Fall Fun

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A walk in the woods

Fall is the best time to enjoy the outdoors

KENOSHA NEWS PHOTO BY BRIAN PASSINO Tim Barden (left) rides with Nicholas Barden, 5, (right) and Brooke Barden (hidden in carrier) past fall colors at Kemper Center.

   And you never have to leave Kenosha County.

   During the next four weeks, southeastern Wisconsin will reach its fall color peak. And if you think you have to go to upper Michigan or Door County to enjoy one of nature’s finest acts, you could not be more wrong. (Although, a trip to one of those northern gems is a wonderful way to celebrate autumn.)
   A walk through Bong Recreation Area, for example, offers a huge choice of treks, including hiking and nature trails.
   At Kemper Center, the lake is always the main attraction, but the luxurious old trees — as well as the gardens — make you feel like you’re in a Victorian painting.
   If you head out to Petrifying Springs or Hawthorn Hollow on the north side of the county, you’ll find bird watching at its best this time of year. And if you’re quiet and lucky, you may see a deer or two.
   And what’s one of the best things about walking in the woods this time of year? No mosquitoes. That alone makes a fall hike worth all the effort.

Grab a bike to see the fall scenery

BY ELIZABETH SNYDER
esnyder@kenoshanews.com 

    To really enjoy fall color in Wisconsin, you need to get out of the car and into the woods.
    Not only are you getting fresh air and exercise, but you’ll be seeing places you just can’t get to in an automobile.
    Also, you need to smell autumn without car exhaust getting in the way.
    In Kenosha County, you can’t beat riding your bike (or walking) on the paved Pike Trail that runs along the lakefront. You can start at Carthage College and head south, passing parks, beaches, the new downtown developments, the marina and lovely neighborhoods. For more bike touring, hop on the gravel Kenosha County Bike Path, which runs on the north side of Kenosha through Racine County and on the south side of Kenosha to Lake County Illinois.
    Outside Kenosha County, Wisconsin has several biking trails and while a lot of them are located several hours from Kenosha County, you can do a fair amount of biking not too far from home:

Bike touring trails   
     
Wisconsin is home to more than 1,000 miles of vehicle-free bike trails. These touring trails are mostly fl at (which makes for easy riding) with a crushed stone surface. Most are hard-surfaced, meaning they’re suitable for road bikes, mountain bikes, hybrids, even that old Schwinn three-speed you got for your 12th birthday and still have in the garage somewhere.
    (Note: A fee applies on some of the trails ($4 for daily use); if there is no attendant at the trailhead, leave the money and the completed trail use form in the drop box.)

    Touring trails in this area include:
    
    The White River

KENOSHA NEWS PHOTO BY ELIZABETH SNYDER A bike “rests” on the White River State Trail, which runs for 11.5 miles between Elkhorn and Burlington.

State: 11.5 miles one-way, runs between Elkhorn and Burlington in Walworth County.
    Trailhead: You can pick up the trail on County Highway H just east of Elkhorn or southwest of Burlington on Spring Valley Road, about a half-mile south of Highway 36.
    The ride: This is an easy bike ride, passing through woods and past farms. The trail follows an old Milwaukee Road rail-bed just north of Lake Geneva. You’ll find some benches placed at the side of the trail for rest stops, plus the Pedal & Cup Cafe (open Friday-Sunday through mid-October) in the tiny village of Springfield. Here you can enjoy a snack, a sandwich, ice cream treats and even some artwork by local artists. The cafe also rents bikes.
    The trail also passes through Lyons and goes right past the famous Ye Old Hotel, an 1860 stage coach stop.
    (And when you’re finished riding the trail, you can head into Lake Geneva to fill up on a deep dish pizza at the new Gino’s East. At least that’s what we did; see the Dining Out on Page 24.)

    Lakefront Oak Leaf Trail: 20 miles one-way, runs along the Milwaukee River and that city’s lakefront.
    Trailhead: In downtown Milwaukee, exit I-743 on Van Buren north to Michigan Avenue, then head east to the O’Donnell Park parking garage. On the south end, exit I-43 east on College Avenue to Lake Drive (Highway 32), then head south to Hawthorne Avenue and east to the Rawson Park Golf Course parking lot.
    The ride: This is an asphalt trail, but some sections are on public streets, so look out for vehicles. This is a popular trail with walkers and in-line skaters, too, so be careful out there. You’ll pass Milwaukee parks, the Milwaukee River and the Lake Michigan shoreline.
    If you’re looking for some urban adventure, an overpass bridge was added to link Juneau Park and the lakeside trails with the restaurant/shopping area on Brady Street.
    Nearby is the aptly named Beer Line Trail that follows the river to a new bridge that is suspended underneath the Hotlton Street Bridge. Use this trail to access the Lakefront Brewery for tours.
    Another popular stop is the new Urban Ecology Center at Riverside Park. (And if you go this Saturday (Sept. 29), enjoy the center’s Fall Festival from noon to 4 p.m., featuring caramel apple slices and apple cider, activities for children and demonstrations. And everything is free.
    Other stops on the trail are the North Point Lighthouse, Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum, Milwaukee Art Museum and Henry Maier Festival Park — more popularly known as the Summerfest grounds.
    
