Shannon Lake Trail – NHAL State Forest, Vilas Co.,Wisconsin ** to ***
The Shannon trailhead was very unspectacular, which I have found to be typical of the trailheads in this part of the NHAL State Forest. The parking lot of off County Highway G is gravel with sandy, grassy edges. I came here twice with my brother, and both times we were the only car in the lot. There is a trail map posted on a board at the trail entrance, but that is it. The trail entrance is gated, but it was open when we were there. My best guess is that they close the trail to prevent snowmobiling on this trail system during the winter months. There is a similar look and feel at the parking lot of the southern trailhead on Found Lake Rd.
The Shannon trail system consists of four intersecting/conjoining smaller trails: yellow (2.3 mi.), green (2.3 mi.), blue (3.5 mi.), and red (7 mi.).
All four trails start and end together from this parking lot, descending down a slight hill to begin. The area is mostly wooded, largely canopied by birch, maple, oak, and an ash tree here and there, though some portions of the trail system are almost all juvenile pine trees. The trail itself is a soil and gravel mix. It was dry when we were there, but it looks like the trail would not be bad here after a rainfall.
When starting at the County Highway G trailhead as I did, you will start running the red loop. At the first junction you will be able jump on the yellow or green trails (to the left), or stay on the red (and at this point blue) trails by turning right. The trail in this spot is very open (there were some shorter pines around) and full of black flies waiting to make a meal of you. I would not take my time in this location unless you are here in the early part of the season or after the first frost. You can see many signs of logging in this area, as well as throughout the northern half of the trail system.
At this point of the trail I went left to follow the shorter trails, mainly because there was a threat of thunderstorms and I wanted to be able to egress should a storm begin to come close. You will be on the red, blue, and yellow trails. This portion of the trail looked exactly like the trail I had descended to get to the last junction. This will continue for about half a mile more until you reach the next trail junction.
At this next junction the blue trail goes off on its own to the right. I went straight to complete the yellow trail and to see more of the red trail. After the junction you will move up a wooded hillside and emerge into a logged out clearing full of pine seedlings. There were not many insects here as the breeze was pretty steady. Moving a little farther I heard the sound that makes most hikers freeze…a bear!
The growl had come from a stand of young pines to the left, maybe about 20 feet or so away. Well, time to crank up the noise and move slowly out of the area by proceeding along the trail I was following. This was at about 1.5 miles into the hike. After about a tenth of a mile the smell of a swamp hit me from the left, soon followed by the buzzing of a swarm of mosquitos. They were pretty intense so I stepped up my pace a bit…but not without noticing fresh bear tracks on the trail. It seems that the bear I had heard a short time before also likes to hike this trail system.
The lake started to appear through the brush and trees on my left as I neared it and came to a bench with a partial clearing about .5 miles away from the next junction. There was a bike trail that intersected this one a short time later. The trail at this point is almost all dirt and ascends a moderately inclined hill. Another bench greeted me at the top of this hill and was surrounded by bear tracks. I was singing away at this point. As the next trail junction drew closer, I encountered mostly sand on the trails and then a grass field to my right. Shortly after this I encountered the next trail junction.
The trail soon came up to a gravel road….at about 2 miles in for me. There were no clear markers here, but some scouting revealed that the yellow trail went right along with the red trail to circle Shannon Lake while green trail and part of the red trail went left to follow the road. Please note this if you plan to do this hike…but of course you have your map and/or GPS with you, yes?
I went right to continue along the red trail and to cover this portion of the yellow trail around Shannon Lake. Bring insect repellant for this stretch during the prime summer hiking season. This portion also followed a gravel road that led to the Shannon Lake boat launch with posted trout fishing regulations. The trails go both left and right….it is your preference as either way just circles the lake to return you back to this spot. I went left and was soon in a dense wooded area. Note that the trail around the lake is a single person width around the lake. This largely continues around the course of the lake, interrupted by a handful of bog/swamp type areas. The view of the lake from anywhere on this trail segment is spectacular. There are mostly softwood trees in this area, and it looks to be untouched by any logging activity. I note this because logging activities in the NHAL forest areas have been increasing and it is hard to escape the effects of this in these natural areas.
Upon returning to the boat landing I moved up the gravel road to stay on the yellow and red trails. I saw a number of bear and deer tracks here, and I resume making lots of noise again. You will eventually come to the Found Lake Road parking lot for this trail if you stay on it, or….
You can turn right to follow the blue and yellow trail, which splits the two major loops of this trail system. The scenery and topography from this point all the way back to the first trail junction I had encountered is the same throughout the trail. I heard a lot of blue jays and crows at this time of the day (late morning), and still saw bear tracks for about half a mile longer before they stopped.
Once I returned to the initial trail junction, I turned left to follow the blue and red trail on the western portion of the trail system. There was a posted “do not enter” sign in the early stages of this trail. As you can see I obeyed it. This loop was very hilly but unlike the eastern loop I did not encounter any sign of bear activity. My educated guess says that this was due to this portion of the trail system being furthest from water.
The blue and red trail has some open spots but is largely canopied by a mix of birch and hardwood trees. I saw signs of some bog areas but these were largely obscured by brush. Insects were not very active here with the exception of a few black flies that decided to escort me the rest of the way. The trail eventually brings you back to the trailhead and parking lot on Found Lake Rd, and I returned to my trailhead via the centerline (blue/yellow) trail.
The trail is a great hike for any level of hiking experience. There is a great variety of plants, trees, birds, insects, and tracks to keep you from getting bored while giving your identifier books a workout for some of you. The lake looks to be a good fishing spot as well, but does require a trout stamp, which I did not try. I was able to cover all four loops in about three hours, but I move faster than most so plan accordingly.
The Shannon trail system consists of four intersecting/conjoining smaller trails: yellow (2.3 mi.), green (2.3 mi.), blue (3.5 mi.), and red (7 mi.).
All four trails start and end together from this parking lot, descending down a slight hill to begin. The area is mostly wooded, largely canopied by birch, maple, oak, and an ash tree here and there, though some portions of the trail system are almost all juvenile pine trees. The trail itself is a soil and gravel mix. It was dry when we were there, but it looks like the trail would not be bad here after a rainfall.
When starting at the County Highway G trailhead as I did, you will start running the red loop. At the first junction you will be able jump on the yellow or green trails (to the left), or stay on the red (and at this point blue) trails by turning right. The trail in this spot is very open (there were some shorter pines around) and full of black flies waiting to make a meal of you. I would not take my time in this location unless you are here in the early part of the season or after the first frost. You can see many signs of logging in this area, as well as throughout the northern half of the trail system.
At this point of the trail I went left to follow the shorter trails, mainly because there was a threat of thunderstorms and I wanted to be able to egress should a storm begin to come close. You will be on the red, blue, and yellow trails. This portion of the trail looked exactly like the trail I had descended to get to the last junction. This will continue for about half a mile more until you reach the next trail junction.
At this next junction the blue trail goes off on its own to the right. I went straight to complete the yellow trail and to see more of the red trail. After the junction you will move up a wooded hillside and emerge into a logged out clearing full of pine seedlings. There were not many insects here as the breeze was pretty steady. Moving a little farther I heard the sound that makes most hikers freeze…a bear!
