Hixon Forest CP

Hike Name: Hixon Forest CP Location: southwest WI Length: 4 Submitted by: Wapiti Date Submitted: 0/0/00 Rating:	more Wisconsin trail reviews Wisconsin national parks Wisconsin state parks
For more trail descriptions and topo maps, try a Free Trial Offer from Trails.com

Description
Hixon Forest is simply the closest hiking to La Crosse, WI. Those who want something more remote (or want a damned loop to hike) have to travel to the DNR's Coulee Experimental Forest of Perrot SP for the next-closest trails of any length.

Hixon's got almost a dozen trails, with the longest being the Bicentennial running from downtown La Crosse's Riverside Park up the ridgeline to a trailhead on County FA (Rim of the City Road). Other trails wind around the bluffsides to and from Grandad's Bluff, the Alpine Inn, and Bluebird Campground.

The flatland trails in the La Crosse River marshes are all paved or heavily graded gravel (for the hundreds of bikers out here), but the forest trails are narrow tracks, well-kept and banned to mountain bikers. Mtn. bikers have their own ascent-descent trails to the ridgetop marked with 'TNT' signs. These make for good 'stairmaster' climbs for those needed fitness for a bigger hike somewhere.

Crowds are mixed. Sundays are usually the most crowded (due to different group hikes and the popularity of the golf course at the coulee's base). But the forest is excellent for winter snowshoeing--you'll have the place to yourself!

Directions to Hike
Trailheads abound, since this park's on the border of La Crosse metro anyways.

Main lot is within Hixon Forest, on a turnoff from WI Highway 16 named either Bluff Pass or Quarry Road (not very well marked to begin with). Next-best trailhead is on the ridgeline's summit, across the street from the Nat'l Weather Service's big white dopplar-radar golf ball on County FA (off of County F).

Other trailheads include Grandad's Bluff parking area, across the street from the Alpine Inn (County F), and a pull-off gravel lot on Bliss Road. Reach the marshes trailheads at Myrick Park, Red Cloud Park, Riverside Park, or behind the Oak Grove Cemetary on La Crosse Street.

Contact Information
Hixon Forest Nature Center
2702 Quarry Road
La Crosse, WI 54601
phone: (608) 784-0303
fax: (608) 784-0322
Mon-Fri 9-4pm, Sat-Sun 1-4pm

submit a new trail review

---

About Our Reviews

Many people ask us to recommend a place to go hiking. Instead of us deciding what places are best, we let the backpacking community help out. The reviews on budget-travels-tips.com have been submitted by our viewers. Some reviews are positive and some are negative. If you don't agree with a review, feel free to submit your own trail review.