Great River State Park Trail, Trempealeau County, WI, US - eBird Hotspot
Habitat: Dry Prairie, Native and Restored Grasslands, Successional Oldfield, Cropland, Open Water, Bottomland Hardwoods.
Best Birds: In the upland areas in late spring and summer Alder and Willow Flycatcher, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Carolina Wren, Lark and Vesper Sparrow, Blue-winged Warbler, and Orchard Oriole may be found. Bell’s and White-eyed Vireo have been reported irregularly. Northern Bobwhite was once regular here but may be gone as it has also declined in much of Wisconsin.
The bottomland forest and sloughs contain most of the typical species of this habitat such as herons, rails, cuckoos and in migration a variety of ducks and geese.
Directions: 22 miles NW of La Crosse. On the east side of the town of Trempealeau there is a parking lot south of Hwy 35 for access to the state trail, (44.00307, -91.424941). Walking east, the first mile of the trail is primarily farmland; the next four miles pass through varying upland and bottomland habitat. After crossing the Black River the trail passes into La Crosse County and after the Lytle Landing parking area (43.95934, -91.33694) the trail enters the southeast section of the Great River Trail Prairies SNA. Back in Trempealeau, the trail extends northwest through the town and in about 1.5 miles intersects with West Prairie Road. At this point, east and west along the trail is another section of the GRT Prairie SNA. To save some steps park along W. Prairie Road (44.02706, -91.46093) instead of walking through town.
Site Address & Additional Information:
E. 3rd St./Hwy 35, Trempealeau WI
Great River Trail Prairies State Natural Area - Wisconsin DNR
Great River Trail Prairies SNA features two very diverse sand prairie remnants located an old railroad right-of-way. Unintentional fires started by the sparks of passing locomotives helped maintain the prairies through time. Today brushing and prescribed burning maintains the prairies.
Carl Schroeder
