Holland Sand Prairie (WI) Hike/Amble

Post-burn. Midsummer prairie flowers
Image - Marge Loch-Wouters

Midsummer is the time that native wildflowers shine on prairies as well as in planted pollinator gardens that bask in the strong sunlight. These native plants thrive in difficult conditions like the drought and hazy wildfire skies. They are especially beautiful when the prairies they grow in have been burned and renewed.

I always make sure my hikes in July and August feature ample opportunities to climb to goat prairies or stay lower on restored prairies alive with native flowers and their pollinators. The Mississippi Valley Conservancy's (MVC) Holland Sand Prairie hike is a jewel among these types of hikes.

Located just north of Holmen WI, this small state natural area (SNA), with about 1.75 miles of trail, lies on a river sand terrace that has been restored. This wind-blown sandy soil was deposited thousands of years ago.

Native plants
Image Marge Loch-Wouters

This soil is perfect for those who want their eyes bedazzled by a dizzying display of native flowers. The trail follows the boundary of the property with housing development and road along three sides. There is also a trail that bisects the property to bring you near to more flowers. But it is to the interior that one's attention is drawn. 

Over 150 species of native plants have been noted on this site. Species we saw in a recent walk included: wild bergamot, butterfly weed, lead plant, black-eyed Susan, purple prairie clover, prairie coneflower, white indigo, little bluestem, big bluestem, tall cinquefoil, false boneset, spotted beebalm, thimbleweed, prairie rose, deptford pink, poppymallow, hairy puccoon, oxeye daisy, yarrow, spiderwort, hoary alyssum, silver wormwood, white prairie clover, hoary vervain, flowering spurge. The prairie was alive with flowers.

Prairie after spring burn
Image Kris Lawson

The prairie was burned this spring - a fact you would never believe when looking at the lushness of the spreading plants. It really speaks to how prairies respond to fires to clear old growth to allow for seed to easily sprout. 

There are a couple of benches near the few trees on this site plus a stand of pine and another stand of mostly oaks. With little shade, this hike or gentle Amble (perfect for families and slow savoring), is wonderful in early morning and evening. It is also a site one can return to often from early spring pasque flower spotting to midsummer's profusion of blooms to fall asters.

The property is well maintained and managed by the MVC, town of Holland, the Prairie Enthusiasts and the Friends of Holland Sand Prairie

THE HIKE

A short under two mile hike around the boundary of this property and through the middle provides a stunning array of native wildflowers at any time of the growing season. Bring your flower apps to identify over 150 species of plants during the growing season. The rolling sand and mown grass trails have a bit of up-and-downing. Caution: badger holes and critter tunnels mean watch your step on the trails. Can be ticky even in dry conditions.

Location: W7781 County Road MH

From La Crosse, take Hwy 53 north to County Rd MH. Turn left onto McHugh Rd and follow it to the trailhead and parking lot on the left (just past Beaver Building Supply).

Tall cinquefoil
Image - Marge Loch-Wouters