There's A Little-Known Nature Preserve Just Waiting For Wisconsin Explorers
Ben Jones
Author
Just outside Madison, there’s a beautiful natural area that’s hiding in plain sight. Patrick Marsh is a wildlife area that’s home to a glacial kettle pond, wild prairies, and scenic hiking trails. But thousands of drivers on an adjacent highway pass right by without realizing what they are missing. It’s worth a visit – here’s what’s waiting for you at Patrick Marsh Wildlife Area.
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Take a walk on the Patrick Marsh Wildlife Trail in this video from Travel with Brian:
There’s no admission to visit Patrick Marsh Wildlife Area. Learn more about the property and ongoing efforts to protect and preserve the land on the Groundswell Conservancy website. There are a lot of beautiful natural areas near Madison. Here’s a picturesque park that’s an undiscovered oasis.
To discover all of the wonderful hiking trails in the Patrick Marsh Wildlife Area, and anywhere else your boots will travel, try out AllTrails+. It’s one of our favorite resources for hiking enthusiasts.
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More to Explore
Explore Nature In Wisconsin
What are some of the best natural areas in Wisconsin?
With numerous lakes, rivers, streams, forests, bluffs, wetlands, and prairies in Wisconsin, there is a nearly endless amount of natural wonders to discover. Here are a few of the best natural areas in Wisconsin to put on your bucket list:
- Devil's Lake State Park: This beautiful state park is located along Wisconsin's Ice Age National Scenic Trail - a 1,200-mile segment of land that traces the edge of an ancient glacier from the last Ice Age, 15,000 years ago. The state park features miles of gorgeous hiking trails, lakes, and swimming beaches. One of its most popular trails leads to Balanced Rock, a precariously balancing chunk of stone that looks like it was carefully placed there by a giant.
- Big Manitou Falls: About 13 miles south of Superior, Wisconsin you'll find Pattison State Park. It is an absolutely beautiful area any time of year. As you hike along Manitou Falls Trail you'll hear the roar of a huge cascade well before you round a bend in the trail to discover Big Manitou Falls. The waterfall rushes down a channel of rock an impressive 165 feet until it hits the Black River.
- Lion's Den Gorge: In the town of Grafton, about 30 minutes north of Milwaukee, is a nature preserve that is always a quiet, peaceful place to explore. Imagine hiking along the bluffs overlooking the expansive Lake Michigan. There are more than 73 acres of trails to explore, so you can come back again and again to discover something new every time. Walk along wooden boardwalks and bridges to cross through the forest to reach a wooden staircase leading down to the shoreline. There is no end to the wildlife in Wisconsin that you could experience in this beautiful nature preserve.