Trails
Hiking Trails
Lower Diversion Dike
Open Season: Year round
Length: 2 miles, one way
Location of trail: East border of the refuge
Surface Hard-crushed gravel
Difficulty: Easy
Information: This trail borders the refuge and is a great opportunity to view water birds and other wildlife. It takes the visitor to the base of Trempealeau Mountain, which is closed to the public so it ends at that point.
Kieps Dike
Open Season: Year round
Length: 0.7 miles, one way
Location of trail: Trailhead located at the Keips Island Boat Landing
Surface Hard-packed gravel
Difficulty: Easy
Information: This trail is one way in and out and is a dike that takes you through the forest on the island and opens up to have water on both sides. It is great for bird watching and views of Trempealeau Mountain. There is no snow removal in the winter but is still open for hiking.
Delta Road
Open Season: Year round
Length: 2 miles
Location of trail: Located off the Marshland Road
Surface Hard-packed gravel
Difficulty: Easy
Information: Delta Road is a dike that leads you into the middle of the refuge and ends at Delta Point. It is hard-packed gravel and there is no snow removal in the winter but is still open for hiking.
Marshland Road
Open Season: Year round
Length: 1.2 miles
Location of trail: Trailhead starts at the Marshland Access Parking Area located off Hwy 35/54.
Surface Hard-packed gravel
Difficulty: Easy
Information: This is a bi-level dike road that is flat and can be used as an alternative entrance to the refuge during times of flooding, but is otherwise closed to vehicle traffic. It is also part of the Great River Bike Trail.
Woods Nature Trail
Open Season: Year round
Length: 0.5 miles
Location of trail: Trailhead is located next to visitor contact station.
Surface: Dirt and gravel
Difficulty: Easy
Information: This trail is one of the best places to view warblers during the spring and fall migration.
Pine Creek Dike
Open Season: Year round
Length: 0.5 miles one way
Location of trail: Trailhead is located next to visitor contact station.
Surface Dirt and gravel
Difficulty: Easy
Information: This trail will take you through the woods and past a wetland as you head to the point of the dike where you will have water on either side of you. It’s a great place to see shorebirds, listen for frogs and catch sight of pelicans soaring overhead.
Prairie View Loop
Open Season: Year round
Length: 0.71 miles
Location of trail: Located on the west side of the auto tour loop
Surface Hard-packed gravel
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Information: This trail takes you through the rolling hills of the prairie where you can find beautiful prairie flowers blooming in the summer and watch for birds such as bobolinks and eastern meadowlarks.
River Bottom Road
Open Season: Year round
Length: 1.2 miles
Location of trail: Located off of Hwy 35/54 East of Bluff Siding, Wisconsin
Surface Crushed gravel
Difficulty: Easy
Information: This is a dike road that is open for hiking and is a great place to observe wetland wildlife. It is hard-packed gravel and there is no snow removal in the winter but is still open for hiking.
Oxbow Dike
Open Season: Year round
Length: 0.65 miles
Location of trail: Located off of Hwy 35/54 East of Bluff Siding, Wisconsin
Surface Crushed gravel
Difficulty: Easy
Information: This is a dike road that you can only get to from the River Bottom Road. It is hard-packed gravel and there is no snow removal in the winter but is still open for hiking.
Snowshoe and Ski Trails - Seasonal and not groomed
Grand Tour
Open Season: Winter
Length: 3 miles
Location of trail: Refuge border
Surface Snow packed
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Information: This trail follows the outer border of the refuge and can be moderate due it’s length and slight changes in elevation
Access Maintenance
Open Season: Winter
Length: 0.2 miles
Location of trail: Next to maintenance shope
Surface Snow packed
Difficulty: Easy
Information: This short trail is one access point to the other longer trails and is located on the west side of the maintenance shop parking lot.
Access Prairie
Open Season: Winter
Length: 0.4 miles
Location of trail: Parking area near the refuge entrance on the entrance road
Surface Snow packed
Difficulty: Easy
Information: This trail begins at the parking area near the refuge entrance and is one of the access points for the other trails.
Access Marshland
Open Season: Winter
Length: 1.2 miles
Location of trail: Marshland Road
Surface Snow packed
Difficulty: Easy
Information: This trail starts at the Marshland Access Parking Area located on Hwy 35/54 and is the back entrance to the refuge which will connect to the other trails as well.
Red Pines Run
Open Season: Winter
Length: 0.9 miles
Location of trail: Starts from the Access Maintenance Trail
Surface Snow packed
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Information: This trail can only be accessed by other trails and is rated easy to moderate for slight elevation changes.
White-Tail Woods
Open Season: Winter
Length: 1.1 miles
Location of trail: Starts from the Access Maintenance Trail
Surface Snow packed
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Information: This trail can only be accessed by other trails and is rated easy to moderate for slight elevation changes.
Rolling Dunes Dash
Open Season: Winter
Length: 1.2 miles
Location of trail: Parking area of the Prairie View Trail
Surface Snow packed
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Information: This trail begins at the parking are for the Prairie View Trail and is rated easy to moderate for slight elevation changes.
Pine Creek Pass
Open Season: Winter
Length: 0.5 miles
Location of trail: Starts at Parking area of the Prairie View Trail
Surface Snow packed
Difficulty: Easy
Information: This trail connects the White-tail Woods Trail to the northern portion of the Grand Tour Trail.
Bike Trail
Great River State Bike Trail
Open Season: Year round
Length: 2 to 6 miles
Location of trail: Trailhead starts at Marshland Access off Hwy 35/54
Surface Hard-packed gravel
Difficulty: Easy
Information: There is a section of the Great River State Trail that goes through the refuge. If you choose to ride straight through it is about two miles to the next parking area at the refuge entrance, but if you want to explore the refuge more there is a 4.5 mile option loop that takes you through the refuge and follows the auto tour route.
Open Season: Year round
Location of trail: Trailhead starts at Marshland Access off Hwy 35/54
Surface: Hard-packed gravel