Duck Egg County Forest (WI) Hike

I was recently introduced to some beautiful trails at a gem of a forest tucked away among the hills and streams in the heart of the Driftless area of Vernon County. Located between Coon Valley and Viroqua, the forest has ten miles of trails for hikers, horses and recreational use for hunters and fishers.

I spent a couple of pleasant mornings exploring one of the main trails - the Duck Egg Trail. The loop part of the trail can be accessed off of Irish Ridge Road from either the Upper or Lower parking lots (map). 

Upper Parking Lot Trailhead

Begin your hike in a large grassy prairie area at the top of the bluff. After a short .25 stroll, you come to a T. We took the loop going right and proceeded through fields and grasses into a woods along an old logging trail on the bluff top.

There is a wonderful overlook atop dramatic rocks in another .3 miles that gives you an excellent view of the valley below. You get your first glimpse of the Springville Branch of the Bad Axe River and of a dam that was built in 1990 to help control the frequent flooding of the Bad Axe. You also start to note concrete front steps (and soon wooden steps) at intervals along the trail; these are used to mount and dismount from horses.

The old logging trail after the overlook begins to descend about 450 feet on a series of switchbacks. The trail winds through a beautiful hardwood forest that is dense with spring ephemerals, ferns and flowers. Once at the bottom, the trails flattens out  for a mile or so as you hike near two large ponds and the Bad Axe among lush bottomlands. During the week I visited in early May, the profusion of bluebells along the river and ponds rivaled anything you can see at Minnesota's justly famous Carley Park.

A view of the overlook
from the valley floor

To complete the loop, we continued on the trail to the left into the wider valley and a close-up view of the dam. The valley was alive with the sound of spring peepers. We crossed a wooden bridge over the river and headed into our final climb to regain the bluff top in two long, steadily upward portions of the trail (got to regain that 450 feet!).We ended our hike of 3.3 miles back at the upper parking lot.

Lower Parking Lot Trailhead
If you continue driving on Irish Ridge Road another 2 miles or so you come to the lower parking trailhead which is well-marked with a Duck Egg Forest sign and ample parking. This is also part of the Duck Egg Trail - but on much flatter trails perfect for those looking for a less challenging out-and-back hike with beautiful scenery.

The hike follows logging roads and narrower dirt trails along the Bad Axe River branch. There are often trout fishers along this section. There are flowers in abundance along with frogs calling in spring and abundant bird life. You cross two bridges and come out in the valley and follow along the two large ponds. You reach a junction that continues along the main Duck Egg trail to the dam.

At this point, after about 1.2 miles, you can turn around and head back the way you came. There is an option to take a side trail after the ponds on your left called the Logger's Loop, which gives you a bit more elevation and mileage of the side of the bluff - or stay on the flatter Duck Egg Trail back to the parking lot.

THE HIKE

Choose the upper tailhead for a challenging 3.5 mile loop hike with overlooks, steep switchbacks, great hardwoods and river valley hiking with birds, flowers and ferns aplenty. The loop starts and ends in a grassy, prairie area atop the bluff. Choose the lower trailhead for a flatter hike beside the river and valley floor for an out-and-back hike of about 2.5 miles. Both hikes give a great view of forests, bottomlands and a profusion of wildlife and plants.

The Location 

Approximately 8 miles west of Viroqua, along Irish Ridge Road off of County Trunk Hwy. Y (43.59154, -91.00192). Both parking lots are large. There is a pit toilet at the Upper Parking Lot trailhead.  

Where's my horse?!? 
Image - Nola Larson

All images (unless noted) - Marge Loch-Wouters