A classic fall drive is a great way to see the changing leaves of Wisconsin.
But if you want to get your blood pumping and enjoy the crisp fall air before winter sets in, here are some fall adventure ideas that will take your leaf-peeping to the next level.
Zipline
Step beneath the colorful tree canopy on a zipline tour.
Some of Wisconsin’s densest forests are located in the northern part of the state, and Northwoods Zip Line Adventures south of Minocqua will lead you through them on one of the largest zipline tours in the Midwest. The four-hour Full Adventure tour includes 13 ziplines, 14 aerial obstacles and five adventure bridges. The cost of the trip is $169. Participants must be 7 years of age or older, but the operator also offers a Kids Tour ($30) for children ages 3 and up, which includes three zip lines and two adventure bridges. See northwoodshipline.com.
Closer to Milwaukee, Lake Geneva Ziplines & Adventures offers a 2.5-hour zipline tour that includes nine ziplines, five sky bridges and four spiral staircases. The tour is offered several times a day and starts at $120. Participants must be at least 4 feet towering and weigh between 70 and 250 pounds. The adventure center also includes a rope park, a climbing wall, and hiking and cycling trails. Reservations are recommended at Lakegenevaadventures.com.
Mountain biking
Wisconsin has no mountains, but there are enough hills to provide enjoyable off-road riding, and some of the best trails in the state, the CAMBA trails, take you through some of the state’s most stunning fall colors in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest around Cable.
The 300-mile network of trails and gravel roads has been designated a Bronze Level riding center by the City Council. International Mountain Biking Association — a prestigious designation that “recognizes the pinnacle of the mountain biking community.”
New Moon Ski and Bike Shop in Hayward offers rentals (including kids’ bikes) and there are plenty of trails for beginners, including Hospital Gateway Trails behind Hayward Area Memorial Hospital. Information about trailheads, routes and bike rentals can be found on the website cambatrails.org. You can ride on the trails for free.
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In southeastern Wisconsin, the popular John Muir trails also provide good fall color in the southern unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest near La Grange. The system includes several loops for all skill levels, including a children’s loop and a skills course. A connector trail connects the system to the smaller Emma Carlin trail system, which has three loops. Riders 16 and older require a trail pass ($5 per day, $25 per year).
In Milwaukee County, 4-mile Kegel Alpha bike trail system in Franklin’s Whitnall Park is getting a facelift thanks to Metro Mountain Bikers. The system will receive approximately 1.6 km of novel trail, and other trails will be rerouted to make them more sustainable. Find the trailhead across from the golf course on 92nd Street. You can ride on the trails for free.
Please note that mountain biking trails are closed if conditions are too saturated; riding on muddy trails can permanently damage them. Please check the organization’s website for current conditions before heading out.
Kayaking and kayaking
There’s still time to go paddling before the temperatures drop too much, and Wisconsin’s calmer inland lakes and rivers offer plenty of places to do so.
A good option is the 90-mile stretch of the Wisconsin River from Prairie du Sac to the river’s confluence with the Mississippi at Wyalusing State Park, with relatively shallow water and leisurely current. This section is protected as part of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway and offers colorful views of the forested and largely undeveloped bluff-covered shore.
The 25-mile section from Prairie du Sac to Spring Green is a popular overnight trip that includes free camping on sandbars that emerge in the river when water levels are low enough. Further west, Wisconsin River Outings offers rentals and shuttles for day and overnight trips from Boscobel through the end of September (canoe-camping.com).
In Milwaukee, Urban Ecology Center members can rent a kayak or canoe through mid-October to paddle on the lagoon at the nonprofit’s Washington Park location, on the Milwaukee River at the Riverside location, or for transportation elsewhere (equipment is available for up to three-day rentals ). Reservations are currently required and are available on the UEC website (urbanecologycenter.org) or by calling one of the branches (414-626-8527 for Riverside, 414-626-8278 for Washington Park). Membership costs $50 for an individual or $60 for a family.
Rock climbing
The 150-foot quartzite cliffs at Devil’s Lake State Park are popular not only with fall hikers, but also with climbers, who tackle more than 1,600 routes in the park.
Several outfitters – Devils Lake Climbing Guides (devilslakeclimbingguides.com), Apex Adventure Alliance (apexadventurerealliance.com) and vertical adventure guides (verticaladventure.org) – Offer guided climbing tours, providing all the equipment and instruction so that even a novice can scale the cliffs. Tours are offered throughout November, before the rocks become too frigid to climb.
If you want to keep your feet on the ground, hiking the Balanced Rock Trail is a challenging climb up the eastern bluff that rewards hikers with views of the lake and the surrounding Baraboo Hills, which turn a kaleidoscopic color in the fall.
To celebrate the 42nd anniversary of the Ice Age Trail, the Ice Age Trail Alliance is challenging people to hike, run or backpack 70km of the 2,200km trail and visit three official trail communities in October. Those who register and complete the challenge will receive a commemorative patch and certificate. Participants can register individually, as families or in teams, and in the case of groups, it is possible to count the kilometers together. IATA has suggested the increases and more information about the challenge on its website (iceagetrail.org).
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The popular NRF field trips are usually booked when reservations open in the spring, but there are still spots available on a few fall trips.
Those reclaiming the lost prairie landscape include a challenging off-trail hike through remnant prairie at Mounds View Grassland Preserve in Blue Mounds from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sept. 18 ($28); Waterloo Wildlife Area: Kayak to Quartzite, kayaking on the Maunesha River in Waterloo Wildlife Area in Jefferson County from noon to 5 p.m., Oct. 8 ($38, bring your own kayak); and an overnight crane tour at Crex Meadows from 5-7 p.m., Oct. 14 ($33 per adult, $23 per child).
Tours are available to NRF members only; membership costs $25. For more information and to register, visit the website wisconservation.org.
Contact Chelsey Lewis at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @chelseylew AND @TravelMJS and Facebook at Ranger’s Travel Journal.
