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Horicon Marsh Hiking

On the south end of Horicon Marsh there is a 1 1/2 mile loop trail that offers hiking through woodlots, planted prairies and onto the marsh.

The Horicon Habitat Hike

This trail is also marked with interpretive signs to introduce visitors to a variety of habitats and common wildlife of the area. A total of 26 signs introduce visitors to woodland, wetland and grassland habitats and their management. This trail offers easy walking and is surfaced with wood chips, mowed grass and gravel.

A favorite portion of the trail is the walk around the Goose Pond. This area follows a dike, constructed to flood the pond and provide enhanced wildlife habitat. It offers excellent wildlife viewing of the surrounding wetland.

Refuge Hiking Trails

There are two hiking trail systems on the Refuge; the Bud Cook Trails, located on Point Road, and Hwy. 49 trail system. The Bud Cook trails traverse upland habitats of field, shrubs and wooded groves which lure a variety of birds. The Hwy. 49 trails are located on the northwest end of the marsh where you will finds a series of hiking rails allowing access to both upland and lowland habitat. Six miles of trails and an Auto Tour Route have been developed and offer good birding opportunities.

Uplands consist of old field, shrubs and restored prairie. This a good place to watch for grassland birds such as bobolinks, eastern meadowlarks and a variety of grassland sparrows. Among the shrubs are cardinals, catbirds, willow flycatchers and yellow warblers. Forested habitat is found along the hiking trails and the banks of the Rock River. These sites are good for indigo buntings, rose-breasted grosbeaks and migrant passerines, (vireos, warblers and flycatchers) which are drawn to these islands of trees among the vast open marsh.

Several of the deeper pools provide good habitat for waterfowl, coots, herons and egrets. The highlight of these trails is the floating boardwalk. This is the best place to experience the marsh interior and see wildlife up close. Rarities sighted here include yellow-crowned night heron, showy and cattle egrets and tricolored heron. Watch for sora and Virginia rails and Forster's terns as well as shorebirds when water levels are low.

Contact Information

Bill Volkert
Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area N7728 Hwy 28
Horicon, WI 53032 (920) 387-7860

 

The Bike Trails of Juneau County

The many bike trails of Juneau County are just waiting for your visit. They all begin (or end) in Elroy WI, located on Hwys 80-82 in southwestern Juneau County. The Elroy-Sparta State Bike Trail is the “Granddaddy of All Trails.“ It was the very first Rails to Trails Conversion in the United Sates in 1965. The hard-packed limestone trail covers 32 miles of an abandoned Chicago & Northwestern Railroad bed and has no more than a 3 % grade at any point. The trail passes through three tunnels as it makes its way toward Sparta and we recommend flashlights and jackets for tunnels. The Elroy-Sparta State Bike Trail links with the La Crosse River Trail in Sparta.

The ‘400’ State Trail is often called the most scenic trail in the Wisconsin State Trail System. It’s named for the Chicago & Northwestern passenger train that traveled the 400 miles from Chicago to Minneapolis in 400 minutes. The 22 miles of smooth, hard-packed limestone parallels or crosses the Baraboo River the entire length between Elroy and Reedsburg. A recent addition to the trail links Hillsboro to the south.

The Juneau County Omaha Bike Trail is 12.5 miles of seal-coated trail owned and maintained by Juneau County and has a separate trail fee. It also follows an abandoned Chicago & Northwestern Railroad bed all the way to Camp Douglas and opened in the spring of 1992. The Omaha Trail is the most peaceful and secluded of our trails.

In addition to these trails, Juneau County offers hundreds of miles of well-maintained county and township roads that offer peaceful rides, challenging hills and exhilarating descents. When it comes to biking, Juneau County is truly “Worth a Closer Look.“

 

Ride the 400 State Trail

Wisconsin’s most beautiful bike trail

22 miles of family biking at its finest

The 400 State Trail is located between Reedsburg and Elroy with 5 communities conveniently spaced along the trail to provide small town hospitality. The Trail Headquarters is located in the historic depot in Reedsburg. The communities located along the trail between Reedsburg and Elroy are La Valle - 7 miles from Reedsburg, Wonewoc - 7 miles from La Valle, and Union Center - 4 miles from Wonewoc or Elroy.

The 400 State Trail is part of the 101 mile State Trail System (Bike4Trails) from Reedsburg to Trempealeau, linking with the Elroy-Sparta State Trail, and from there to the LaCrosse River State Trail and the Great River State Trail to the Marshland north of Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge.

 
For more information:

400 Trail Headquarters
P.O. Box 142
Reedsburg, WI 53959
1-800-844-3507
Email reedsbrg@rucls.net

 

Roche-A-Cri State Park

Hiking

There are more than 5 miles of hiking trails at Roche-A-Cri. The Chickadee Rock Nature Trail and the stairway have interpretive signs.

303-Step Stairway

A wooden stairway allows users to reach the top of the 300-foot high Roche-A-Cri Mound. The stairway has two rest areas along the way that feature splendid views and interpretive signs. An observation platform on top of the mound provides visitors with a safe bird’s eye view of the area. Interpretive signs help visitors identify numerous land features easily seen from this platform area. Photo displays, featuring views from the mound stairway, are in the informational kiosk shelter at the base of the stairway.

Roche-A-Cri State Park
1767 Hwy 13
Friendship WI 53934

 

Devil’s Lake State Park Trails

Devil’s Lake has trails for hiking, bicycling, and cross-country skiing. Some visitors also enjoy climbing and snowshoeing at the park.

Hiking Trails

Devil’s Lake has 29.9 miles of trails, all of which are open for hiking in spring, summer, and fall. There’s a 1-mile interpretive nature trail.

The park has 1.5 miles of trail that are accessible for people with disabilities; some other trails, such as the one in Parfrey’s Glen, require climbing stone steps.

Bike Trails

The park also has 8.0 miles of off-road bike trails. A state trail pass is no longer required to use the mountain bike trails.

There are no official paved road-bike trails in the park, although many people enjoy riding several miles on all the paved campground roads. A 2-mile paved bicycle trail extends from the park’s north shore entrance to the City of Baraboo.

Devil’s Lake State Park
S5975 Park Rd.
Baraboo WI 53913-9299
(608) 356-8301
(608) 356-4281 Fax