Wyalusing (WI) State Park Bluff Tail

The beginning of the trail
Image - Kris Lawson

Wyalusing State Park has many amazing bluff and prairie trails to wander up and down on. If you don't mind heights and a few vertiginous spots on a narrow bluffside trail - and are down for finding absolute carpets of spring ephemerals and a rare geological wonder, the Bluff Trail is a particularly stunning one to hike.

This short 0.9 mile trail begins in the large parking lot leading to the Lookout Point viewshed (just past the junction of Long Valley Rd). From the parking lot, you walk down a paved path to a spectacular view overlooking the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers. Don't be surprised to get an eye level view of bald eagles circling on thermals on sunny days. There is also a marker commemorating Marquette and Joliet's landing in the 1670's.

So many wildflowers
Image - Kris Lawson

From the lookout, turn right and begin your descent to the trailhead. This hill is lush with ephemerals. Sharplobe hepatica, shooting stars, Jack-in-the-pulpit, bellworts, bishop's cap, anemones, trilliums and Solomon seal are just a few of the succession of forbs you’ll see in April through early June.

River views & steep slopes

At the trailhead, turn left onto a series of rock and wood/dirt steps that quickly descend over 170 feet to the fairly level but narrow dirt trail. On your left side are sharp drops but stunning views of the Wisconsin River and bluffs along the Mississippi River. On your right side, you will be treated to towering limestone cliffs and hillsides full of ephemerals.

Many of these limestone cliffs feature algific (cold air) talus (loose rock) slopes. They are a geological wonder. These rare, steep, north-facing slopes are found mostly in the Driftless region of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and especially in Iowa. The slopes vent out cool air during warm seasons. 

What causes these slopes and venting?

Outside temp

The habitat and ecosystem associated with algific talus slopes are the result of the limestone's slow erosion. That erosion creates porous fractures throughout the limestone. There is a slate or shale layer beneath the limestone that is impermeable.  So the water stays at that barrier and freezes during the winter. As it slowly melts in warmer weather, the water vapor and cooled air flows out of multiple fractures and vents in the rocks in the surrounding area. This cooler air results in a habitat supporting rare flowers and invertebrates that thrive in moist, cool environments and limestone soils.

Temp inside the cliff air vent

When I left a thermometer in one of the vents while we walked the trail in an out-and-back hike during a day in the low 80s, on our return to retreive the thermometer, the air in the vent clocked in at 50F! That was a fun experiment.

Land snail shell

In my hikes on Bluff Trail in the last few weeks, these cool north-facing slopes were full of tiny mollusks shells, a profusion of bulblet bladderferns and shooting stars (which love limestone soils), great-scented liverwork and woodsy thyme moss among many other ephemerals including two-leaf miterwort, bellflowers, drooping trilliums, Jack-in-the-pulpits and smooth and false Solomon's seal.

Cool-air vents in the keyhole
Image - Kris Lawson

You can choose this out-and-back route for a pretty gorgeous1.8 mile hike that affords spectacular river views on the way back. As you return, stand in the keyhole opening to the right of the initial first flight of stone steps.You will be blasted by cool air venting out as you stand there. From mid-May through October 1, you can pass through the keyhole to Treasure Cave down steep steps and then up steep steps into it. The cave is closed from October through mid-May. This is a bat hibernaculum for the little brown bat, a protected species.

You can also take advantage of other options to create a loop hikes from Bluff Trail if you prefer. These options include: 

• taking your first right up a steep hill to the campground road and hiking the campground road past campers and views (.8 miles on that part of the loop)
• continuing on the the second right on Old Wagon Road trail to make a loop to a parking area and following the road back (.8 miles on that part of the loop)
• turning left on Immigrant Trail and descending to the river level before heading back up to return to the parking lot (for an additional 2.6 miles). Caution : as of May 2026, the trail is temperorily closed due to flooding

No matter which way you take, don't miss the Bluff trail portion.You'll be glad you took it.

The confluence of the Wisconsin (right) and Mississippi (left) rivers

THE HIKE

A spring beauty still thrives in cold vented air

A short 1.8 mile out-and-back hike descends 174 feet down stone and wood steps to a narrow dirt trail along steep algific talus limestone cliffs. This vented cool-air habitate is a spring ephemeral and rare species paradise of lush growth and some rare limestone-loving plants. Spectacular views of the rivers and surrounding bluffs and communities feel miles away from the campground 200 feet above the trail. An out-and-back hike on this trail is worth any brief vertigiuous moment you may experience (pro tip: keep your eyes to the flower and fern covered slope if you do experience dizziness). Moderate due to slope and descent.

The Location
Wyalusing State Park, 13081 State Park Road, Bagley WI

Past the entrance's Visitor Center,  stay on the main road. After Long Valley Rd, take the first left into the parking lot for Lookout Point. The trail begins to the right of the lookout.

Images, unless notes - Marge Loch-Wouters

Bulblet bladderfern loves limestone soils and cool air vents

Looking for more area hikes? Please stop by the web version of the blog and under the "Labels" tab on the right hand side of the blog, click on "find-a-hike". There are over 75 hike descriptions and lists of hikes to try!

You can read my quarterly column on seasonal hiking suggestions in Inspire(d) Driftless Magazine available online or pick up a free copy at businesses and organizations around the Driftless areas of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.