The growl had come from a stand of young pines to the left, maybe about 20 feet or so away. Well, time to crank up the noise and move slowly out of the area by proceeding along the trail I was following. This was at about 1.5 miles into the hike. After about a tenth of a mile the smell of a swamp hit me from the left, soon followed by the buzzing of a swarm of mosquitos. They were pretty intense so I stepped up my pace a bit…but not without noticing fresh bear tracks on the trail. It seems that the bear I had heard a short time before also likes to hike this trail system.
The lake started to appear through the brush and trees on my left as I neared it and came to a bench with a partial clearing about .5 miles away from the next junction. There was a bike trail that intersected this one a short time later. The trail at this point is almost all dirt and ascends a moderately inclined hill. Another bench greeted me at the top of this hill and was surrounded by bear tracks. I was singing away at this point. As the next trail junction drew closer, I encountered mostly sand on the trails and then a grass field to my right. Shortly after this I encountered the next trail junction.
The trail soon came up to a gravel road….at about 2 miles in for me. There were no clear markers here, but some scouting revealed that the yellow trail went right along with the red trail to circle Shannon Lake while green trail and part of the red trail went left to follow the road. Please note this if you plan to do this hike…but of course you have your map and/or GPS with you, yes?
I went right to continue along the red trail and to cover this portion of the yellow trail around Shannon Lake. Bring insect repellant for this stretch during the prime summer hiking season. This portion also followed a gravel road that led to the Shannon Lake boat launch with posted trout fishing regulations. The trails go both left and right….it is your preference as either way just circles the lake to return you back to this spot. I went left and was soon in a dense wooded area. Note that the trail around the lake is a single person width around the lake. This largely continues around the course of the lake, interrupted by a handful of bog/swamp type areas. The view of the lake from anywhere on this trail segment is spectacular. There are mostly softwood trees in this area, and it looks to be untouched by any logging activity. I note this because logging activities in the NHAL forest areas have been increasing and it is hard to escape the effects of this in these natural areas.
Upon returning to the boat landing I moved up the gravel road to stay on the yellow and red trails. I saw a number of bear and deer tracks here, and I resume making lots of noise again. You will eventually come to the Found Lake Road parking lot for this trail if you stay on it, or….
You can turn right to follow the blue and yellow trail, which splits the two major loops of this trail system. The scenery and topography from this point all the way back to the first trail junction I had encountered is the same throughout the trail. I heard a lot of blue jays and crows at this time of the day (late morning), and still saw bear tracks for about half a mile longer before they stopped.
Once I returned to the initial trail junction, I turned left to follow the blue and red trail on the western portion of the trail system. There was a posted “do not enter” sign in the early stages of this trail. As you can see I obeyed it. This loop was very hilly but unlike the eastern loop I did not encounter any sign of bear activity. My educated guess says that this was due to this portion of the trail system being furthest from water.
The blue and red trail has some open spots but is largely canopied by a mix of birch and hardwood trees. I saw signs of some bog areas but these were largely obscured by brush. Insects were not very active here with the exception of a few black flies that decided to escort me the rest of the way. The trail eventually brings you back to the trailhead and parking lot on Found Lake Rd, and I returned to my trailhead via the centerline (blue/yellow) trail.
The trail is a great hike for any level of hiking experience. There is a great variety of plants, trees, birds, insects, and tracks to keep you from getting bored while giving your identifier books a workout for some of you. The lake looks to be a good fishing spot as well, but does require a trout stamp, which I did not try. I was able to cover all four loops in about three hours, but I move faster than most so plan accordingly.
Escanaba Lake Trail Area (Pt. 1): ** to ***
© 2012 Cary Kostka
Taking on the Escanaba Lake trail system is a great and rewarding way to see some of the best views and nature experiences the Northern Highland-American Legion (NHAL) Wisconsin State Forest has to offer. Escanaba Lake is about 8 miles from Boulder Junction. Driving wise, the trail head and boat landing can be reached by heading about 4 miles south of Boulder Junction on county road M, then head east for 3.5 miles on the 1-1/2 lane dirt and gravel covered Nebish Road until you see the sign. The signs for Escanaba are hard to miss; they are very large brown (almost like small billboards) that promote the Escanaba Fish Hatchery Project. The fishery project, to my knowledge, is the largest within the NHAL area and is the primary activity at this location.
The trail head for the Escanaba trail system is located on the western end of the parking lot. I advise you to park along the western side of the lot, as the remaining portions of the lot are generally used by vehicles towing boat trailers. At the trail head, you will find a fees area (for those of you that do not already have an annual sticker or a daily sticker for the day you are visiting), a trail map, a bench, and a trail comments form. Water is available further down the boat landing, and there are outhouses down a short trail just to the right of the trail head. Fees for this area are $4 for a daily sticker and $20 for an annual sticker. Escanaba doubles as a cross country ski trail which, after hiking the area and seeing the shelter at the trail midpoint, has me wanting to come back after a nice white layer is over everything this upcoming winter.
The Escanaba trail area consists of four trails totaling 23 miles. From shortest to longest, the trails are yellow (2.5mi), green (5mi), blue (7mi), and red (8.5m). Due to the limited time afforded to our trip that weekend, my brother and I took the shortest trail (yellow). I have plans to return later this summer to hit at minimum the blue and green trails.
The four trails all start together on a sandy, wooded trail consisting of a variety of hardwood and softwood trees and brush. A very short distance in, you will come to a three way intersection, at which you turn left. Going straight will take you through the trail system backwards. Nature was out and in force the day we hiked. Most of the brush was still without leaves, so the wildlife was easy to spot. Almost immediately after we took the turn we saw a doe and her fawn foraging ahead of us. We were able to get quite close as since we were upwind of them. Without warning, mama jumped up and took off running, her fawn close behind.
As you go along, the trail is quite hilly. The hills are very manageable, though there were a few challenging ones along the yellow trail. Some spots on the trail were pretty rocky and interlaced with tree roots, so be careful of your footing. We also came across a few ticks in our travels, so even early May should be considered tick season.
At around ¾ of a mile in, the trail splits into two branches. The blue and yellow trails go to the right, with the red and green trails working their way to the left. We stayed with the yellow trail, went right, and soon found ourselves climbing a number of hills. Again, most of these were easily manageable, but there was one that could leave you a little winded if you are not completely in shape. About a ¼ of a mile past the last trail split, Palette Lake comes into view in front of you. As you near the lake, the trail seems to join up with an old boat landing, and a very open campsite soon comes into view on the right.
This campsite is one of three campsites on Palette Lake. These campsites are meant to be boat in sites only, and stays are limited to one night. The sites all had a picnic table and campfire ring, but there are no water or bathroom facilities. The lake itself appears to be primarily a small mouth bass fishing lake, and there are signs posted to indicate that trout fishing here is prohibited.
At this point, the trail turns the right and will follow the lake. The trail will go straight through the remaining two paddle-in campsites, so please be courteous if you should encounter an occupied site. Say hello, and hug the tree line that is furthest from the lake. Once you are past all of the campsites, you will walk a fairly straight and level stretch until you come to the next fork in the road about .5 miles away. At this point, the yellow trail will head off to the right with the blue trail going straight. You will also join the green trail here; it joins the yellow trail to the right as it begins its journey back to the parking lot.
One thing to note here is that there is a fairly nice shelter building about .2 mi ahead of you on the green trail; cross the very recently built bridge, head up a hill, and there you are. The shelter is stocked with matches, kindling wood, and logs…all of which are covered. Inside the shelter you will find benches on three sides. This is a great place to wait out a stray shower, or to stop and warm up during the colder months or while skiing.
