Top fall hikes in southeast Wisconsin, Part II

Colonial Park in Racine, Wis.

There’s no better way

to experience autumn colors in southeast 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 southeast Wisconsin to hike. Some are right out your back door, while some are a day trip that you can do in an afternoon.

Racine County
Day hikers can walk across what used to be a terrace of ancient Lake Michigan and now is a wonderland of harvest colors in autumn. A 1-mile nature trail loops through Sanders Park Hardwoods State Natural Area, which is located within Sanders County Park. Among the highlights are gold-leaved basswood, wine-red white oak, bright-yellow black walnut, russet-colored red oak, lemony white ash, and a brilliant yellow elm-ash stand. From Racine, take Taylor Avenue south. Turn left/southwest onto Wood Avenue then right/east onto Exculpating Road where there’s a parking lot.

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Hikers can enjoy a bird sanctuary undergoing a major transformation at Colonial Park in Racine. The 1-mile round trip Root River Pathway makes two crossings over the waterway on its way to Lincoln Park. Many rare warblers stop in the park during the fall migration. An extensive effort is underway in the park to eliminate invasive species, such as buckthorn, reed canary grass, and garlic mustard, and to restore wetlands as well as replace ash trees ravaged by emerald ash borer. In 2019, a total of 175 small trees – birch and oak – and shrubs – elderberry, hazelnut, chokeberry and nannyberry – were planted in the park’s southern section, making for a great walk in which fall colors are at eye level. From downtown, take State Street west. Turn left/west onto West High Street. The road ends in the park.

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Hikers can wind their way through a thick oak forest at the Wehmhoff Woodland Preserve near Burlington. Each autumn, the leaves there turn from green to tan and russet. The 1.6-mile Wehmhoff Woodland Trail crosses the preserve’s 80 acres of hilly terrain; part of the route is a ridge overlooking a bog, where grasses dry to a bronze color that is brilliant in the sunlight. From Milwaukee Avenue in Burlington, go west on West Grove Street, which becomes South Honey Lake Road. The preserve’s entry road with a small parking lot is on the street’s right/east.

Walworth County
Among the best places in southwest Wisconsin to enjoy fall colors are its moraine ridges. They offer terrain relief and slopes where different trees can flourish. One great trail for hiking a moraine is the 9-mile round trip Lake La Grange Trail. Part of the trail climbs to a ridge 200 feet above the surrounding terrain, sporting a hardwood forest of yellow-orange-red sugar maple, bronze basswood, and gold to maroon-colored white ash. From Whitewater, take Bluff Road east. Turn right/south on Duffin Road. Park at the Ole Oleson Historic Log Cabin and from there join head east on the connector to the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Go south on the Ice Age Trail.

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A pleasant walk through the woods past a tiny stream at Price Park Conservancy near Elkhorn will delight day hikers, especially during fall. The 0.51-mile Red Loop heads through a forest of sugar maple, shagbark hickory, elm, oak and dogwood and and a grove of evergreens near a tributary to Sugar Creek. In autumn, the trees turn orange-gold, with an occasional purple crown. From Elkhorn, take U.S. Hwy. 12 north. Turn right/east onto Potter Road. then left/north onto Hodunk Road. The parking lot is on the left/west.

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A pleasant walk alongside a small creek through a woods awaits hikers at Springs Park in Delavan. During autumn, the trees shimmer gold on the 1.3-mile round trip trail next to Swan Creek. The trail is located in the lower part of the 33-acre park. In Delavan, from the junction of Spring Lane and West Washington Street, take the latter east. Turn right/south into the park.

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Though known for its beautiful Lake Geneva shoreline, Big Foot Beach State Park is an excellent place to enjoy autumn leaves. Each fall, the leaves of hardwood trees turn gold, orange, russet and olive. One of the best routes for walking under the harvest-hued canopy is the 1.3-mile Yellow Trail, which loops through the park’s wooded western section and past Ceylon Lagoon. In Lake Geneva, take South Lake Shore Drive south to Buttons Bay. Turn left/east into the park and leave your vehicle at the first lot on the road’s left/north side. The trail is on the lot’s north side.