    Glacial River Trail: 8.6 miles one-way in Fort Atkinson.
    Trailhead: At the end of Farmco Lane off of Business Highway 26, 1.6 miles south of the Business Highway 26 and Highway 12 intersection in Fort Atkinson. The trail can also be accessed from Jones Park in Fort Atkinson or downtown at the municipal building parking lot.

    The ride: The trail is paved part of the way, with the rest of the trail covered with crushed limestone. This is a popular trail with walkers and in-line skaters, too, so be careful out there.
    This is an easy ride and, at 8.6 miles, a manageable length.
    The trail passes through woods and downtown Fort Atkinson. At Old 26 Road, you can take a two-mile onroad side trip to the Jefferson County Indian Mounds & Trail Park, which contains 11 effi gy mounds.
    For a rest stop, check out Cafe Carp in downtown Fort Atkinson, near the Rock River.
    As you get near the Jefferson County line, you’ll pass through a wooden covered bridge. While it may look old, it was recently built using recycled timber.

    Interurban Trail: 30 miles one-way from Mequon to Belgium.
    Trailhead: In Mequon at Loggamon Community Center on Highway 167; in Grafton at Veterans Park, 13th Street and Highway 60; and in Belgium at Baum Heritage Park on County Highway KW.
    The ride: This is a paved trail, but some sections are on public streets, so look out for vehicles. This is a popular trail with walkers and in-line skaters, too, so be careful out there.
    This trail follows the old Milwaukee Eletric Railway route, weaving an asphalt ribbon from the Milwaukee County line north to the Sheboygan County line. Bright green and yellow “trolley” signs mark the trail, which runs through six communities.
    Attractions along the trail include the scenic Trinity Creek Wetland Restoration area at the southern end and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Waterfowl Production Area at the north end. Between Grafton and Port Washington, the trail crosses the Milwaukee River on a new iron bridge.
    Popular rest stops along the trail are Cedarburg and Port Washington, for shopping and dining.

KENOSHA NEWS PHOTO BY ELIZABETH SNYDER Sandhill cranes wander near the Glacial Drumlin State Trail between Sullivan and Lake Mills.

    Glacial Drumlin State Trail: At 53 miles, this is one of Wisconsin’s

longest biking/ hiking trails. The trail runs from Waukesha to Cottage Grove.
    Trailhead: You can join the trail at several points along the way. A good 40-mile roundtrip bike tour starts at the trailhead in Sullivan, ending about 20 miles west in Lake Mills, a good spot to relax and grab something to eat near Rock Lake.
    The ride: The trail is a mix of paved and crushed limestone areas; the Sullivan-Lake Mills portion is mostly crushed limestone (with a short onroad portion) and includes several river crossings. The scenery includes woods and farms, with sandhill crane sightings common this time of year.
    The grade is mostly level on this old rail-bed, making this by far the easiest trail through the hilly Kettle Moraine area. You get to enjoy all of the famous Kettle scenery without all the usual effort.

Mountain biking trails

    If you want something more challenging than a flat trail, check out some of these mountain biking trails in southeastern Wisconsin. Just be prepared for rocks, roots, steep grades and narrow trails:
    John Muir Trails in the heart of the Kettle Moraine State Forest:
This 10-mile trail is “the gem of Wisconsin mountain bike trails” and is described as the “best kept, most ridden, all around most enjoyable route in the state for beginners to experts.”
    This trail attracts more than 100,000 riders each year.
    Emma Carlin Trails in Kettle Moraine: This 5.5-mile trail is “a good bet for beginners not yet ready for a 10-mile ride,” according to comments on www.trails.com.
    The trail contains switchbacks, rocky descents, huge climbs and wideopen single track riding. You’ll be riding through rows and rows of pine trees, along with wildflowers in the spring and autumn color in the fall.
    Greenbush Trails at Kettle Moraine: These four loops are considered some of the best rides in the state and contain hardwood forests, marshes and pines. Farther from the Kenosha area are popular Wisconsin trails at: Peninsula State Park in Door County. Governor Dodge State Park in Dodgeville.
    Razorback Ridge in Saynor — called “the true definition of rugged northern Wisconsin riding.” Devil’s Lake State Park in Baraboo. Potawatomi State Park in Sturgeon Bay. Levis/Trow Mounds, north of the Black River State Forest — called “the most exciting and rewarding trails in all the state.” Mirror Lake State Park in Lake Delton.