As we made our way back towards the parking lot on the yellow/green trail, we noticed a lack of mature trees in the area between us and Escanaba Lake, which comes into view on the left. There were a large number of younger trees here, and an equally large number of felled birch trees on the ground. That seems to have been a common sight in the NHAL that past several years; many a birch tree area cleared out with pine seedlings put in their place. I’m not really sure why this is yet.
There are a few more hills as the trail winds down, but for the most part the hike back to the parking lot is fairly flat. We did not see anyone while on our hike, but we did see a couple of other vehicles parked near the trail head. In my past experiences on this trail system, I have always crossed paths with a fellow hiker, so those of you that get a little freaked out by not seeing people for some time can take comfort in the popularity of this trail.
The Escanaba trail system is a great way to see all the wonders of what NHAL has to offer. The trail difficulty for the shorter trail is easy to moderate, and the next longest trail (green) was relatively easy to walk despite is 5 mile length from what I remember of my past hikes on it. A backpack filled with trail snacks, water, insect repellent, sun screen, and some nature field guides will only help to increase the enjoyment this trail system has to offer.
The trail head for the Escanaba trail system is located on the western end of the parking lot. I advise you to park along the western side of the lot, as the remaining portions of the lot are generally used by vehicles towing boat trailers. At the trail head, you will find a fees area (for those of you that do not already have an annual sticker or a daily sticker for the day you are visiting), a trail map, a bench, and a trail comments form. Water is available further down the boat landing, and there are outhouses down a short trail just to the right of the trail head. Fees for this area are $4 for a daily sticker and $20 for an annual sticker. Escanaba doubles as a cross country ski trail which, after hiking the area and seeing the shelter at the trail midpoint, has me wanting to come back after a nice white layer is over everything this upcoming winter.
The Escanaba trail area consists of four trails totaling 23 miles. From shortest to longest, the trails are yellow (2.5mi), green (5mi), blue (7mi), and red (8.5m). Due to the limited time afforded to our trip that weekend, my brother and I took the shortest trail (yellow). I have plans to return later this summer to hit at minimum the blue and green trails.
The four trails all start together on a sandy, wooded trail consisting of a variety of hardwood and softwood trees and brush. A very short distance in, you will come to a three way intersection, at which you turn left. Going straight will take you through the trail system backwards. Nature was out and in force the day we hiked. Most of the brush was still without leaves, so the wildlife was easy to spot. Almost immediately after we took the turn we saw a doe and her fawn foraging ahead of us. We were able to get quite close as since we were upwind of them. Without warning, mama jumped up and took off running, her fawn close behind.
As you go along, the trail is quite hilly. The hills are very manageable, though there were a few challenging ones along the yellow trail. Some spots on the trail were pretty rocky and interlaced with tree roots, so be careful of your footing. We also came across a few ticks in our travels, so even early May should be considered tick season.
At around ¾ of a mile in, the trail splits into two branches. The blue and yellow trails go to the right, with the red and green trails working their way to the left. We stayed with the yellow trail, went right, and soon found ourselves climbing a number of hills. Again, most of these were easily manageable, but there was one that could leave you a little winded if you are not completely in shape. About a ¼ of a mile past the last trail split, Palette Lake comes into view in front of you. As you near the lake, the trail seems to join up with an old boat landing, and a very open campsite soon comes into view on the right.
This campsite is one of three campsites on Palette Lake. These campsites are meant to be boat in sites only, and stays are limited to one night. The sites all had a picnic table and campfire ring, but there are no water or bathroom facilities. The lake itself appears to be primarily a small mouth bass fishing lake, and there are signs posted to indicate that trout fishing here is prohibited.
At this point, the trail turns the right and will follow the lake. The trail will go straight through the remaining two paddle-in campsites, so please be courteous if you should encounter an occupied site. Say hello, and hug the tree line that is furthest from the lake. Once you are past all of the campsites, you will walk a fairly straight and level stretch until you come to the next fork in the road about .5 miles away. At this point, the yellow trail will head off to the right with the blue trail going straight. You will also join the green trail here; it joins the yellow trail to the right as it begins its journey back to the parking lot.
One thing to note here is that there is a fairly nice shelter building about .2 mi ahead of you on the green trail; cross the very recently built bridge, head up a hill, and there you are. The shelter is stocked with matches, kindling wood, and logs…all of which are covered. Inside the shelter you will find benches on three sides. This is a great place to wait out a stray shower, or to stop and warm up during the colder months or while skiing.
As we made our way back towards the parking lot on the yellow/green trail, we noticed a lack of mature trees in the area between us and Escanaba Lake, which comes into view on the left. There were a large number of younger trees here, and an equally large number of felled birch trees on the ground. That seems to have been a common sight in the NHAL that past several years; many a birch tree area cleared out with pine seedlings put in their place. I’m not really sure why this is yet.
There are a few more hills as the trail winds down, but for the most part the hike back to the parking lot is fairly flat. We did not see anyone while on our hike, but we did see a couple of other vehicles parked near the trail head. In my past experiences on this trail system, I have always crossed paths with a fellow hiker, so those of you that get a little freaked out by not seeing people for some time can take comfort in the popularity of this trail.
The Escanaba trail system is a great way to see all the wonders of what NHAL has to offer. The trail difficulty for the shorter trail is easy to moderate, and the next longest trail (green) was relatively easy to walk despite is 5 mile length from what I remember of my past hikes on it. A backpack filled with trail snacks, water, insect repellent, sun screen, and some nature field guides will only help to increase the enjoyment this trail system has to offer.
Fallison Lake Trail Area: **
© 2011 Cary Kostka
The Fallison Lake Trail is a located on the south side of CR “N” in Vilas County, WI near the Crystal Lake-Muskellunge Lake recreation area and within the borders of the Northern Highland-American Legion (NHAL) State Forest. The NHAL State Forest is the largest state forest in Wisconsin covering 225,000 acres of forest and woodlands and is one of the best outdoor recreation areas I have visited in Wisconsin. Those with an iPhone or iPad will be pleased to know that the DNR has an app available that provides maps and other useful information on not only the Fallison Lake trail system but on all trails located within the NHAL boundaries.
The admission fee to the trail can be paid via the self-service payment center located at the trailhead, or at the Crystal Lake-Muskellunge Lake DNR station located about a quarter of a mile west of the trail parking lot on CR N. Daily fee for the trail is $3, which includes entry to any other State Of Wisconsin trails for that day. The admission fee is covered for those who have already purchased a daily or annual State Of Wisconsin vehicle admission sticker (http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/fees/).
The Fallison Lake trail system contains four trails in a hilly, forested landscape. In order of difficulty these trails are: yellow (0.5 mi), green (1 mi), blue (2 mi), and red (2.5 mi). All four trails start and end together at the south end of the parking lot. There are two water pumps on the trails; one is located at the trailhead and the other in a rest area about halfway into the blue and red trails. A trail map, a walking stick holder (usually containing community walking sticks), a small bench, a DNR announcement board, and a snowshoe information sign can all be found at the trailhead. There are not any toilets in the trail area, but these are available at the DNR station mentioned earlier.
At the beginning of the four trails you will enter a heavily wooded and very aromatic stand of mixed hardwood and softwood trees. The paths throughout the trail system are wide and dirt covered with a number of protruding tree roots in many places. A large number of birch trees have been felled in the trail areas, which is due to a Wisconsin DNR forestry project that is in progress. On the left of the trail you will soon see one of the three bogs that can be easily viewed from the trails. There are a total of five bogs in the trail area, but the other two are difficult to see during the summer through all of the trees and brush. From mid-autumn into early spring these bogs are much easier to spot; even with a coating of snow one can still see the telltale signs of the bogs. At the ¼ mile mark the green and yellow trails head off to the right with the blue and red trails continuing straight. At this point, Fallison Lake will come into view.
