Looking for SW Wisconsin Training Hikes

“Hi - new to the site ... I am looking for trails/hikes in the SW Wisconsin area deemed "challenging" as am training for Denali this summer ... Looking for something 1/2 way between MI and MN and SW Wisconsin looks like a good area. Met climbing partner 1/2 way a couple weeks ago at Devil's Lake State Park which was nice but was wondering if there are any good bluff trails in the Governor Dodge, Merrick, Perrot, or Wyalusing State Parks? I have the trail maps but none are marked by difficulty. Any other trails close to the river? Not necessarily looking for length of trail as we can do it multiple times if necessary - mostly searching for as much elevation gain as possible.

Thanks!”

“go west

like CO or WA or OR or CA

your gonna have a tough time finding the right conditions to train yourself there.

That said....

go to the gym and do step ups holding 30 or 30 pound dumbells until your quads explode (well not untill they literally explode - the gym people HATE when that happens).

How are you looking to prepare for the cold and elevation effect?”

“... sadly I AM from the west (WA) but relocated for work to MI. For Aconcagua I trained in the stairwell of the highest building in town (16 stories ... HAHA that was fun) but the building changed owners and they didn't want the liability of me in there at 6:00am Sunday morning =( So my playground was lost. I try to be as creative as possible - cardio, wts, hike around the local parks and look like a fool to most with my mega pack but was hoping to find something somewhat more challenging. The dunes at Saugatuk have been OK but I thought the river bluff areas in WI might be good.”

“Try John Latch State Park just north of Winona on the Minnesota side of the Mississippi. The park is about the smallest state park in MN, It consists of a small campground at the bottom with stairs going up about 450 feet to a lookout on the top.

You might also want to look at Whitewater State Park about 20 miles SW of there. The trails spend all of their time going up and down the bluffs. There are also 3 sets of stairs going from top to bottom on some of the steeper sections. The bluffs there are only about 300ft high, but there are no mosquitoes in that park!”

“I think Wyalusing has some good trails up and down the bluff face above the Wisconsin River. I know Perot has at least one bluff trail, but I've never been there. A friend said it kicked butt.

Latsch is good. Another hike, near the above-mentioned Whitewater, is the Elba Fire Tower. Again, it's steps going up to a hilltop and then the fire tower.

There are good ups-and-downs in Yellow River State Forest in northeast Iowa, basically a few miles across the Mississippi from Prairie du Chien (Wyalusing is south of there). Effigy Mounds National Monument has good hills, again along the Mississippi bluffs.

Some Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest units in SE Minnesota have good bluffside hikes (the Reno unit near the Iowa border, to name one)

For city parks, I think there are trails from the Mississippi valley up to the Garvin Heights bluffs above in Winona, MN, and in La Crosse, WI there's the Hixon Forest preserve on a hill/bluffside.

Pikes Peak State Park at McGregor, IA is supposed to sit 500 ft. above the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers (Wyalusing is across the Miss. from it) Some good bluffs. If you went offtrail (not that I'm endorsing it, lol, or have been there) you could get a good bluffside hike.

But for shear up and down, I think Wyalusing's the best bet.”

“Brady's Bluff in Perrot State Park. DNR Photo

Telephone some of those places you listed, tell the Ranger what you need and act accordingly.
The Great River State Trail must have some places where you can hike up and down the 500 feet bluffs.”

“Ask and ye shall receive. Thanks so much for the great recommendations everyone - really appreciate the feedback ... looks like I have my weekends planned until my climb :~)”