Day trail heads to Wisconsin sand caves

Big Sand Cave at Wisconsin's Wyalusing State Park.

Sand Cave Trail and Little Sand Cave Loop map.
Click for larger version.

Day hikers can explore a sand cave at Wisconsin’s Wyalusing State Park.

The 2.4-miles round trip Sand Cave Trail and Little Sand Cave Loop are a pair of new trails that take park visitors to a few previously unreachable sights. It partially replaces an older trail that went to one of two sand caves; the new trail follows the contour lines of comparably gentle slopes and use switchbacks so that the walk is never more than a 10 percent grade.

To reach the trailhead, from Prairie du Chien head south on U.S. Hwy. 18. After crossing the Wisconsin River, turn right/west onto County Hwy. C. Next, go right on County Hwy. CX to the park entrance. Once there, turn right/north onto State Park Lane. Park at the Paul Lawrence Interpretive Center. From the center, take the Walnut Springs Trail southeast.

At the first junction, turn left/east onto the Sand Cave Trail. The wide, single-track trail passes through a verdant hardwood forest alongside a steep hill. To the trail’s left/north is a deep ravine; beyond it is the Wisconsin River.

A fern grotto and a small waterfall appears at about 0.1 miles from the trailhead. Wildflowers blossom here in spring.

The trail next descends to a stream bed. Though usually dry, flat rocks have been placed in the stream bed to make crossing it easier when water does run.

Big Sand Cave
Once the trail turns south, you’re actually walking atop a sand cave. At points on this section of the trail, when the leaves are trees and shrubs are thin you can look down and see the cave.

In about 0.6 miles, the trail reaches a spur. Go left/west onto it. This brings you to Big Sand Cave, which has been carved out of sandstone and is the cave walked atop earlier on the trail.

The sand was set down about 500 million years ago in the Cambrian era when this part of the state was under a shallow tropical sea; the sand is sediment deposited on that sea floor. Rich in quartz, the sandstone is poorly cemented together and so easily erodes when exposed to wind, rain, spring water and the freezing-thawing cycle. Such erosion created this overhang cave by hollowing out the soft sandstone that sits below a harder limestone layer.

In the past, the cave used to be much larger. Erosion washed out enough supporting sandstone, however, that the ceiling collapsed. The large rocks in front of the cave used to be the roof.

Big Thunder Point
After taking in the cave, retrace your steps back to the junction. Once there, go left/northeast onto the main trail.

At the next junction, continue left-straight/northeast. You’re now on the Little Sand Cave Loop.

The trail soon arrives at Big Thunder Point, the hike’s northernmost point; it is about 0.8 miles from the trailhead. From the point, hikers can enjoy a grand view of the Wisconsin River Valley to the east and Prairie du Chien to the west. During summer, foliage can obscure the view.

Leaving the point, the trail hairpins, going southwest. On the trail’s right side is a plunging ravine, Wild Ginger Hollow, while on the left are limestone outcroppings that overlay sandstone. White-tailed deer and wild turkeys sometimes can be spotted in the hollow.

Little Sand Cave
Little Sand Cave is about 0.6 miles from Big Thunder Point; the cave is new spot park visitors couldn’t see before the new trail. During spring or following wet weather, a small waterfall flows in front of the cave. Because of the steep drop-off and delicate nature of the sandstone, no trail heads to the cave and hikers, are discouraged from bushwhacking to it.

From the cave, continue left/northwest on the trail, following the hill’s contour. The hill’s crest marks the trail’s highest point.

The loop then comes back to Sand Cave Trail (this is the junction skipped earlier). Follow it back to the interpretive center.

Be sure to don insect repellent in summer when mosquitoes can be a moderate nuisance.

Day hike historic site of first U.S. Army battle in Wisconsin

British surrounded fort,
gunship at Prairie du Chien

In southwest Wisconsin this Veterans Day, hikers can pay tribute to the first American soldiers to defend the region from foreign powers at The Battle of Prairie Du Chien site.

The battle, fought in 1814 during the United States’ war with Great Britain, marks the first battle fought by the U.S. Army in what would become Wisconsin. Today, the Villa Louis dominates the beautiful site, and though lacking any formal trails, there are plenty of pathways perfect for families with young children or older kids with an interest in history.

To reach the former battle site, from U.S. Hwy. 18 in downtown Prairie du Chien, head north on South Main Street (aka County Road K). Turn left/west at West Blackhawk Avenue and cross the bridge onto St. Feriole Island. Take a right/north turn onto North Villa Louis Road. Villa Louis is in four blocks. Parking is on the left in front of the visitor center; admission is required to enter the site.

During the War of 1812, the United States constructed a number of forts along the Mississippi River in an effort to dominate what then was known as the Northwest Territory. The northernmost of the outposts was Fort Shelby, constructed on the island in June 1814 by about 60 U.S. troops arriving from St. Louis. A gunboat, the Governor Clark, made anchor in the Mississippi to the fort’s west.

Locals seek help
Not everyone in the small village of Prairie du Chien took kindly to the Americans building a fort on their land. A party of villagers and traders headed to the British army’s Fort Michilimackinac, where they sought help.

The British certainly viewed the forts as a threat to their fur trade. A British-Canadian militia, with the support of Native American allies, set off to take the fort.

Upon arrival on Sunday, July 17, the British-Canadian-Native American expedition positioned itself on the prairie surrounding Fort Shelby and at noon presented their terms of surrender to the Americans. The fort’s commander, U.S. Army Lieutenant Joseph Perkins, refused.

The Brits summarily attacked the gunboat with their brass cannons. As the three-pound cannons were quite accurate and deadly, to avoid being sunk, the gunboat that afternoon cut its lines, leaving the troops inside Fort Shelby with very little ammunition and food.

Flag of truce
Still the besieged Americans held out for two days. Growing weary of the stalemate, the British prepared to fire hot shot from its cannons so that the wooden fort would burn. Low on water and ammo and without any food, Perkins ran up a flag of truce.

After a surrender was negotiated, the morning of July 20 the Americans marched out of the fort and laid down their weapons. The bloodless battle was over, and the U.S. troops were sent back to St. Louis.

British forces then occupied Fort Shelby, renaming it Fort McKay. Despite losing the battle, the Americans won the war, however, and in 1816 constructed Fort Crawford atop an Indian mound on the island. Several years later, the Victorian-era estate Villa Louis was built over part of the battleground.

A marker at Villa Louis commemorates Fort Shelby and battle. Each July, re-enactors hold a living history camp and narrate the battle for a weekend.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.