The yellow trail shares its entire length with a large section of the green trail. Although the yellow trail is the shortest trail, there are a couple of moderate hills to climb and descend. For most of the hills present there were wooden steps to aid the climb or descent, but in a number of places some of these steps have rotted away. The hills, steps, or lack of steps will be seen throughout all four trails. When I hiked these trails this past summer, it appeared that an effort to replace them was underway.
As you work your way along the yellow trail, Fallison Lake will come closer to the trail on the right as the bog draws closer on the left. As you get closer to the lake you will start to see small trails branching off to the right that will take you to the shoreline. A short distance past the trail junction you will cross a recently built bridge. As you cross the bridge, be sure to check out the land on either side of you. Do not be fooled into thinking that is solid ground down there; the land you are actually seeing is a very dense moss mixture that is common place near the bogs in this trail area. During very wet times of the year, most if not all of these are submerged.
Once you are on the other side of the bridge, you will come up a short hill and will then see a clearing and a wooden bench for viewing on the right. During the warmer times of year, this is a great place to watch the bald eagles or the resident loon family that resides on this lake. A large number of hermit thrushes were present on the day of this hike. On past hikes, I have come across beavers, raccoons, and happened upon a baby black bear that quickly went running to find mama.
After a stop to enjoy the scenery, which for me was a quick stop due to the large number of flies out that day, you head up a hill and back onto the trail. After about 200 feet or so you will find yourself at another junction. To the right the green trail heads off for its extended loop, and to the left you join back up with the red and blue trails, as well as the green trail for its return leg. The rest of the walk is pretty easy other than one steep hill to climb, which was missing at least half of its steps. About 100 feet from the parking lot you will come across a trail branching off to the right; this trail will take to you CR N, which once crossed then takes you to the Crystal Lake-Muskellunge Lake recreation area.
For the green trail, we will pick up where it branches off to the left. This is a strange configuration, as you will come to another junction and it is really up to you which way to go, as you are going “against traffic” in either direction. If you continue straight (as I did), you will be following the blue trail as well. Taking the branch off to the left will have you following the red trail on its loop around a bog. For this writing, I will stick to going straight.
For the entire time that the green trail is joined with the blue trail, Fallison Lake will be in sight on the right. On the left there will be a large bog that will remain visible for most of the green loop at this point. There were a number of hills to climb down, as well as a couple of wooden benches for nature viewing and breath-catching. Remember that what goes down must come up when you come back around the other side of the loop.
At the bottom of one of these hills there is a large boulder. I could not figure out if it is here naturally or was placed there, as the number of boulders that I saw on these trails was just his one. If you have not yet reached for your bug spray at this point, you are either very tolerant or have come before or after the flying insects of the area are at full force. The bogs add interesting scenery and bird life but also contribute to a very buzzing experience. The walk all the way up until the next junction is filled with forest sounds and smells.
At the next junction, you will take a left as the green trail begins its loop around the bog while joining up with the red trail as it heads for its rendezvous with the trailhead. Both the blue and red trails head straight ahead as well. Almost right after the junction, up the hill you will go as you begin to climb back up to where you had started. The elevation at the top of this hill gives a nice vantage point to see the grasses circling the bog in the middle of a clearing. The footing in some areas seems to be a little questionable at times, though the trail is wide enough for the not so balanced to hug the right side. The sounds around the forest seem to amplify at this point, and the natural decay of old trees underneath the living trees of the canopy add a very natural look that a photographer would love. Around the point of the trail turning towards the left for the final leg of the bog loop a handful of ovenbirds and black throated green warblers could be seen darting in and around the tree canopy, singing a very happy tune as we began the trip back to the trailhead. I soon found myself joined back to the blue trail, taking a right and shortly thereafter joining up with the yellow trail as well before shortly reaching the trailhead.
In my discussion of the blue and red trails, I will only cover them from the first trail junction up until the meeting up with the green trail occurs since the rest of both the blue and red trails from this point have been already covered.
Once you have gone past the first trail junction the blue and red trails work their way into a densely wooded, almost swampy feeling area. The bugs were not too bad here during this hike, but on past hikes have almost been carried away by mosquitoes. You emerge from this dense area of forest to climb a hill, the top of which gives a great vantage point of the general area. There are some good shoreline viewing areas along the trail, a couple of them with benches, but there are some steep descents to get to these areas. After about 3/4 of a mile or so you will come across a grass covered road that leads from the shore to the woods. I walked up this road for about half a block but could not see an end to it. My guess is that this is a service road used for stocking Fallison Lake with trout, as the road that ended at the shore had a sign posting trout fishing regulations.
For another 1/4 to 1/2 of a mile the sights, sounds, and smells remain the same. This is one of my favorite stretches of trail in Wisconsin. Stop and listen to the complete absence of any sound but those of the forest. At the end of this stretch you will come to a small hill takes you up and into the rest area. Here there is a nice clearing under a tree canopy at where you can sit down at one the benches or quench your thirst at the water pump.
Soon after leaving the rest area you will find yourself on nicely built a wooden bridge, which crosses the connecting point of a bog to the lake. This is the spot in which the picture taken for this write up was taken. A couple of herons could be seen in the bog from the viewing point the bridge affords. A sign that was posted on the bridge noted that large-mouth bass, yellow perch, rainbow and brook trout, northern pike, and muskellunge can all be found in Lake Fallison. I haven’t tried to fish here yet, but I bet my brother would be interested in trying his skills here.
The trail remains pretty close to the lake almost all the way to the junction point with the green trail and the split off point of the red trail. This junction takes place on the way up a hill, and this is a great spot for some pictures of the area. There were not many paths to the lake along this segment of trail, but you will find yourself close enough to have a great view of Lake Fallison up until the next trail junction. Once you reach the junction you will follow the red loop or blue trail back to the trail head.
The Fallison Lake trail area is a great way to experience what the NHAL has to offer. The trails are challenging, but not overly difficult, and are a great way to experience nature. In the dozen or so times I have hiked this trail, I have always come across a new bird or animal on these trails that I have not seen there before. I would recommend packing a snack, water, and bug spray as well as comfortable and supportive footwear.
The admission fee to the trail can be paid via the self-service payment center located at the trailhead, or at the Crystal Lake-Muskellunge Lake DNR station located about a quarter of a mile west of the trail parking lot on CR N. Daily fee for the trail is $3, which includes entry to any other State Of Wisconsin trails for that day. The admission fee is covered for those who have already purchased a daily or annual State Of Wisconsin vehicle admission sticker (http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/fees/).
The Fallison Lake trail system contains four trails in a hilly, forested landscape. In order of difficulty these trails are: yellow (0.5 mi), green (1 mi), blue (2 mi), and red (2.5 mi). All four trails start and end together at the south end of the parking lot. There are two water pumps on the trails; one is located at the trailhead and the other in a rest area about halfway into the blue and red trails. A trail map, a walking stick holder (usually containing community walking sticks), a small bench, a DNR announcement board, and a snowshoe information sign can all be found at the trailhead. There are not any toilets in the trail area, but these are available at the DNR station mentioned earlier.