Washington County
Day hikers can enjoy the rich and varied autumn colors of sugar maple leaves on the Holy Hill segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. The out-and-back trail runs 2.6-miles round trip in southeastern Wisconsin. It sits beneath the majestic Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary. The first stretch of the trail is fairly level as heading through a woods dominated by sugar maples. Aspen with its golden leaves and the evergreens white pine and white spruce dot the forest, making a perfect accent to the sugar maples’ yellow, orange and red crowns. From Hartford, take Wis. Hwy. 83 south. Turn left/east onto Wis. Hwy. 167 (aka Holy Hill Road). In about 2.5 miles, go right/south on Stationway Road. After about 0.1 miles, look for the parking lot along the road’s left/east side. There’s a small clearing with picnic tables there, and the trail runs southeast from the lot.

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Hikers can head to an observation tower atop one of southeastern Wisconsin’s highest points, which offers a beautiful view of fall colors. The Orange Trail in the Kettle Moraine State Forest-Pike Lake Unit loops along high ground past the spring-fed lake and includes a side trail heading to Powder Hill Tower for a 3.26-mile hike. Powder Hill is a glacial kame rising to 1,350 feet elevation, a full 35 stories above the lake. Sugar maple, basswood, and black, red and white oak dominate this area of the state forest. From Hartford, go east on Wis. Hwy. 60. Turn right/south onto Powder Hill road then take the first left/east to the Ice Age Trail parking lot.

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Great autumn views of a wooded valley await at the Glacial Blue Hills Recreation Area in West Bend. The Ice Age National Scenic Trail runs north-south through the recreational area. During autumn, the trees on the hills and in the valley turn amber, pumpkin orange, crimson and olive. From the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 45 and Wis. Hwy. 33, take the latter east. Turn left/north onto North 18th Avenue then left/west onto Beaver Dam Road. A parking lot is on the road’s right/north. From the lot, you can go either north or south on the Ice Age Trail. The north route goes 1.5 miles round trip to County Road D while the south route runs 2 miles round trip to Park Avenue.

Waukesha County
Hikers can head through a colorful oak woods and to the top of an observation tower on the county’s highest point at Kettle Moraine State Forest-Lapham Peak Unit. The ADA accessible 1.8-mile Plantation Path loops past prairie and through a woods of black, red and white oak, shagbark hickory, red maple, aspen, basswood, paper birch, white pine, and black cherry. A connector trail to the Ice Age National Scenic Trail leads to the observation tower atop Lapham Peak, which rises to an elevation of 1,233 feet. From Delafield, take County Road C south. Turn left/east toward the park office. Park in the Homestead lot.

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Hikers can experience brilliant autumn colors in a variety of ecosystems at the Retzer Nature Center in Waukesha. The 2.6-mile Yellow Loop heads through woods and an oak savanna as well as passes a prairie. The woods boasts ash trees, aspens, elms, hickories, sugar maples, and red and white oaks while the savanna features burr oaks. Leaf colors range from gold, amber and orange to russet, crimson and burgundy while the prairie grasses glow a fiery red. From the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 18 (Summit Avenue) and County Road TT (Meadowbrook Road/Merrill Hills Road), go west on the former. Turn left/south on County Road DT then right/southeast into Madison Street. The center is the next right/south. Park in the lots where the road ends.

Waushara County
A pretty walk along a quiet river awaits hikers on the Ice Age National Scenic Trail-Mecan River segment. The 3.4-mile round trip footpath heads beside part of the Mecan River, lined by beech, maple and hemlock, a colorful sight in autumn. The trail also crosses an oak savanna. From Coloma, take Wis. Hwy. 21 east then turn left/north onto 6th Avenue. Go right/east onto Chicago Road then right/south onto 6th Lane; a parking lot is on the left/east. Head south on the IAT and turn back at County Road GG.

Fall colors await on trail to Lapham Peak

Colorful leaves surround Lapham Peak in autumn.

