Nearby Nature Adventures
By Elizabeth Janvrin
Keep your family’s sense of wonder alive by exploring the diverse natural wonders that surround us in the Coulee Region. Here is a list of my family’s favorite natural places (all distances are from La Crosse and within two hours). Pack a lunch, water, sunscreen, and an extra set of clothes and get ready to create fantastic family memories.
Wildcat State Park - Approx. 1 hour east, Hwy. 33 E. Visit the ice cave trail located at the south end of the park. Or rent a canoe in Ontario and lazily canoe the Kickapoo River. Enjoy your scenic trip as you meander down this slow-flowing river (avoid high-water season). Hiking trails on top of the bluff provide up-close encounters with the sandstone.
Perrot State Park - Approx. 45 minutes north. Take Hwy. 53 N to Hwy. 35 W. Ready for an uphill hike that leads to a breathtaking (no pun intended) overlook of the Mississippi River? Nothing beats the sense of accomplishment each family member feels when we reach the top of 540-foot Brady’s Bluff together. For a more gradual climb, go up Brady’s behind the park’s office and return down the steps of the main trail.
Wyalusing State Park - Approx. 1.5 hours south, just south of Prairie du Chien on Hwy. 35 S. At the junction of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers. Put your canoe or boat in and explore the backwaters, or hike some of the 23 miles of trails that include mini waterfalls, colorful sandstone, and scenic overlooks.
Parfrey’s Glen Natural Area - Approx. 2 hours southeast, south of Baraboo. Located by Devil’s Lake State Park. We enjoy a leisurely stroll along this trail less traveled. Hike up a few steps and use the boardwalk to enter the narrow, cool, and moss-covered Glen.
Whitewater Minn. State Park - Approx. 1 hour northwest. Take I-90 to Hwy. 74 (St. Charles exit). Easy to challenging hiking trails, limestone bluffs, sandy beach, and Whitewater River.
Beaver Creek Valley Minn. State Park – Approx. 45 minutes southwest on Hwy. 1 outside of Caledonia. Peaceful retreat offering trout stream and forest exploration.
*Please note that all state parks and natural areas require a park sticker to be purchased.
www.dnr.state.mn.us/index.html
Effigy Mounds National Monument – Approx. 75 minutes south, Hwy. 35 S to Hwy. 18 W, 3 miles north of Marquette, Iowa. Consider signing up with your teens for a night hike through the effigies to Fire Point, overlooking the Mississippi. It truly will be a spiritual family retreat. National Park admission: $5 per car load. www.nps.gov/efmo/
Trempealeau Fish and Wildlife Refuge – Approx. 45 minutes north, Hwy. 53 N to Hwy. 54 W through Centerville; west on Prairie Rd. Drive just prior to dusk for the thrill of spotting wildlife. All ages can spot pelicans, herons, and ducks; the more determined watcher will also be rewarded. Observation deck overlooks the backwaters of the Mississippi. The colorful prairie takes our family back in time as we imagine early settlers and bison crossing the vast grassland. www.fws.gov/midwest/trempealeau
Quarry Hill Nature Center – 75 minutes west, I-90 W to Hwy. 42 N (Eyota exit), west on Hwy. 14, CR 22 N (also called East Circle Dr.). Right in the city of Rochester, a gem of a nature center with exceptional programs. First Sunday each month is Bird Day. Naturalists typically mist-net and band birds; participants help release them. Third Sunday offers tours of the “cave,” an above-ground system dug into the hill. The caves were once used to store food for the State Hospital. Easy access on trails and to pond, a number of live animals, and a life-size model of a T-rex skull. Park admission free, programs cost up to $2. www.qhnc.org
This is by no means an exhaustive list of the public natural areas within our region. Don’t forget our local jewels, including Norskedalen, Hixon Forest Nature Center, Myrick Park, and even your own backyard.
Elizabeth Janvrin holds degrees in classroom and environmental education. More importantly, she is the mother of three, and she and her husband, Jeff, regularly make it a priority to get outdoors.
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