At the beginning of the four trails you will enter a heavily wooded and very aromatic stand of mixed hardwood and softwood trees. The paths throughout the trail system are wide and dirt covered with a number of protruding tree roots in many places. A large number of birch trees have been felled in the trail areas, which is due to a Wisconsin DNR forestry project that is in progress. On the left of the trail you will soon see one of the three bogs that can be easily viewed from the trails. There are a total of five bogs in the trail area, but the other two are difficult to see during the summer through all of the trees and brush. From mid-autumn into early spring these bogs are much easier to spot; even with a coating of snow one can still see the telltale signs of the bogs. At the ¼ mile mark the green and yellow trails head off to the right with the blue and red trails continuing straight. At this point, Fallison Lake will come into view.
The yellow trail shares its entire length with a large section of the green trail. Although the yellow trail is the shortest trail, there are a couple of moderate hills to climb and descend. For most of the hills present there were wooden steps to aid the climb or descent, but in a number of places some of these steps have rotted away. The hills, steps, or lack of steps will be seen throughout all four trails. When I hiked these trails this past summer, it appeared that an effort to replace them was underway.
As you work your way along the yellow trail, Fallison Lake will come closer to the trail on the right as the bog draws closer on the left. As you get closer to the lake you will start to see small trails branching off to the right that will take you to the shoreline. A short distance past the trail junction you will cross a recently built bridge. As you cross the bridge, be sure to check out the land on either side of you. Do not be fooled into thinking that is solid ground down there; the land you are actually seeing is a very dense moss mixture that is common place near the bogs in this trail area. During very wet times of the year, most if not all of these are submerged.
Once you are on the other side of the bridge, you will come up a short hill and will then see a clearing and a wooden bench for viewing on the right. During the warmer times of year, this is a great place to watch the bald eagles or the resident loon family that resides on this lake. A large number of hermit thrushes were present on the day of this hike. On past hikes, I have come across beavers, raccoons, and happened upon a baby black bear that quickly went running to find mama.
After a stop to enjoy the scenery, which for me was a quick stop due to the large number of flies out that day, you head up a hill and back onto the trail. After about 200 feet or so you will find yourself at another junction. To the right the green trail heads off for its extended loop, and to the left you join back up with the red and blue trails, as well as the green trail for its return leg. The rest of the walk is pretty easy other than one steep hill to climb, which was missing at least half of its steps. About 100 feet from the parking lot you will come across a trail branching off to the right; this trail will take to you CR N, which once crossed then takes you to the Crystal Lake-Muskellunge Lake recreation area.
For the green trail, we will pick up where it branches off to the left. This is a strange configuration, as you will come to another junction and it is really up to you which way to go, as you are going “against traffic” in either direction. If you continue straight (as I did), you will be following the blue trail as well. Taking the branch off to the left will have you following the red trail on its loop around a bog. For this writing, I will stick to going straight.
For the entire time that the green trail is joined with the blue trail, Fallison Lake will be in sight on the right. On the left there will be a large bog that will remain visible for most of the green loop at this point. There were a number of hills to climb down, as well as a couple of wooden benches for nature viewing and breath-catching. Remember that what goes down must come up when you come back around the other side of the loop.
At the bottom of one of these hills there is a large boulder. I could not figure out if it is here naturally or was placed there, as the number of boulders that I saw on these trails was just his one. If you have not yet reached for your bug spray at this point, you are either very tolerant or have come before or after the flying insects of the area are at full force. The bogs add interesting scenery and bird life but also contribute to a very buzzing experience. The walk all the way up until the next junction is filled with forest sounds and smells.
At the next junction, you will take a left as the green trail begins its loop around the bog while joining up with the red trail as it heads for its rendezvous with the trailhead. Both the blue and red trails head straight ahead as well. Almost right after the junction, up the hill you will go as you begin to climb back up to where you had started. The elevation at the top of this hill gives a nice vantage point to see the grasses circling the bog in the middle of a clearing. The footing in some areas seems to be a little questionable at times, though the trail is wide enough for the not so balanced to hug the right side. The sounds around the forest seem to amplify at this point, and the natural decay of old trees underneath the living trees of the canopy add a very natural look that a photographer would love. Around the point of the trail turning towards the left for the final leg of the bog loop a handful of ovenbirds and black throated green warblers could be seen darting in and around the tree canopy, singing a very happy tune as we began the trip back to the trailhead. I soon found myself joined back to the blue trail, taking a right and shortly thereafter joining up with the yellow trail as well before shortly reaching the trailhead.
In my discussion of the blue and red trails, I will only cover them from the first trail junction up until the meeting up with the green trail occurs since the rest of both the blue and red trails from this point have been already covered.
Once you have gone past the first trail junction the blue and red trails work their way into a densely wooded, almost swampy feeling area. The bugs were not too bad here during this hike, but on past hikes have almost been carried away by mosquitoes. You emerge from this dense area of forest to climb a hill, the top of which gives a great vantage point of the general area. There are some good shoreline viewing areas along the trail, a couple of them with benches, but there are some steep descents to get to these areas. After about 3/4 of a mile or so you will come across a grass covered road that leads from the shore to the woods. I walked up this road for about half a block but could not see an end to it. My guess is that this is a service road used for stocking Fallison Lake with trout, as the road that ended at the shore had a sign posting trout fishing regulations.
For another 1/4 to 1/2 of a mile the sights, sounds, and smells remain the same. This is one of my favorite stretches of trail in Wisconsin. Stop and listen to the complete absence of any sound but those of the forest. At the end of this stretch you will come to a small hill takes you up and into the rest area. Here there is a nice clearing under a tree canopy at where you can sit down at one the benches or quench your thirst at the water pump.
Soon after leaving the rest area you will find yourself on nicely built a wooden bridge, which crosses the connecting point of a bog to the lake. This is the spot in which the picture taken for this write up was taken. A couple of herons could be seen in the bog from the viewing point the bridge affords. A sign that was posted on the bridge noted that large-mouth bass, yellow perch, rainbow and brook trout, northern pike, and muskellunge can all be found in Lake Fallison. I haven’t tried to fish here yet, but I bet my brother would be interested in trying his skills here.
The trail remains pretty close to the lake almost all the way to the junction point with the green trail and the split off point of the red trail. This junction takes place on the way up a hill, and this is a great spot for some pictures of the area. There were not many paths to the lake along this segment of trail, but you will find yourself close enough to have a great view of Lake Fallison up until the next trail junction. Once you reach the junction you will follow the red loop or blue trail back to the trail head.
The Fallison Lake trail area is a great way to experience what the NHAL has to offer. The trails are challenging, but not overly difficult, and are a great way to experience nature. In the dozen or so times I have hiked this trail, I have always come across a new bird or animal on these trails that I have not seen there before. I would recommend packing a snack, water, and bug spray as well as comfortable and supportive footwear.
Zillmer Trail Area Rating: * to ***
© 2011 Kasia Prutis
The Zillmer trail area is an assortment of trails located on the western edge of the Kettle Moraine Wisconsin State Forest - Northern Unit. The Kettle Moraine - Northern Unit stretches its 30,000 acres across three counties in an area about 50 miles north of the metro Milwaukee area and is also part of the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve. The admission fee to the trail can be paid via the self-service payment center located at the trail head. Daily fee for the trail is $4, which includes entry to any other State Of Wisconsin trails for that day. The admission fee is covered for those who have already purchased a daily or annual State Of Wisconsin vehicle admission sticker (http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/fees/ ), or have a Federal Recreational Lands Pass (http://www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm).
