ESSAY | Hiking Wisconsin’s Driftless Bluffs and Prairies

What might you choose for a Wisconsin hike this fall?

By Karen Solverson, Mississippi Valley Conservancy, October 14, 2025

view from bluffs looking at river valley and beyond

A short, relatively flat trail leads to an overlook of the Mississippi River, northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota and beyond; autumn’s changing colors are an invitation to hike the Driftless! (Photo by Mississippi Valley Conservancy staff)

Editor’s note: Those of us who hit the trails of Southeast Minnesota are generally aware of the vast wilderness we can get lost in on a sunny afternoon autumn trek; for miles and miles all around we admire the changing colors, longer shadows and reappearing forest lands gradually showing through the falling leaves.

What we sometimes don’t fully grasp is how the Drifltess Area’s unique landscapes, plantlife and trails are so vast, carrying well into surrounding parts of Iowa and Wisconsin – places just as inviting as the blufflands and valleys in our own backyards. So it’s with gratitude and appreciation we welcome these shared views from ‘just across the river’, courtesy of the Mississippi Valley Conservancy.

WESTERN WISCONSIN — Fall is a season of transformation, and there’s no better place to witness it than at the nature preserves of Mississippi Valley Conservancy. The brilliant colors of fall lay across the bluffs like a quilted patchwork of oranges, reds and yellows.

Grab some friends or your loved ones and hike up to one of many overlooks throughout the La Crosse and Onalaska Blufflands properties where you will be wrapped up in the scents, sounds and colors of fall as you take in the gorgeous Mississippi River valley views.

Western Wisconsin’s bluffland trails provide amazing views during seasonal bird migrations along the Mississippi Flyway. (Photo by Mitchel Block)

Each preserve offers its own fall wonders. Borah Creek Prairie and Holland Sand Prairie glow with golden grasses and the late blooms of prairie wildflowers, while New Amsterdam Grasslands comes alive with flocks of sparrows and meadowlarks preparing for their journeys south.

Along the Mississippi River, Sugar Creek Bluff offers quiet trails where you can walk a nearly flat path out to the edge of a bluff, sit on a rocky outcropping overlooking the river, and enjoy the view.

At Plum Creek Conservation Area, you can wander under a canopy of fall leaves up to an expansive view of the Driftless, or sit in a secluded valley along the creek enjoying the sound of running water and the scents of fall.

Perhaps you will discover Devil’s Backbone, Cassville Bluffs or Cardinal Bluff for the first time.

Whether it’s the bluffs, prairies or waterways, every step brings new sights, sounds, and a chance to slow down and reconnect with nature.

This fall season, discover—or rediscover—the beauty of these special places. Let the trails lead you into fall’s beauty, and experience firsthand the treasures we’re working to protect forever.

Sign up for the Mississippi Valley Conservancy’s FREE Trail Trek Challenge and receive a trail guide to plan your western Wisconsin visits and learn more about each preserve.

The view from my Houston County farm

By Carol Abrahamzon

What is so special about the Driftless Area?

There are countless things, but this morning offered a perfect reminder.

(Photo courtesy of Mississippi River Conservancy)

When I woke up today, we were blanketed in fog. Of course, as you know, that’s common here in the Driftless Area this time of year.

Generally, these foggy mornings lend themselves to beautiful days once the sun has an opportunity to burn through that veil of fog.

Of course, fog is just one of the countless wonders here.

There are the rocky bluffs with their craggy nooks where wildlife finds shelter, the rare goat prairies basking in the warmth of the sun, the oak savannas that we’re losing far too quickly, and the prairies where grasses wave in the wind while bees and butterflies flit from flower to flower.

The valleys protect fresh water, offering refuge for both people and wildlife.

That water is such an important part of our special Driftless Area. As I write this, I’m looking out the window at one of the wildlife ponds that the topography of our farm provides, and it’s alive with ducks. They are taking advantage of that pond to rest and restore before they once again take to the skies on their long migration south.

The unique topography of the Driftless provides not just scenic beauty, but the habitats and the scenic beauty that we all cherish.

And here’s the most important part: YOU. Your support of area conservation projects, as well as your own practices, is what protects the goat prairies, oak savannas, wetlands, farmlands, and so much more.

You are helping safeguard the special places, the wildlife, and the experiences that make the Driftless Area unlike anywhere else!

Carol Abrahamzon is Executive Director of the Mississippi Valley Conservancy. She and her husband Bill own a sustainable farm in Houston County’s Crooked Creek Township where they grow beef, pork, chicken and most of their own fruits and vegetables.

Mississippi Valley Conservancy is an accredited land trust in southwestern Wisconsin whose mission is to protect and conserve the bluffs, native habitats and farmlands of the Driftless Area through land protection, habitat restoration and educational programming. It currently protects over 26,700 acres of land, including 7,000+ acres of nature preserves that are open to the public for hiking, snow shoeing, birding, hunting, fishing, and more.

Contributor

Karen Solverson, Mississippi Valley Conservancy

Karen Solverson is Director of Communications & Outreach for the Mississippi Valley Conservancy, La Crosse, Wisc. She has degrees from UW-La Crosse and Hamline University, St. Paul. Karen's professional experiences include business marketing, teaching at Winona State University, and professional photography. She values her current opportunity to educate and inspire others about the conservation efforts and initiatives MVC provides the region.