DAY OUT

6 spring hikes in Wisconsin

Chelsey Lewis

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

After the seemingly endless brown-gray gloom of winter, the first splotches of green in spring are invigorating.

As April creeps into May, landscapes across Wisconsin come to life. Wildflowers bloom, migrating birds return in a cascade of chirping, and streams and waterfalls expel their winter holdings.

What better way to enjoy nature's rebirth than on a hike? Don some shoes you don't mind getting muddy and make the most of the season on these six treks around the state.

Ice Age Trail: Cedar Lakes Segment

Natalie Koffarnus comes into a clearing as Jenni Heisz follows behind on the Cedar Lakes Segment of the Ice Age Trail. The women thru-hiked the trail as a part of the Warrior Hike Program in 2015.

Distance: 4.2-mile out-and-back hike

Find it: Parking lot and trailhead on County Highway NN, north of Slinger

Spring is a great time to see land formations often obscured by foliage in summer and fall. This segment of the Ice Age Trail provides a look at one of the densest collections of kames in the state. The cone-shaped hills were created by sediment left behind by streams that pushed through open shafts in glaciers.

Follow the yellow blazes of the Ice Age Trail south from Highway NN, and don't miss the trail marked by white blazes that loops around one of the most prominent kames. Look for woodland and prairie flowers such as trillium, jack-in-the-pulpit and violets. Ferns fill the wooded areas of the trail in the summer.

Lost Canyon Trail, Governor Dodge State Park

The 20-foot Stephens Falls at Governor Dodge State Park often slows to a trickle during the summer. You can view the waterfall from both an overlook and at its base.

Distance: 1-mile out-and-back hike to waterfall, 3-mile optional loop

Find it: 4175 State Highway 23, Dodgeville

Spring snow melt provides for rushing rivers and waterfalls, some of which are flowing only this time of year. In summer, Stephens' Falls in Governor Dodge State Park slows to a trickle. But during spring and times of high water, the beautiful waterfall plunges gracefully over a moss-covered sandstone rock face into a pool below.

Park at the Stephens' Fall parking lot on the park's western edge and follow a short, half-mile trail down a paved path and a rocky staircase to the base of the falls. Lengthen your hike with a loop around the Lost Canyon Trail, marked by orange trail signs.

The Ridges Sanctuary

Distance: 5 miles of looped trails

Find it: 8270 Highway 57, Baileys Harbor

This 1,600-acre nature preserve in Door County is a wildflower-lover's dream. Nearly 500 species of plants can be found on the property throughout the year, including 25 orchid species. A topography of alternating forested ridges and marshy swales gives the sanctuary its name and have earned it a designation as a National Natural Landmark.

In May, look for the pale blue or white arctic primrose, the blue-purple dwarf lake iris and the scarlet Indian paintbrush. June brings pink moccasin flowers, yellow lady's slippers, wild rose, wood lilies and glass pink orchids.

Explore 5 miles of trails on your own year-round, or join a naturalist-led hike at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.Wednesdays through Saturdays in May. Trail fees are $5 for adults (free for kids under 18), and guided hikes are $8 for adults (free for kids).

Ice Age Trail: Eagle segment

A short trail spur off the Ice Age Trail leads to Brady's Rocks, a collection of dolomite rock outcroppings that are part of the Niagara Escarpment. The rocks are also home to unique set of ferns.

Distance: About 7-mile out-and-back hike to Wilton Road

Find it: Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit, parking and trailhead at Highway 67, near County Road X north of Eagle

This segment of the Ice Age Trail passes through the Scuppernong River Habitat Area, the largest wet prairie east of the Mississippi River. Wide, open prairie and oak savanna have begun to thrive as they did before European settlers arrived, and spring offers a chance to see the prairie turn to brilliant greens. Look for sandhill cranes.

The trail also includes a short spur to Brady's Rocks, an exposed segment of the Niagara Escarpment named after an Irish immigrant who lived here in the mid 19th century and quarried the rocks. Moss-covered dolomite boulders line the spur, and in spring, purple hepatica sprouts from the forest floor. Summer brings a number of fern species, including the walking fern, fragile fern and cliff brake.

Schlitz Audubon Nature Center

Distance: 6 miles of looped trails

Find it: 1111 E. Brown Deer Road, Milwaukee

This nature center along Lake Michigan north of Milwaukee is prime bird-watching territory in spring, with more than 250 species having been spotted here throughout the year. Hike more than 6 miles of trails in the 185-acre preserve and look for warblers, woodpeckers, blue jays, chickadees, cardinals and red-winged blackbirds. Climb the 60-foot observation tower for a bird's-eye view of the lake and the surrounding landscape.

The center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for children ages 3 to 17 and military, and free for members.

Eagle Trail, Peninsula State Park

Trilliums blanket the forest floor along the 2-mile Eagle Trail in Peninsula State Park.

Distance: 2-mile loop

Find it: 9462 Shore Road, Fish Creek

This somewhat challenging trail offers an up-close look at towering, blocky sections of the Niagara Escarpment, plus terrific views of Green Bay from a lookout point. Rocks and tree roots are common along the trail, so hike with caution and sturdy shoes.

Bright-white trilliums pop from the forest floor in spring, along with jack-in-the-pulpit and lady's slippers. Blue forget-me-nots (an invasive species) blanket the woodland areas in the summer. For a chance to see the trail's namesake, hike up to the observation point (a tower that once stood there has been removed) and look for the majestic bird perched on trees along the bluffs.