LA CROSSE, Wis. — The City of La Crosse maintains 2,000 acres of blufflands around its city limits to provide miles of trails. Those trails bring a unique experience for its residents and visitors.

What You Need To Know

  • The City of La Crosse maintains 2,000 acres of blufflands around its city limits to provide miles of trails

  • The goal of the La Crosse trail system is striking a balance between giving the community a safe way to access the area’s natural beauty while also allowing nature to restore itself

  • The city said the trails offers economic impact and brings tourist outdoor enthusiasts from all over

The goal of the La Crosse trail system is striking a balance between giving the community a safe way to access the area’s natural beauty while also allowing nature to restore itself.

Sami Meyer is the outdoor recreation coordinator. She recently set her sights on the Upper Hixon Forest. It’s a part of the larger La Crosse trail system that stretches for 50 miles around the city.

“We care for, maintain and have thoughtful upgrades to our bluff trails, our marsh trails, our paved trails,” said Meyer. “They offer key connectivity to our community members.”

Meyer said a lot of work has gone into making these trails more accessible to the public.

She credits several organizations, including the Mississippi Valley Conservancy, Outdoor Recreation Alliance, and Friends of the Blufflands.

“It offers economic impact,” said Meyer. “It brings tourist outdoor enthusiasts from all over. We can see that we have had visitors from around the country that come here specifically for what we have to offer here in La Crosse, including our trail system. There’s a lot of opportunity for conservation, preserving what we already have.”

Zack Emery grew up near La Crosse and often hikes the trails. He said over the years he has grown to appreciate them more and more.

“I moved away to another nature city, Duluth, Minnesota, but moving away and coming back,” said Emery. “You really appreciate what you have and what you grow up with.”

While the city is open to adding more trails, it is closing other parts of the trail system off to allow nature to heal itself.

Meyer said the goal is to reduce erosion and vegetation damage.

“The bluffs not only bring together that sense of natural space for personal benefit but those connections with those like-minded people that have the same values in nature and in conservation and preservation and enjoying the beautiful views that we have here, so it’s a really unique space,” said Meyer.

These views are part of the reason that Meyer is proud to call this area home.

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