Like the New Fane trail area, the Zillmer trail area consists of four trails of varying difficulties. The brown trail is the shortest of the four at 1.2 miles, followed by the green trail (1.8 miles), red trail (3 miles), and the yellow trail (5.4 miles). The four trails all start and end at the same points for the most part, with the trail head being a short walk through a small picnic area located at the north end of the parking lot. The parking lot has plenty of shade for your car. When you first leave the parking lot for the trails, you will notice the pay station to the right. On the left are the pit toilet facilities, which are the only maintained restrooms in the trail area. A bit further ahead you will see a DNR bulletin board, and on the right of the bulletin board will be a shelter area (under construction at the time of this writing). Picnic tables, grills, a fire pit and water faucet are all located within the picnic area.
The brown trail is the only one of the four trails to start separate from the other trails. The trail starts out in what was a pine stand that has recently been thinned to make way for an aspen restoration project. The trail is fairly level and well groomed with small stones and grass. There were a few small hills to climb, but they are not much to conquer. A mixture of pine and hardwood shaded areas mingle with tall prairie grasses in open areas of the trail. A large number of butterflies and blue jays were seen on this trail.
The green, yellow, and red trails all begin together, with the yellow trail splitting off from the green and red trails about .5 miles in. The green and red trails remain joined for most of the length of the green trail. The red trail splits from the green trail at around the halfway point, then rejoins the green trail 100 feet away from the initial split off point. The trails remain joined to the end from this point. The trails will start in the same stand of cut back pines as the brown trail and will eventually lead you into an open, grassy area. You will see a path going straight, and one to the left, without any markers. Stick to the left trail, and after walking along the rim of a pine stand, you will soon re-enter the forest. One thing I noticed immediately is that there were very few insect flying around. The path is very smooth, but there are a number of hills and open areas, making supportive footwear and sunscreen a necessity. The green trail is a dream for birdwatchers and butterfly enthusiasts alike. The open grassy areas consist of a great combination of prairie grasses, domestic grasses, and wild flowers. Butterflies frolic with ease in these areas.
Soon after the red trail splits onto its own a bridge comes into view. I found this to be a great place to have a snack and water break. A small babbling brook flows beneath the bridge that features a large number of shells in the sand and many irises in bloom along its banks. The red trail, as with the brown and green trails, was very well groomed, but features a handful of steep hills to both ascend and descend. My favorite part of this trail was the ever changing landscape; it seemed that every quarter of a mile or so I was greeted with a new window into the many types of nature featured within the Kettle Moraine forest. At about the 1.6 mile mark of the red loop the insects flying around seemed to triple in number. Soon a pond came into view which turned out to be part of a larger swamp area. Insect repellent will be needed at this point. As the red loop draws near to rejoining the green loop, you will cross the brook you had crossed earlier. Just past the bridge and to the left, a trail branches off that will take you to one of the number of DNR backpacking shelters for those hiking the Ice Age Trail. It is a nice detour for the curious to investigate, and features an outhouse if there is a need. One thing to note is that the outhouse does not have any toilet paper.
The red and green trails will remain joined until you reach the parking lot. The last mile of these two trails are generally without shade; there are some shady spots but these are few in number. You will pass through a swampy area soon after the two trails join again. Surprisingly, there were very few insects in this area of the trail. The next half mile of the trails are a great spot for wildflower and butterfly lovers as you march along various types of grassland terrain. Towards the last half mile or so you will enter into the thinned out pine stand that you had started in earlier, leading you to the finish. The yellow trail will join the red and green trails with about a quarter of a mile to go.
If you are looking for a challenge the yellow trail is for you. You will need good footwear with ample ankle and arch support to tackle this trail, as well as a good supply of fluids and energy giving snacks. As mentioned earlier, the yellow trail follows the green and red trails for the first half mile before heading off on its own to the right. You will enter a dense wooded area, and will remain there until coming to the top of a large hill. The grassland area that opens up at the top of the hill is a sight to see with a large number of songbirds and butterflies flying every which way. The hills on the yellow trail were not too bad overall, though there are some pretty steep ones that you will want to take care in descending.
Coming up to the 1.4 mile mark, you will come across an open area the almost seems as if it could have been a road if one looks to the left and right. I was able to find out that this grassy area is kept clear of brush and trees for access to an underground pipeline. After another half mile or so, you will see a couple of trails branching off to the right. These short trails will take you to the Ice Age Center, and is a great way to rest a bit from the trail, to also top off your water bottles, and make use of bathroom facilities. While here you can also find various nature guides that will help in answering some of your nature trail questions should you have any for the staff here. Just past the nature center is perhaps the best view of the landscape. You will find a bench overlooking a grand vista of forests, prairies, grasslands, farmlands, and power generating wind mills. We found ourselves spending a bit of time here, snapping many photos and taking in the view.
Once you’ve had your fill of scenery on the vista, it is all downhill from there, literally. You will descend a steep hill into a mixed soft and hardwood forest for quite a distance. You will cross a marshy creek, which will make you lunge for your insect repellent if you have not applied this already. You will continue through mostly forested areas, with some grassy areas here and there, up until the time you briefly join up with the top edge of the red trail loop. Continue onwards for a block or two and you can then split off the right to continue on the yellow trail. One item of note is that you have the same distance to go regardless of which fork you choose here; the yellow trail is a commitment and there are no shortcuts. The yellow trail will lead you through an interesting mixture of forest to the left and marsh on the right until emerging about .75 miles into a large grassland area. At this point of the yellow trail, you will find yourself more or less in the sun until the end of the trail.
At about the 4 mile mark there was a DNR work area on the right. Also about this time the frequency of trees begins to increase, but not enough to provide much shade. This area has also been largely cut back in regards to the number of pine trees, for the reasons I had mentioned earlier. A pond on the left just past the DNR work area had a number of ducks floating lazily on it the day we were there. A bridge crossing a small creek soon comes into view as the trail winds its way back to the picnic area. Soon the trail joins up with the red and green trails for the last quarter of a mile, before ending in the same cut back pine stand in which you had started.
Overall, this collection of trails provides a wide variety of landscapes, terrains, and wild life to suit any hiker. The variety of difficulties this collection of trails offer means that there is a trail for just about anyone. This is a great trail system to easily spend a day exploring and enjoying the nature that the Kettle Moraine State Forest has to offer.
Like the New Fane trail area, the Zillmer trail area consists of four trails of varying difficulties. The brown trail is the shortest of the four at 1.2 miles, followed by the green trail (1.8 miles), red trail (3 miles), and the yellow trail (5.4 miles). The four trails all start and end at the same points for the most part, with the trail head being a short walk through a small picnic area located at the north end of the parking lot. The parking lot has plenty of shade for your car. When you first leave the parking lot for the trails, you will notice the pay station to the right. On the left are the pit toilet facilities, which are the only maintained restrooms in the trail area. A bit further ahead you will see a DNR bulletin board, and on the right of the bulletin board will be a shelter area (under construction at the time of this writing). Picnic tables, grills, a fire pit and water faucet are all located within the picnic area.
The brown trail is the only one of the four trails to start separate from the other trails. The trail starts out in what was a pine stand that has recently been thinned to make way for an aspen restoration project. The trail is fairly level and well groomed with small stones and grass. There were a few small hills to climb, but they are not much to conquer. A mixture of pine and hardwood shaded areas mingle with tall prairie grasses in open areas of the trail. A large number of butterflies and blue jays were seen on this trail.
