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| A "peek-a-view" near the top |
Levis/Trow Mounds is a unique geologic feature contained in one portion of the 185,000 acre Clark County Forest in west-central Wisconsin. The mounds, referred to as nunataks, are believed to be "islands" that rose above the last glacier that covered Wisconsin 10,000 years ago. The mounds are also part of the terminal moraine of the final glacier before entering Wisconsin's Driftless area. As such, the 1200 foot mounds rise startlingly and tower over the surrounding area. Outlooks along the rim trails and and peek-a-views on the way up provide stunning views of part of the landscape at the beginning of the Driftless.
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| Blufflands hikers Image - Steve Dawson |
I joined a hike organized by the Blufflands Hiking group* in the Driftless area recently to explore part of the trails. This warm and friendly group of hikers meet up for hikes at various times of the year and have some great adventures. When I read about this trip, I jumped at the chance to discover and explore a small part of the planned 9-10 mile hike with them.
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| Plenty of rock formations along the trail |
The trails are shared bike/hike trails. The beginning areas of many of the trails use old logging roads. From these grassy roads, multiple narrow hiking trails branch off to climb to the rim or follow the rolling sides of the mounds. The trails feature dirt, grass, sand, rocks and roots as you work your way up and down.
Mixed pine and hardwood forests shade the trails - a must on our hiking day where temperatures were predicted to soar into the high 90s. The scent of pine is ever-present. Some trails are covered in pine needles which suggests caution on steeper parts of the trail.
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| Heading through Plummer's Crack |
A good trail map app is your best friend (if you are not with a group) on a trail like this with multiple intersections and slightly confusing signage on the trails. Don't rely on the provided paper maps. The good news is that the trail segments intersect at enough points that you can figure out how to link up to trails that will also take you to points you want to see or quickly down and off the trail (like I did for a 5 mile hike!)
Once near the top, you sneak peeks at the views and start to see amazing rock features to explore along trail spurs. Our group commented on how little graffiti we saw, a welcome change. We also had great breezes at the top which helped during our hot-day hike.
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| More fab rock formations |
I only explored a small segment of the possibilities on these well-maintained trails while the group completed their 9 mile trek. This trail system is one I'll be back to so I can discover more that it has to offer. Just 36 more miles to go to finish the whole trail system!
THE HIKE
Various trail choices lead you up to the rim to gorgeous outlooks and rock formations. Trails also hug the sides of these mounds and provide great shade for hiking. Bikers we encountered were polite and gladly shared the trails (and vice versa). Hiking stick(s) can help on steeper trails. In general, I would rate this as a moderate with some easy sections and some sections that may be more challenging. The parking area is large with camping sites, picnic tables and restrooms available. Cross country-skiing and snowshoeing are available in winter as well. There is no trail fee for hiking but donations are welcome to help with trail maintenance.
Location: N1589 Fisher Ave, Neillsville, WI
From Black River Falls, head north on 12; turn right on Cty Rd E; turn left at Cty Rd K; then a quick right turn onto Cty Rd J. The parking lot is to your left and marked with a large brown sign to Levis Mounds Recreation Area.
Hi Marge, I'm the trail builder at Levis mound. We started building trails there in the mid 80's and just have kept adding miles as the years moved on. We were primarily mtn bikers but I also am an avid hiker and am checking off sections of the Ice age Trail and others. I'm responsible for the marked loops at Levis as with so many trails it can be confusing. Following a marked loop will get one started and back to the chalet
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your hard work on a fantastic trail network! I know the kind of blood, sweat and tears it takes to build and maintain trails. You and the other trail volunteers have my deepest appreciation. And readers, there are envelopes at the trailhead. Donate each time you hike and help support these efforts as you enjoy the trails.
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