ice age dunes
The dunes sit at the north end of Chiwaukee Prairie State Natural Area, the most intact coastal wetland in southeastern Wisconsin and among the state's largest prairie complexes.

The stabilized dunes were created during the last ice age. As glacial Lake Michigan receded, wave and wind pushed lake sand and glacial till into dunes. As grasses took root on the new ground, what used to be under water became a ridge and swale.

The dunes are rapidly disappearing, though. Storms that produced extreme waves and higher lake levels are quickly washing away the sand down to the clay base that is Lake Michigan's lakebed. At some spots, up to 100 feet of dunes has disappeared since 2016, and scientists predicted they could be entirely gone by the middle of this decade.

At about 0.75 miles, the trail swings right/west through the dune's southern edge. Multiple footpaths head through the area that allow to go into the dunes.

Spring wildflowers
The dunes provide habitat for a number of wildflowers. During spring and early summer, look for puccoon, wild onion, ladies tresses, white fringed orchids, bird's-foot violet, marsh marigold, and shooting star.

Hoary puccoon's yellow-orange, five-petaled flower is a half-inch wide. They form a cluster about 2-3 inches wide atop a stem that is vaguely in the shape of a question mark. Native Americans used its roots to make a red dye. Puccoon is found throughout Wisconsin.

Wild onion, also known as prairie onion, yields a miniscule pink to rose flower that's a mere quarter- to half-inch wide. They form a round cluster about 1-2 inches wide atop a single, straight stem that can reach two feet high. The flower is so named because it smells like an onion, but it actually is a member of the lily family. It grows in all but the state's northern quarter.

Shining lady's-tresses blooms from late May through early July. Its oblong white flowers bloom along a tall, grass-like stem. The plant is found in only one other Wisconsin county.

Orchids, violets
White fringed orchids bloom in early June through late July. The tiny, half-inch wide pearl white to cream flowers have a petal with fringed edges. Clusters of 10 to 20 flowers grow atop each stem. They are found mainly in southeast Wisconsin.

Also at the dunes is 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.

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.

The shooting star is another common prairie spring wildflower. Growing between 10-20 inches tall, up to five flowers can appear per stalk. Each flower has fived backward-curved purple petals rising out of a yellow center. Euro-American settlers called them “prairie pointers.” They mainly are found in the southeastern part of the state.

Summer, fall flowers
In mid- to late-summer, a whole new array of flowers bloom on the dunes. Among them are rattlesnake master, tall prairie blazing-star, black-eyed Susan, and coneflowers in mid-late summer.

Rattlesnake master yields a tiny, white to purplish, five-part flower. They form branched clusters of quarter-inch to inch-wide round balls. They are found in southern Wisconsin and a couple of northern counties.

The tall prairie blazing-star, also known as gayfeather, also blooms in summer. Growing 2-5 feet tall, it offers a spiky purple cluster of flowers. The spike can grow up to 18 inches tall and is loved by deer and butterflies. It grows in the southern third of the state.

Black-eyed Susan blooms in summer and fall. Its large 2-3 inch wide flowerhead consists of 10-20 brilliant yellow daisy-like petals and a brown, button-like center. It grows 1-3 feet high. Goldfinches and house finches love the plant. It’s also a host for the caterpillar of the black and orange silvery checkerspot butterfly. Black-eyed Susans thrive all across Wisconsin.

Yet another set of flowers bloom in fall. Among them are gentians, goldenrods and asters.

Erosion solution?
In around 0.95 miles, the sand trail curls right/north. The dunes are now on the right/east with a swale on the left/west.

With intervention, the dunes may yet survive. One proposal calls for building an artificial reef structure offshore. That would slow the waves before they hit the dunes, greatly reducing erosion.

At about 1.61 miles, the sand trail arrives back at the sidewalk. Go left/northeast onto it and return to your vehicle.

Due to the erosion, be aware that access to the trail and dunes can be limited at times.

Traipse around Lake Michigan lighthouse

Southport Lighthouse and keeper's house

Southport Lighthouse map. Click for larger version.

Day hikers can explore a restored lighthouse from the 1860s along Lake Michigan's western shores in Wisconsin.

The roughly 0.12-mile round trip walk heads to Kenosha's famous Southport Lighthouse. Located on Simmons Island, the station affectionately is known as the "Old Kenosha Light."

To reach the lighthouse, from the intersection of Wis. Hwys. 32 and 158 in Kenosha, take Hwy. 32 north. Turn right/east onto 50th Street, crossing the harbor channel onto Simmons Island. As 50th Street curves right/south, it becomes Fourth Street. You'll pass the light station. As the street curves left/east, it becomes 51st Place; a parking lot is on the right/south side across from the Kenosha History Center.

After parking, cross the street to the history center and follow the sidewalk left/west to the lighthouse and keeper's house.

The lighthouse stands 55 feet tall, and because it's located on a hill, rises 74 feet above Lake Michigan.

Erected in 1866, Southport replaced two older lighthouses. It was part of a concerted effort to turn Kenosha into a major shipping port. At one time, it was the first light Great Lakes ships coming from Chicago would see in Wisconsin.

Built of yellow Milwaukee Cream City brick, the lighthouse originally boasted a Fresnel lens fueled by kerosene. The lens was taken out of use in 1906 when Southport's duties were taken over by the new Kenosha North Pier Light. Southport still was used, however, as a 25-foot tripod mast was raised atop it to display storm warning flags and lights.

The keeper's house was built at the same time and of the same material as the lighthouse. In 1907, a two-story porch and a two-story addition to the kitchen and bathrooms were added.

By the early 20th century, better harbors and railroad connections in Chicago, Milwaukee and nearby Racine, Wis., doomed Kenosha to being a minor port, and Southport's importance diminished.

Today, the lighthouse brings dollars into the community in ways other than shipping. It's a major local tourism destination as serves as a museum. The light station was restored in the 1990s, with an automated electric light added to the tower.

Summer weekends mark the best time to visit the light station, as the keeper's house and tower typically are open to the public.

After taking in Southport, hikers can extend their walk by heading to the nearby Kenosha North Pier Lighthouse. Follow the sidewalk east of the Kenosha History Center to the beach. The lighthouse sits at the end of the concrete pier for an additional 0.53 miles round trip walk.

Standing 50 feet high, the North Pier Lighthouse is made of riveted steel plates. The lighthouse still is in service after more than 110 years. It is privately owned and there are no tours of it. Maps, brochures and websites sometimes is referred to as the Pierhead Lighthouse or the Kenosha Lighthouse.