Diversity of nature found along bike trails
By Robert E. Lee

Wisconsin has gained a lot of attention because of the development of recreational trails on abandoned railroad rights-of-way and Onalaska is fortunate to have access to two of them. Each trail has its own special attraction. The La Crosse River Trail has a five-mile prairie preserve and the La Crosse River Marsh, while the Great River Trail has the magnificence of the Mississippi River and its palisades. Both trails lie entirely within the Driftless Area, and because we are located at a botanical crossroads within this zone, we are blessed with an unusually diverse flora and fauna. Plants that are associated with northern forests, eastern forests, and western prairies mingle happily here.

Watch for the following along the trails. A few small patches of indigenous white pines still remain here. Under the pines one may sometimes find American yew, a shrub of the true northern forest. When these pines are near a wetland, such northern curiosities as pitcher plants, buck beans, and the gorgeous showy lady's-slipper can sometimes be found. Nearby open pools in the marshes may contain bladderworts among the ubiquitous smartweeds.

A number of prairie remnants preserve for us some of the flavor of the once vast middle-American grassland. Today we have samples of both sand prairie (in the valleys) and limey goat prairie (on steep bluffs). Each form has its own diverse and colorful flora. Except for some help in recent years, both forms would probably soon be crowded out. Fire has been used to control invasions of woody plants and exotic weeds.

Hundreds of plant species call prairie "home." Many live there almost exclusively. Among the more memorable species are such large daisies as compass-plant, cup-plant, prairie sunflower, and gray-headed coneflower. The latter species is the prairie ballerina, which, clad in a yellow skirt, dances gaily with the wind all the way across midsummer. Or, if you're looking for an olfactory treat, try to meet the vanilla-scented orchid called Great Plains lady's-tresses on or about the Labor Day weekend.

A traveler on one of these trails can never be quite sure what form of animal life he might encounter next. Practically any indigenous mammal is likely to appear from time to time. Deer are plentiful and almost anything of lesser stature has been seen on a trail by someone. At least one black bear has also left his calling card. Bird life, from ruby-throated hummingbirds to bald eagles, is abundant.

One must not forget our reptiles or amphibians, either. Various frogs and toads are hard to miss because of their vocalizations during mating season, with the toads making the best music. Turtles, including the uncommon Blanding's, may sometimes be found along the trails as they search for suitable spots to lay eggs. And several snake species, including both of our rattlesnakes, could possibly appear, though the venomous ones rarely show themselves by daylight. Give the serpents a bit of leeway, though, and you'll have nothing to fear from them.

Heading north out of Onalaska on the Great River State Trail, bikers not only encounter scenic vistas and abundant wildlife, they are also pedaling into the past.

Along the trail, near Trempealeau, they will find marked by an observation site one of the largest Native American mounds in the area, the Nichols Mound. This Native American Hopewell mound, dating to about 200 A.D., was excavated in the 1930s by the Milwaukee Public Museum.

The 24-mile Great River Trail, with its trail head in Onalaska, is surfaced with finely crushed limestone. It connects the trailhead in Onalaska with Perrot State Park and the Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge.

The trail is a former Chicago & Northwestern Railroad bed that dates to the late 1800s. The route was purchased by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in 1967.

As you may have surmised, adventure is the order of the day out there. Go and meet yours along the trail.