Shelby Butterfly Trails (WI) Hike

If you love bluff hiking and you are near La Crosse WI, you can't pick a better location than the trails leading up to and away from the butterfly garden in the town of Shelby. You encounter great overlooks, fine climbing trails (over 500 feet in elevation gain), great rock formations and quarries and a huge pollinator prairie garden near the top. 

A view from the top of Cliffwood Bluff

An unusual place for a sign!

Starting at the trailhead at end of Old Vineyard Rd, you can pick two basic starts. I went to the right towards the Eagle trail and a series of south-facing overlooks. The trails are narrow here and buckthorn is rampant and closes in on you. You gain elevation fairly quickly. Stay to the right to enjoy the Eagle's Point overlook. 

From there, you can continue on to the left on Old Quarry trail and explore the quarries on your way to the butterfly gardens. Along the way, hikers always look for the rusted out and scavenged remains of a Gran Torino. If you see it, you are on the right trail!

Abandoned Gran Torino - a familiar trail sign

Milkweed in the garden

The rocky, rooty dirt trail opens up to a garden with mowed trails dividing the wildflowers into two huge sections. Planted as an Eagle Scout project, this massive prairie is full of bees and butterflies during warm months along with a rainbow of native flowers (and a few invasives). 

The final ascent

After walking through the gardens, head back to intersect with the Hedgehog trail which narrows as you hike into a hardwood forest and continue up towards beautiful lookouts. There are a number of trails here, some rougher than others, that take you above, around, over and beside quarries and look-outs. You will eventually hit the Ironman trail and head to Cliffwood Bluff which affords a west-facing180° plus sweeping view of the La Crosse WI, La Crescent MN and MN bluffs and the Mississippi River.  The confusing warren of trails and final steep ascent to the loop trail up to Cliffwood bluff at the top are 100% worth it! 

My favorite way down is what I like to think of as "the escalator." You head down on the Ironman trail and descend quickly - and sometimes steeply - back to the trailhead and your car. 

THE HIKE

Bluffhounds unite! This 4 mile hike starts partway up the bluff - but you still gain 500 feet on you way up to the final Cliffwood blufftop. Dirt trails are crowded by buckthorn on much of the lower trails until they open up into hardwood forests. Trails are rocky and rooty as well as some steep ascents and descents so hiking poles can be helpful. There are a number of stunning lookouts on these trails as well as quarries, rock formations, ridgewalking and side trails to explore. You can also start this hike lower down the Old Vineyard Rd (park across the street). This trail is not as well-used so it can be overgrown as you switchback your way steeply up to the main trailhead on this 0.3 mile spur.

One of the stunning quarry walls

Location: 3701 Old Vineyard Rd, La Crosse, WI 54601

In La Crosse, head south on Losey Boulevard until you reach Farnum St. Turn left and follow the street towards the bluffs. Turn left on Old Vineyard Rd and follow it to the end where there is a small parking area for 5-6 vehicles.

Made it!
Image - Diane Palm

All images except for the last - Marge Loch-Wouters