The fall foliage is breathtaking this time of year on the grounds of the Kemper Center, located at 6501 Third Ave.
   Unknown to most people in Kenosha, the arboretum on the grounds displays more than 70 different species of trees, including a state grand champion horse Chestnut, and some of the trees are believed to be more than 150 years old.

See if you can identify some of the trees.

Enjoying the local color

Autumn in Wisconsin is the best time of year.
    The air is crisp and cool and fresh. And the landscape is just starting to shimmer with golds and rusts and yellows — with the occasional touch of reds and maroons.
    You don’t have to head north to Door County to enjoy the best that fall has to offer (though that does sound nice...).
    Here are some tips for making the most of autumn in Wisconsin right here in Kenosha County ...
   

Take a ride through the countryside. You don’t have to have a destination in mind. Almost any road you turn on will offer a virtual Monet of visual treats including fall gardens, pumpkin patches, and glorious foliage.

Walk through an old neighborhood. Some of the finest fall colors are on side streets in neighborhoods with mature trees. We love walking on the near south and near north sides of downtown not only for the lovely trees, but also for the architecture and the views of Lake Michigan.

Set out with the kids and collect leaves. This is a great way to have family fun without spending a dime. The kids will be fascinated by the various colors, shapes and sizes of the leaves they’ll find on the sidewalks, in the woods or along the roadside. If you aren’t sure about what leaf comes from which tree, check out books from the library.

Go to one or more pumpkin farms. You can walk around for free, enjoy the scenery, munch on a caramel apple, pick out a nice pumpkin and head home. (A lot of the area pumpkin farms have activities for kids and adults including a corn maze, a haunted house and animals.)

Grab your camera and seek out colorful fall scenes. Good bets are places with a variety of colors, like a park with a lot of different types of trees.

The Top 10
fall color spots
in Kenosha County

We’ve been writing about fall color for several years now in the Get Out section, and we have our favorite local spots for spotting nature’s annual show ...
    

Silver Lake Park — County Highway F, about 8.5 miles west of I-94, just south of Highway 50. The combination of the sun bouncing off the lake and the dusty reds and yellows of the leaves makes this a glorious place to take a walk during autumn weekends. It’s also a nice place to sit still and listen to the wind rustling through the trees.
    

Fox River Park — In Silver lake, along the Fox River at highways F and W. The banks of the Fox River are crowded with lush fall foliage, and a walk along the banks makes you feel like Huck Finn. Like any park with a river as its focus, expect to see critters scampering in and out of the water.     

Brighton Dale Park and Golf Course — Highways 142 and 75 in Brighton, adjacent to Bong Recreation Area. The main reason to visit this park is to see the 250-year-old oak trees. Amazing. The trails are well tended and the variety of plants is plentiful.    

Bristol Woods — Off highways C and MB, west of I-94. Home of the Pringle Nature Center, Bristol Woods has well-tended forest trails that offer an up-close look at the fall colors. Look for some interesting mushrooms along the trails.
    

Bong Recreation Area — 26313 Burlington Road, off Highway 75. Only a small part of this 4,500-plus-acre park is used by the public, but it includes hiking trails as well as nature trails. You’ll see more prairie color at Bong than the other sites, and that’s a beauty all its own. The sumac colors are worth the trip, as are the smattering of elm trees and the acres of colorful woods.
    

Kenosha County Bike Trail — Runs from Anderson Park through Lake County in Illinois on the south, then from 35th Street on the north part of Kenosha County all the way through Racine County. Whether you walk or ride, you’ll find a lavish display of fall colors on each side of this path.
    

Petrifying Springs — On County Highway A, just west of G (30th Avenue) and just north of Highway E (12th Street). Hands down, this has to be the most beautiful spot in Kenosha County, if you don’t count Lake Michigan. Especially haunting this time of year is the old forest section — on the north side of Highway A — that has never been logged off. It’s like a different planet.
    

Hawthorn Hollow — 880 Green Bay Road. Look for lots of maples, occasional river birch and plentiful oak trees. The walking trails are well kept and offer picture book scenery, including a nice bridge over a bubbling brook. Note: No dogs are allowed.
    

Kemper Center — 6501 Third Ave. Check out the gardens, the majestic lake view — and take this chance to throw rocks in the water.
    

Phil Sander Arboretum — Adjacent to the Smeds Tennis Center off Sheridan Road, across from Carthage College. This 6.5-acre wooded arboretum is named after the longtime environmentalist who saved thousands of acres from the blows of development in Kenosha. When you take a walk through the new arboretum, tip your hat to the late Mr. Sander.