Plantation Path map.
Click for larger version.

Hikers can head through a colorful oak woods and to the top of an observation tower on the county’s highest point at Kettle Moraine State Forest-Lapham Peak Unit.

The ADA accessible 1.8-mile Plantation Path loops past prairie and through a woods of red and white oak, quaking aspen, and black cherry. A connector trail to the Ice Age National Scenic Trail leads to the observation tower atop Lapham Peak, which rises to an elevation of 1,233 feet.

To reach the trail, from Delafield, take County Road C south. Turn left/east toward the park office. Park in the Homestead lot.

The paved trail leaves from the lot’s eastern side. In short order, the trail splits from the Kame Terrace and Kettle View trails. Go right/south.

Fall leaves along the trail range from the cinnamon of northern red and yellow of white oaks to the reds of black cherry and golds of quaking aspen. But for the white oak, the trees make up a classic southern dry-mesic forest.

At intersection marker E21, the trail divides, beginning a set of three loops. Head right/northwest. The route described here follows the three loops’ eastern sides.

Red and white oak
Found on the trail’s uplands is the northern red oak. The third most common tree in Wisconsin – nearly 1 in 11 of the state’s trees is a red oak – it’s also enormous. Growing quite straight and very tall, the red oak can reach up to 92 feet high with a trunk diameter of 39 inches. In old growth forests, the red oak soars even taller, and some even have been measured at 141 feet high. Red oaks grown in open areas, such as lawns, tend to be stouter, though, but can have a trunk diameter of up to 6.6 feet.

A XXL tree like the red oak also produces big acorns; in fact, the acorns are the largest of all Wisconsin’s oaks, measuring 1-1/8 inches long. With acorns that size, the tree is fairly easy to spot in autumn. The thoroughly fissured bark on mature red oaks is another giveaway.

The trail soon reaches a T-intersection, which marks the beginning of the second loop. Continue straight-left/south.

Also look for the white oak on the trail. White oaks primarily grow in the western and central parts of Wisconsin, so it’s a rare sight in this area of the state. You easily can spot the tree because of its scaly, ash gray bark. They grow up to 80 feet tall with a massive canopy.

The tree is extremely long-lived, lasting for around 200-300 years. One white oak in New Jersey was known to be more than 600 years old before dying.

At the trail’s next T-intersection, you’ve come to the beginning of the third loop. Continue straight-left/southwest.

Black cherry, quaking aspen
Watch for the black cherry tree on the trail’s higher ground. Eleven species of cherries grow in Wisconsin, and all are shrubs or small trees with the exception of the black cherry, which can grow quite tall. It’s easy to identify in a woods, as the bark is smooth and highly colored with small broken lines; it looks somewhat like the old punch cards used to store computer data.

The black cherry delights hikers during two seasons – autumn when its edible cherries ripen and its leaves turn color, and spring when its sweet-scented white flowers open.

At intersection marker E25, a connector trail leaves the Plantation Path and heads left/west. Take it to the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, where you’ll turn right/west.

Another tree you’ll see plenty of on the Plantation and the Ice Age trails is the quaking aspen. It’s the most common of the 35 populus tree species – which includes poplar, aspen, and cottonwood – across North America. A pioneer species, it quickly replaced the continent’s many forests when they were logged off in the 1800s. Prevention of forest fires has allowed the quaking aspen to maintain its hold. It is the most abundant and widespread tree in neighboring Minnesota.

The quaking aspen’s flat, spade-like leaves flap at the slightest breeze. In autumn when the leaves turn amber, that makes for quite a show, especially so on trees that grow at least six stories tall and that under ideal conditions can reach 10 stories.

Observation tower
At the next trail junction, turn right/north for the observation tower. Lapham Peak is the highest point in Waukesha County. The observation tower rises 45 above that. On a clear day, from the tower’s top you can see all the way to the Illinois border.

Upon coming down from the tower, head north. Walk along the edge of the Tower Parking Lot and the road. Enter the parking lot for the Hausmann Nature Center. Spend some time taking in the exhibits and if with the kids the children’s interactive area at the center. Then take the connector at the building’s back to the Plantation Trail. Go left/north.

