Scenic Fall Hiking in the Driftless Area

Fall is truly one of our favorite seasons in the Driftless Area.  So many of the activities that we enjoy that time of year, such as birding, hiking, and biking, get us outside in one final push before winter sets in.  It’s undeniably beautiful outside, with the hills and valleys brightly painted in hues of red, orange, and yellow. With no shortage of activities to enjoy during the fall, there is also no shortage of things for us to blog about.  We love to go hiking in the Driftless Area throughout the year, but fall is an exquisite time of year to explore trails both new and old.  Book your room at our Wisconsin Vacation Rental today, and get outside and enjoy some beautiful fall hiking in the Driftless Area.

Fall Hiking Driftless Region

We’ve talked about hiking throughout the Driftless Region many times on our blog.  Hiking is a wonderful way to explore the Driftless Area, and to see parts of this stunning region that would otherwise remain hidden.  Options truly are endless, and can be as simple as strolling along a nature trail or well-developed hiking trail, or can be as advanced as picking your own way through one of the many natural areas found in the Driftless Area of Wisconsin.  No matter where you go, you’re sure to encounter incredible scenery and plenty of wildlife.  If this is your first time to our area, you might want to stick to the more common hiking areas, which include Wyalusing State Park, Effigy Mounds National Monument, Pikes Peak State Park, Wildcat Mountain State Park, and the Kickapoo Valley Reserve.  Within these parks, you’ll discover some of the best views over the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers, and will gain a larger appreciation for the geological forces that left these lands untouched so many years ago, earning us the name Driftless Wisconsin.

While there is certainly nothing wrong with a little fall hiking through the areas listed above, there are also plenty of lesser known trails within the Driftless Area worth exploring.  In Vernon County alone, there are 4 county parks and 2 county forests with miles of hiking trails worth exploring this fall.  One of our favorites in this area is the 520 acres of beautiful Sidie Hollow County Park, where you’ll find hiking trails and the Sidie Hollow Lake.  During fall, this lake is a great place to witness the stunning swans migrating through the Driftless Region.  Another fascinating place to explore in the Driftless Region is the Battle Bluff Prairie, which was once the site of Black Hawk War battles.  The bluffs here rise over 480 feet into the air, and from the top you’ll enjoy a clear view to the south across the Mississippi River.  Other beautiful natural areas in the Driftless Region worth exploring, especially if you’d like to do a little birdwatching, include the Bergen Bluffs, Coon Creek Cliffs, the Limery Ridge Savannah, and the Wauzeka Bottoms.   Though you won’t always find well-developed trails in these areas, you will find some of the remaining undeveloped bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River, incredible forested areas with thriving wild bird populations, and the rocky outcrops characteristic of Wisconsin’s Driftless Area.  Book your room at our Wisconsin Vacation Rental today, and head into the wild and undeveloped world of Driftless Area hiking this fall.