(As published in The Post-Crescent, 06/01/2004)
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Looking for a great escape? Here are some trails to try
By Heather LaRoi
Post-Crescent staff writer
“I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
— Robert Frost
For a lot of hikers, getting off the beaten path is the whole idea.
“My parents had me hiking when I was just a little kid so it’s been part of a lifestyle for me,” said Alan Lawrence of Appleton, chairman of the Fox Valley chapter of the Sierra Club. “Typically, it’s a calm time. If I’m going with somebody, my wife or children, then we’re actually talking as opposed to listening to the radio or something. We’re getting exercise. And there’s a certain enjoyment of animals and plants as other creatures.
“You’re also able to see things more slowly or in better detail on a hike … than you’d ever be able to do in a car. You just can’t stop and see things when you’re in a car, but you can stop on a dime when you’re walking and spend as long as you want there.”
But where to go?
Enter John and Ellen Morgan, authors of the just-released “50 Hikes in Wisconsin” (Backcountry Guides). The Madison-based couple has trod trails all over the state in search of great escapes. All the trails they identify in the book are looped.
“Because of our glacial path, Wisconsin is exceptionally diverse in terrain,” John said. “It’s this really bizarre and jumbled mixture of topography and you can get to those very varied areas quite easily.”
That translates to wonderful options for hikers.
“For us, one of the final things it comes down to is, as we’re driving away, whether we could go back again,” John said.
For The Post-Crescent, the Morgans singled out five hikes that are readily accessible to people in the Fox Valley that might tend to get overlooked or are simply too good to miss.
As a bonus, they couldn’t resist offering a few suggestions for Door County. While the county is well-known for its many and varied trails, there are still “less traveled” paths that are worth exploring, and the Morgans identify two favorites.
Fox Valley Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve: Located along the west shore of the Bay of Green Bay, the Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve has 920 acres of forest, meadows and wetlands. The Morgans call it “Brown County’s best-kept secret.”
Abundance and variety are the keys, they said. Indeed, the preserve offers a checklist of more than 300 bird species that are viewable at some time during the year.
While the preserve has 9 miles of trails, the Morgans single out the 3¼-mile Meadow Ridge Trail, which starts at the interpretive center and winds past several ponds and through wooded and wetland restoration areas. There are observation platforms and blinds available.
Contact: Brown County Parks department at 920-448-4466 or visit www.co.brown.wi.us/parks/parks/barkhausen/.
Cofrin Memorial Arboretum: Encircling the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay campus, the 290-acre arboretum offers a welcome oasis featuring trails through both prairies and old-growth hardwoods.
“They have two or three ponds and so the wildflower identification and the bird life is just phenomenal,” John said. “Of course, the waterfall preserve is incredible from the bird habitat viewing perspective.”
An observation platform just past midway on a 4.1-mile looped trail offers a good place for lunch.
“Hiking this trail, with the buzzing highway above, makes you wonder just how much you miss by taking the fast lane through life,” the Morgans write in the book.
Contact: UWGB Cofrin Arboretum at 920-465-2272 or 920-465-5032 or visit www.uwgb.edu/biodiversity/arboretum.
“The Green Bay Arboretum and the Barkhausen are both excellent for kids,” John said. “These two are really rare finds and probably are overlooked.”
Emmons Creek, Waupaca/Portage: The 1¾-mile loop that travels along the shores of Emmons Creek is “almost like a fairy tale scene,” according to the Morgans.
“It’s like the planners of the Ice Age Trail knew when they’d hit a hot spot and they wanted to literally walk in circles when they get there. This trail is really phenomenal,” John said. “It’s unique because it has an oak savannah, which is really rare. Not only that but the oaks are super mature so you’re probably walking around oaks that were there 200 years ago. It’s kind of this funky, dreamy place to walk through.”
This is a real case of good things coming in small packages.
“People might overlook it because it’s only 1.7 miles or whatever but it’s incredible,” Ellen said. “We spent 1½ or 2 hours there.”
Note: Watch for poison ivy.
Contact: Hartman Creek State Park at 715-258-2372 or the Ice Age Park and Trail Foundation at 800-227-0046 or visit www.iceagetrail.org.
High Cliff State Park: For a more rigorous outing that also offers some geological and cultural history, consider the Lime Kiln/Indian Mound loop at High Cliff State Park.
The 3-mile loop travels past the lime kilns and along the shores of Lake Winnebago before turning uphill.
“Here you are, enjoying this incredible geological/historical tour (of the Niagara Escarpment) and all of a sudden you’re on top of this cliff and you get to look at Wisconsin from the perspective of Native Americans from who knows how long ago,” John said. “It’s an incredible treat.”
It’s definitely a taxing hike, but worth the effort, the Morgans say.
Contact: High Cliff State Park at 920-989-1106 visit www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/highcliff.
Point Beach State Forest: The Ridges trails at the state forest just north of Two Rivers “offer a look at Wisconsin Great Lakes history as well as a great opportunity for beach bumming, Wisconsin style,” according to the Morgans.
There are pine forests, plank footbridges across the bogs and, of course, the dunes along the sandy shores of Lake Michigan.
Contact: Point Beach State Forest at 920-794-7480 or visit http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/specific/pointbeach/. Door County The Ridges Sanctuary: Located off Bailey’s Harbor, The Ridges are a place “we’ve always known about as a sanctuary but we didn’t know about it as a hiking destination,” John said. “And to miss the Ridges as a hiking destination would be a major mistake for anyone who wants to learn about the state.
“The Ridges are very interesting because they’re sort of this blueprint of Wisconsin’s past in terms of how far the lake has advanced and retreated. That’s what the ridges are. As you’re hiking, you’re hiking along the crest of the ridges that have been left, running parallel to each other.”
The state’s oldest private nature preserve, The Ridges is also home to about 500 plant species.
Contact: The Ridges Sanctuary at 920-839-2802 or visit www.ridgesanctuary.org.
Rock Island State Park: Those who make it to Rock Island State Park off the tip of Door County in Lake Michigan are there because they truly want to be there: the ferry rides tend to winnow out the crowds that otherwise typically take over Door County.
“It’s kind of off the beaten path and takes a little bit to get there but once you’re there, it’s a really neat hike,” Ellen said. “You get off the ferry and within five minutes you’re completely isolated.”
What’s more, the 912-acre wooded island is devoid of roads, cars and bikes. There are 10 miles of trails to explore.
Contact: Rock Island State Park at 920-847-2235 or visit http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/specific/rockisland/.
Heather LaRoi writes about outdoor recreation on Tuesdays in Life & Style. She can be reached at 920-993-1000, ext. 238 or by e-mail at hlaroi@postcrescent.com
Kris McGrath of Sherwood takes a walk through High Cliff State Park in Sherwood. Post-Crescent photo by Kirk Wagner