Other trees in the woods include black oak, shagbark hickory, red maple, basswood, paper birch, and white pine.

At intersection marker E21, turn left/southwest. This is the stem trail that heads back to your parking lot.

Trail explores southern Wisconsin prairie

The compass plant usually is the tallest wildflower
on the prairie.

Ice Age National Scenic Trail - Scuppernong
Prairie segment topo map. Click map
for larger version.

Day hikers can enjoy wildflowers common to the prairies of southern Wisconsin on a segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

The 1.3-mile round trip touches the Scuppernong Prairie State Natural Area in the Kettle Moraine State Forest’s Southern Unit. The natural area protects 173 acres of prairie in Waukesha County. Though some of the wildflowers here grow in the central part of Wisconsin, almost none of them can be in the Northwoods, and most are limited to just the southern third of the state.

To reach the trailhead, from Eagle, take Wis. Hwy. 59 – aka Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive – west. Turn right/north onto County Road N. When the road curves west, watch for the pullout on the road’s right/north side. Park there.

The Ice Age National Scenic Trail crosses the road. Take the route going north.

Initially, the trail skirts the border between the prairie and a woodlands then passes between the latter and a tree plantation. The trees mostly are burr oaks, so the area looks a lot like it would have before Euro-American settlement.

Around 0.23 miles, the trail curves west and enters the prairie, which sits on the east side of the 3000-acre Scuppernong Marsh. The large, open site offers excellent habitat for a variety of birds and butterflies more common in grasslands than Wisconsin’s maple-basswood forests.

After passing through another small wooded area, the trail curls north. At 0.46 miles, it crosses a boardwalk over the a wetlands. Stretching to the west is the Scuppernong Prairie State Natural Area.

Spring wildflowers
A variety of grasses cover the prairie, including big blue-stem, blue-eyed grass, blue-joint grass, Indian grass, needle grass, and prairie drop-seed. Growing amid them are a number of wildflowers.

Among the first to bloom there in spring is prairie smoke. A member of the rose family, its pink to mauve-colored bell-shaped flowers with a feathery plume droop, making for a fantastic display. When the plume waves in the wind, it looks like smoke, hence its name. The flower grows in the southern two-thirds of the state.

The shooting 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.

Cream wild indigo blooms from May to June. The white to yellow, five-parted flower is about three-quarters to an inch in size. The plant itself grows from 10 inches to nearly 2.5-feet tall. It is found primarily in a line south of Burnett to Milwaukee counties

During spring and summer, the lead-plant blooms. A 1- to 3-foot high shrub, it boasts a spiky cluster of small blue-purple flowers. Its roots dig deep into the ground, up to 10 feet, and the plant can live for centuries. The lead-plant can be grows across southern half of the state. It so named because when lead ore deposits were found, the plant grew on the dry soils overlaying them, but there is no relationship between the location of lead ore and where the plants grow.

The tall prairie blazing-star 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.

Summer to fall wildflowers
The compass plant blooms in summer and fall. Each flower can have as many 25 yellow petals with the whole blossom up to 3-inches wide. Usually the tallest wildflower on the prairie, it usually grows between 5-10 feet high. It’s a favorite of finches, who love their seeds, and common across southern third of state.

Blooming July to September is Virginia mountain mint. White flowers crown the plant, which can grow up to three feet high. Though hardly the showiest flower on the prairie, it is sweetly aromatic. They’re common in the state’s southern two-thirds and are found mostly in the southeastern part and a few spots north of that.

From late summer to early fall, the prairie dock yields a bright yellow flower that can be up to 2.5 inches across and consists of 15-30 ray florets. Each flower sits atop a stalk that can rise up to 10 feet tall from the plant’s leafy portion. Its taproot can reach 12 feet down.

The boardwalk is a short 100 feet, and from there enters a woodlands at the edge of the state natural area.

Upon reaching Wilton Road, at 0.65 miles, turn back and retrace your steps back to the parking lot.