Hartman Creek State Park – Deer Path Trail

Hartman Creek State Park - Deer Path Trail views of foliage across Allen Lake

October 2019 has rolled around. After taking the bulk of my time off during the July 4th week to maximize days away from work, I find myself left with some additional vacation left to burn. Work and life got a little busy so I didn’t really plan anything. The remainder of my adventures will be … Read more

Perrot State Park

Perrot State Park - View across Trempeauleau Bay from atop Perrot Ridge

My final stop on the July 2019 road trip was at Perrot State Park in Trempealeau, Wisconsin. I have been camping here the past few nights and sadly didn’t have enough time to explore everything but can 100% guarantee it’s worth a visit. Lots to cover here so buckle up and join me on a … Read more

Merrick State Park

Merrick State Park - Paddling along Fountain City Bay

Last night I arrived late to camp. Several strong thunderstorms threw off some plans so I bailed on that & headed to Merrick State Park in Fountain City, Wisconsin. This is one of the smaller state parks but does offer camping, 2 miles of hiking trails, and plentiful boating opportunities. Unfortunately the entire Mississippi River … Read more

Perry Creek Rapids

Perry Creek Rapids - View below the falls

The area surrounding Black River Falls seem to be abundant with rapids and waterfalls. My next stop at Perry Creek Recreation Area is a unique and smaller park that doesn’t seem to get much traffic. Access to Perry Creek is quite easy on a short and well maintained hiking trail. You will quickly come to … Read more

Kinnikinnic State Park

Kinnikinnic State Park - Scenic Overlook of Kinnikinnic River Delta into St Croix River

More intermittent rain today but not enough precipitation to stop my plans. Next up was some hiking at Kinnikinnic State Park in River Falls, Wisconsin. To be honest I didn’t know much about this park before visiting but afterwards it’s easy to see why it’s a special place. From the far west parking area I … Read more

Big Bay State Park – Bay View + Point Trail Loop

Big Bay State Park - Lake Superior Coastal Views

Bit of a late start this morning (had to move campsites, was the only way I could get a last minute reservation) but sometime around 10am I was on the trail.  Agenda for the morning was to hike Bay View and Point Trails looping back to the campground.  I started from camp towards the Bay … Read more

Big Bay State Park – Boardwalk Trail

Big Bay State Park - Boardwalk Trail

Shifting gears during the midpoint of this road trip and floating my car & camping gear to Big Bay State Park on Madeline Island.  I was getting cranky from all the driving so my first action item was to stretch out my legs and hike the Boardwalk Trail.  Originally I was going to make a … Read more

Copper Falls State Park – Sunset & Astro

Copper Falls State Park - Astrophotography over Loon Lake

Home base for the past couple of days has been Copper Falls State Park.  I skipped them on this trip in favor of other destinations (see old posts here, don’t skip these if you’ve never visited before) but the weather did give me an opportunity for some fantastic night photography.  Clear Sky Charts confirm this … Read more

Foster Falls

Foster Falls

After spending lots of time driving & hiking to Copper Creek Falls my day was nearly over.  Still, I found just enough time to reach Foster Falls near Upson/Gurney, Wisconsin.  Overall this is fairly easy to reach via county forest roads and the hike is relatively short. The biggest challenge is jumping across several small … Read more

Pattison State Park – Copper Creek Falls

Pattison State Park - Copper Creek Falls upper section from side

Intermittent storms for the past several days washed away my best laid plans.  Today (Jul-6) the stars aligned giving me blue skies, 72 degres, and a gentle breeze.  Just about the perfect day to attempt a mysterious and unpublished waterfall called Copper Creek Falls at Pattison State Park.  Access is through the northern park section … Read more