Hixon Forest (La Crosse), La Crosse County, WI, US – eBird Hotspot
La Crosse Ridge Trails, La Crosse County, WI, US – eBird Hotspot
Habitat: Oak Hickory Forest, Southern Hardwood Forest, Native and Restored Grassland, Successional Oldfields
Best Birds: Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Barred Owl, Great Horned Owl, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Yellow-throated Vireo, Tufted Titmouse, Wood Thrush, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Towhee, Blue-winged Warbler, Henslow’s Sparrow, Bobolink, Scarlet Tanager. Trails starting at the Milson Court lot run along the bluff and also up to the top. The Hixon Forest is a natural area along the side and on top of a bluff on the east side of La Crosse. During spring and fall migrations, the hardwood forest is a great place to find vireos, warblers, thrushes, and Scarlet Tanager. The ridgetop trails included open grassland sections where Henslow’s Sparrow, Bobolink, and other grassland birds may be found.
Directions: On the east side of La Crosse there is access from the bottom of the bluff starting at a parking lot located at the south end of Milson Court (43.820397,-91.210862). To reach the lot from Hwy 16, turn east on Bluff Pass and then take an immediate right and then follow Milson Court until it dead ends at the lot. The ridgetop trail access is on County FA adjacent to the National Weather Service Weather Station (43.82219, -91.19120). To reach this point, go up the bluff on Bliss Road and then turn left (north) onto County FA.
Site Address & Additional Information:
Milson Court, La Crosse WI
LH_SUMMER SIGN_27Oct2021 (cityoflacrosse.org)
Dan Jackson