The green, yellow, and red trails all begin together, with the yellow trail splitting off from the green and red trails about .5 miles in. The green and red trails remain joined for most of the length of the green trail. The red trail splits from the green trail at around the halfway point, then rejoins the green trail 100 feet away from the initial split off point. The trails remain joined to the end from this point. The trails will start in the same stand of cut back pines as the brown trail and will eventually lead you into an open, grassy area. You will see a path going straight, and one to the left, without any markers. Stick to the left trail, and after walking along the rim of a pine stand, you will soon re-enter the forest. One thing I noticed immediately is that there were very few insect flying around. The path is very smooth, but there are a number of hills and open areas, making supportive footwear and sunscreen a necessity. The green trail is a dream for birdwatchers and butterfly enthusiasts alike. The open grassy areas consist of a great combination of prairie grasses, domestic grasses, and wild flowers. Butterflies frolic with ease in these areas.
Soon after the red trail splits onto its own a bridge comes into view. I found this to be a great place to have a snack and water break. A small babbling brook flows beneath the bridge that features a large number of shells in the sand and many irises in bloom along its banks. The red trail, as with the brown and green trails, was very well groomed, but features a handful of steep hills to both ascend and descend. My favorite part of this trail was the ever changing landscape; it seemed that every quarter of a mile or so I was greeted with a new window into the many types of nature featured within the Kettle Moraine forest. At about the 1.6 mile mark of the red loop the insects flying around seemed to triple in number. Soon a pond came into view which turned out to be part of a larger swamp area. Insect repellent will be needed at this point. As the red loop draws near to rejoining the green loop, you will cross the brook you had crossed earlier. Just past the bridge and to the left, a trail branches off that will take you to one of the number of DNR backpacking shelters for those hiking the Ice Age Trail. It is a nice detour for the curious to investigate, and features an outhouse if there is a need. One thing to note is that the outhouse does not have any toilet paper.
The red and green trails will remain joined until you reach the parking lot. The last mile of these two trails are generally without shade; there are some shady spots but these are few in number. You will pass through a swampy area soon after the two trails join again. Surprisingly, there were very few insects in this area of the trail. The next half mile of the trails are a great spot for wildflower and butterfly lovers as you march along various types of grassland terrain. Towards the last half mile or so you will enter into the thinned out pine stand that you had started in earlier, leading you to the finish. The yellow trail will join the red and green trails with about a quarter of a mile to go.
If you are looking for a challenge the yellow trail is for you. You will need good footwear with ample ankle and arch support to tackle this trail, as well as a good supply of fluids and energy giving snacks. As mentioned earlier, the yellow trail follows the green and red trails for the first half mile before heading off on its own to the right. You will enter a dense wooded area, and will remain there until coming to the top of a large hill. The grassland area that opens up at the top of the hill is a sight to see with a large number of songbirds and butterflies flying every which way. The hills on the yellow trail were not too bad overall, though there are some pretty steep ones that you will want to take care in descending.
Coming up to the 1.4 mile mark, you will come across an open area the almost seems as if it could have been a road if one looks to the left and right. I was able to find out that this grassy area is kept clear of brush and trees for access to an underground pipeline. After another half mile or so, you will see a couple of trails branching off to the right. These short trails will take you to the Ice Age Center, and is a great way to rest a bit from the trail, to also top off your water bottles, and make use of bathroom facilities. While here you can also find various nature guides that will help in answering some of your nature trail questions should you have any for the staff here. Just past the nature center is perhaps the best view of the landscape. You will find a bench overlooking a grand vista of forests, prairies, grasslands, farmlands, and power generating wind mills. We found ourselves spending a bit of time here, snapping many photos and taking in the view.
Once you’ve had your fill of scenery on the vista, it is all downhill from there, literally. You will descend a steep hill into a mixed soft and hardwood forest for quite a distance. You will cross a marshy creek, which will make you lunge for your insect repellent if you have not applied this already. You will continue through mostly forested areas, with some grassy areas here and there, up until the time you briefly join up with the top edge of the red trail loop. Continue onwards for a block or two and you can then split off the right to continue on the yellow trail. One item of note is that you have the same distance to go regardless of which fork you choose here; the yellow trail is a commitment and there are no shortcuts. The yellow trail will lead you through an interesting mixture of forest to the left and marsh on the right until emerging about .75 miles into a large grassland area. At this point of the yellow trail, you will find yourself more or less in the sun until the end of the trail.
At about the 4 mile mark there was a DNR work area on the right. Also about this time the frequency of trees begins to increase, but not enough to provide much shade. This area has also been largely cut back in regards to the number of pine trees, for the reasons I had mentioned earlier. A pond on the left just past the DNR work area had a number of ducks floating lazily on it the day we were there. A bridge crossing a small creek soon comes into view as the trail winds its way back to the picnic area. Soon the trail joins up with the red and green trails for the last quarter of a mile, before ending in the same cut back pine stand in which you had started.
Overall, this collection of trails provides a wide variety of landscapes, terrains, and wild life to suit any hiker. The variety of difficulties this collection of trails offer means that there is a trail for just about anyone. This is a great trail system to easily spend a day exploring and enjoying the nature that the Kettle Moraine State Forest has to offer.
New Fane Trail Area Rating: * to **
© 2011 Kasia Prutis
The New Fane trail area is a system of trails located in the Kettle Moraine Wisconsin State Forest - Northern Unit. The Kettle Moraine - Northern Unit stretches its 30,000 acres across three counties in an area about 50 miles north of the metro Milwaukee area and is also part of the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve. The admission fee to the trail can be paid via the self-service payment center located at the trailhead. Daily fee for the trail is $4, which includes entry to any other State Of Wisconsin trail for that day. The admission fee is covered for those who have already purchased a daily or annual State Of Wisconsin vehicle admission sticker (http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/fees/), or have a Federal Recreational Lands Pass (http://www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm).
New Fane features four trails that traverse a variety of different landscapes and terrains, which in order of difficulty are: brown (0.7 mi), green (1.5 mi), red (2.4 mi), and purple (3.1 mi). All trails start and end together at points across the parking lot from one another. There is not any water or toilet facilities on the trails themselves, so I would advise would be hikers to answer their "calls from nature", as well as to top off water containers prior to entering the trail head. There is a pit toilet facility located on the north end of the parking lot. On the east end of the parking lot you will find a shelter building (with grills and picnic tables), and a water faucet. This area happens to be between the start (southeast corner of parking lot) and finish (northeast corner of parking lot) points of the trails.
All four trails start off in an open area and follow the same path for the first 150 feet before forking off into two trails. To the left go the brown and green trails, and to the right are the red and purple trails. There are colored posts and a trail map at various points along all routes, so if you ever have a question of where you are or what trail you are following, eventually that mystery will be solved for you. One thing to note is that there are many snowshoe, cross country ski and bike trails that intersect the four hiking trails. Unless you see a color marker on one of the intersecting paths (usually, but not always, marked with a "loop x" marker), keep going straight on the path you are currently on, and you will do just fine.
The brown trail is the shortest of the four trails. It starts off joined with the green trail before splitting off to the left, and will join the other three trails for the last 200 feet or so of its route. The trail is very easy to manage, but is largely without shade, so on sunnier days you should plan accordingly. The grade on this trail is very even and not particularly challenging. This trail is great for bird watchers in the morning or star gazers at night.
Traveling the green trail is greater undertaking than the brown trail, and consists of more hill climbing and rougher terrain than what the brown trail offers. The green trail has much more shade than the brown trail, but still has its share of open areas. There seemed to be a wider variety of wild life on the green trail; during my exploratory hike I noticed at least a dozen different bird types, and came across deer, fox, rabbit, skunk, and weasel tracks. The trail itself was primarily grass, with areas of dirt more towards the end. There were very few stones or tree roots to impede your footing, so basic footwear for this trail should do just fine.
The great thing about the red and purple trails is that they are the same trail up until the halfway point of the red trail. The purple trail breaks off on its own to the left for a 0.7 mile loop through some hilly, fairly open, terrain, before meeting back up with the red trail. Once the purple trail rejoins the red trail, both trails are the same trail until you again reach the parking lot. The nice thing about this is that, if you have a change of heart to go for it all on purple, you can easily stick to the red trail and still have a very scenic and enjoyable hike while having a little shorter distance to travel. Also, the green trail meets up with the red and purple trails at about the 0.8 mile mark, so if you decide that you need an even shorter route, you can detour onto the green trail for an even easier but still rewarding experience. The frequency of hill climbing and tree roots makes supportive footwear a must for these two trails.
The red and purple trails will take you through rolling hills and wooded valleys, but you will also encounter enough open areas to make sunscreen a priority on sunny summer days. On the first half of the trail, you will notice a DNR out building, a farm, and a small pond on the right side of the trail. At about the halfway point, you will come up out of a valley into a large stand of pines. It is at the top of this valley that you will find the branch off point of the purple trail.
The purple trail heads off on its own to the left, and for the early portion of the loop takes you on the right side of a valley rim, in which contains a wide variety of trees and vegetation. On the right side of the trail, a large group of pine trees stand guard over a large swath of ferns. As you proceed down the trail, the mosquitoes began to buzz more often the further you travel. It was easy to see that this was not a frequently used path, as grasses close to a foot high were found on most parts of the purple loop.
As the purple trail rejoins the red trail, the most imposing stand of pines that this collection of trails has to offer comes into view. With the sparse undergrowth, it is possible to see the glacially created land contours all around you while enjoying the longest stretch of all of the New Fane trails.
The trail eventually winds its way back into a mixture of periodic shaded and grassy areas. Soon after the green trail rejoins the red and purple trail, a large pond will come into view on the right side. The undergrowth to get to the pond appears denser than it is, so those of you that want to get a closer look at it should be able to do so with moderate effort. The pond is a great place for bird watchers to stop; during my mid-afternoon trip to the pond a number of waterfowl, including various types of ducks, geese, herons, and even a swan could be seen. I can only imagine what the scene will be like here in the fall as the migratory birds are making their way south.
The last 150 feet of the trail are pretty open to the sun, and one should take caution as you will cross a couple of blind intersections with biking trails as you near the parking lot.
Overall, the New Fane trail area offers great mixture of scenery and wildlife, while being challenging for most hikers. I would rank this a slightly moderate to moderate trail system.
New Fane features four trails that traverse a variety of different landscapes and terrains, which in order of difficulty are: brown (0.7 mi), green (1.5 mi), red (2.4 mi), and purple (3.1 mi). All trails start and end together at points across the parking lot from one another. There is not any water or toilet facilities on the trails themselves, so I would advise would be hikers to answer their "calls from nature", as well as to top off water containers prior to entering the trail head. There is a pit toilet facility located on the north end of the parking lot. On the east end of the parking lot you will find a shelter building (with grills and picnic tables), and a water faucet. This area happens to be between the start (southeast corner of parking lot) and finish (northeast corner of parking lot) points of the trails.
All four trails start off in an open area and follow the same path for the first 150 feet before forking off into two trails. To the left go the brown and green trails, and to the right are the red and purple trails. There are colored posts and a trail map at various points along all routes, so if you ever have a question of where you are or what trail you are following, eventually that mystery will be solved for you. One thing to note is that there are many snowshoe, cross country ski and bike trails that intersect the four hiking trails. Unless you see a color marker on one of the intersecting paths (usually, but not always, marked with a "loop x" marker), keep going straight on the path you are currently on, and you will do just fine.
The brown trail is the shortest of the four trails. It starts off joined with the green trail before splitting off to the left, and will join the other three trails for the last 200 feet or so of its route. The trail is very easy to manage, but is largely without shade, so on sunnier days you should plan accordingly. The grade on this trail is very even and not particularly challenging. This trail is great for bird watchers in the morning or star gazers at night.
Traveling the green trail is greater undertaking than the brown trail, and consists of more hill climbing and rougher terrain than what the brown trail offers. The green trail has much more shade than the brown trail, but still has its share of open areas. There seemed to be a wider variety of wild life on the green trail; during my exploratory hike I noticed at least a dozen different bird types, and came across deer, fox, rabbit, skunk, and weasel tracks. The trail itself was primarily grass, with areas of dirt more towards the end. There were very few stones or tree roots to impede your footing, so basic footwear for this trail should do just fine.
The great thing about the red and purple trails is that they are the same trail up until the halfway point of the red trail. The purple trail breaks off on its own to the left for a 0.7 mile loop through some hilly, fairly open, terrain, before meeting back up with the red trail. Once the purple trail rejoins the red trail, both trails are the same trail until you again reach the parking lot. The nice thing about this is that, if you have a change of heart to go for it all on purple, you can easily stick to the red trail and still have a very scenic and enjoyable hike while having a little shorter distance to travel. Also, the green trail meets up with the red and purple trails at about the 0.8 mile mark, so if you decide that you need an even shorter route, you can detour onto the green trail for an even easier but still rewarding experience. The frequency of hill climbing and tree roots makes supportive footwear a must for these two trails.
The red and purple trails will take you through rolling hills and wooded valleys, but you will also encounter enough open areas to make sunscreen a priority on sunny summer days. On the first half of the trail, you will notice a DNR out building, a farm, and a small pond on the right side of the trail. At about the halfway point, you will come up out of a valley into a large stand of pines. It is at the top of this valley that you will find the branch off point of the purple trail.
The purple trail heads off on its own to the left, and for the early portion of the loop takes you on the right side of a valley rim, in which contains a wide variety of trees and vegetation. On the right side of the trail, a large group of pine trees stand guard over a large swath of ferns. As you proceed down the trail, the mosquitoes began to buzz more often the further you travel. It was easy to see that this was not a frequently used path, as grasses close to a foot high were found on most parts of the purple loop.
As the purple trail rejoins the red trail, the most imposing stand of pines that this collection of trails has to offer comes into view. With the sparse undergrowth, it is possible to see the glacially created land contours all around you while enjoying the longest stretch of all of the New Fane trails.
The trail eventually winds its way back into a mixture of periodic shaded and grassy areas. Soon after the green trail rejoins the red and purple trail, a large pond will come into view on the right side. The undergrowth to get to the pond appears denser than it is, so those of you that want to get a closer look at it should be able to do so with moderate effort. The pond is a great place for bird watchers to stop; during my mid-afternoon trip to the pond a number of waterfowl, including various types of ducks, geese, herons, and even a swan could be seen. I can only imagine what the scene will be like here in the fall as the migratory birds are making their way south.
The last 150 feet of the trail are pretty open to the sun, and one should take caution as you will cross a couple of blind intersections with biking trails as you near the parking lot.
Overall, the New Fane trail area offers great mixture of scenery and wildlife, while being challenging for most hikers. I would rank this a slightly moderate to moderate trail system.