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King of the hill

With a huff and a puff, hikers earn a view of fall colors.

The Porcupines' Lake of the Clouds in autumn.

The Escarpment Trail in Michigan's Porcupine Mountains Wilderness gives hikers a view of Lake of the Clouds.

When it comes to hiking, we all like to be on top.

There's nothing like a great view, especially in fall. Climbing until we're eye level with birds and caressed by breezes, watching the land roll away into the horizon, we feel as if we're on top of the world.

Even military officers and scientists turn into poets when faced with a beautiful view.

"I have a geological survey from the 1840s, and even they break away from their dry terminology to go on and on about the precipice, the cliffs and the view that stretches out at their feet," says naturalist Robert Sprague of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Michigan.

The park is renowned for its overlook on Lake of the Clouds, set like a jewel between ridges that become a quilt of colors in fall. The Escarpment Trail above the lake is one of six great fall hikes with views (Also see 12 great fall hikes.)

"Years before it was a park, people were making their way up there," Sprague said. "It's a magnet."

Despite ridges that rise 1,000 feet above the shore of Lake Superior, the Porkies don't include Michigan's highest point; that's a little farther east at Mount Arvon, near L'Anse. Roads carry people within a half mile, as they do in Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois.

Reaching Minnesota's highest point, however, requires a 3½-mile hike over tree roots and rocks. Then, unlike some summits, it rewards hikers with a spectacular view.

Around here, glaciers are responsible for our most dramatic landscapes and overlooks, depositing rubble and unleashing the meltwater that cut the ravines and gorges of the North Shore, the St. Croix, the Baraboo Hills and the Mississippi.

They're heaven for hikers and thick with vistas, especially along the Upper Mississippi River Valley. My favorite trail climbs Brady's Bluff, at the edge of Trempealeau in Perrot State Park; from its summit, 520 feet above the water, hikers can spot the gleaming white domes of Winona, 15 miles to the north, and migrating pelicans and eagles overhead.

But just a few miles downstream, across from the mouth of the Black River, the overlooks are even taller. One October, I hiked for the first time in quiet Great River Bluffs State Park, encountering only two other people and a volunteer collecting blazing-star seeds.

From the road, the King's Bluff Nature Trail cut through meadow, then entered forest. Once, this hardwood forest of shagbark hickory, oak, basswood and maple stretched from here to the Atlantic, according to an interpretive sign; the many bur oaks were especially tough, surviving the prairie fires.

Another sign described how glacial streams carved the Mississippi River gorge, steadily washing away softer rock until the surrounding bluffs seemed to loom over the river like mountains.

Passing through corridors of trees, red with sumac, the trail emerged to a panorama of the valley far below — the patchwork delta of the Black River, the labyrinthine channels traversed by tiny barges, the Wisconsin ridge tops dotted by farms.

Across the ravine, dome-shaped Queen's Bluff looked partly bald — these south- and southwest-facing bluffs are known for goat prairies, patches of the slopes that soak up so much sun and are so steep they have their own microclimates and support plants rarely found elsewhere.

Another five miles of trails lead to more scenic vistas in Great River Bluffs State Park. If you like views, fall is a great time to hike there and on the other trails below.

Great River Bluffs State Park near Winona

The King's Bluff Nature Trail, 2½ miles round-trip, provides views of the river valley as well as Queen's Bluff, a state scientific and natural area that can be hiked only with a permit. Shorter trails lead to other overlooks; according to river buff Duke Addicks, writing in Big River magazine, the overlook off the picnic area is the highest on the Upper Mississippi at 631 feet above the river. Call 1-507-643-6849 or visit www.dnr.state.mn.us.

Getting there: It's 20 miles south of Winona. From U.S. 61, take Minnesota 3, also Apple Blossom Scenic Byway. From Interstate 90, take County Road 12.

What to do nearby: La Crosse celebrates Oktoberfest Sept. 26 to Oct. 4, 2008, www.oktoberfestusa.com, and Historic Downtown La Crosse Day is Oct. 11, 2008, 800-658-9424, www.historicdowntownlacrosse.com. Nearby, Norskedalen holds its Civil War Heritage Weekend Oct. 11-12, with Civil War skirmishes re-enacted on and around the buildings of the pioneer homestead (for more, see Fight club). It's east of La Crosse near Coon Valley, Wis.; 608-452-3424, www.norskedalen.org.

Eagle Mountain near Grand Marais

At 2,301 feet, this is Minnesota's highest point. The root-choked trail passes through cedars and spruce and soon enters the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Crossing bogs on boardwalks, it skirts mirrorlike Whale Lake, then picks its way through rock to the top, where hikers gaze upon a panorama that includes the North Fork of the Cascade River and Zoo, Shrike and Eagle lakes. It's a notoriously buggy trail, so fall is the best time to hike it.

Getting there: The trailhead can be reached from Grand Marais by taking County Road 7 to Forest Road 48, then 158 to its junction with 153. It's a little simpler to take the Caribou Trail, or County Road 4, from Lutsen to Forest Road 153; from there, it's about four miles east to the trailhead. Fill out a BWCA registration form and put it in the box before hiking. Wear thick-soled shoes or boots and allow three to four hours for the hike.

What to do nearby: During fall color, everyone is out wandering the woods. But Grand Marais is always worth a stop for its shops and restaurants; 1-888-922-5000, www.grandmarais.com.

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park near Silver City, Mich.

This park on the lip of Lake Superior has 100 miles of trails, but the four-mile Escarpment Trail is the most romantic. It follows a ridge 300 feet above Lake of the Clouds, from which the Carp River winds away into the horizon through old-growth forest that's considered the biggest and best of its kind east of the Mississippi. On the other end of the park, the West River Trail follows the Presque Isle River into Lake Superior; 1-906-885-5275, www.michigan.gov/dnr.

Getting there: It's about the same drive time as to Grand Marais: five hours. The fastest way is Interstate 35 to Duluth, then U.S. 2 across northern Wisconsin to Wakefield, Mich., then north on Michigan 28 and 64. The main entrance to the park is near Silver City. When you get there, you'll be on Eastern Standard Time, an hour ahead.

What to do nearby: There isn't much nearby. But if you like waterfalls, some of Wisconsin's finest are just off U.S. 2 in Amnicon and Pattison state parks, near Gurney on the Potato River and on Lake Superior at the state border; www.waterfalls-guide.com/wi_waterfalls-guide.htm, www.travelwisconsin.com.

And just north of Bessemer, Mich., seven waterfalls drop down the gorge of the Black River just before it flows into Lake Superior. Trails lead to five of them; follow County Road 513 north of U.S. 2.

Devil's Lake State Park near Baraboo, Wis.

This is the most-visited state park in Wisconsin, beloved for its 500-foot pink-quartzite cliffs and craggy rock formations as well as its clear lake, a favorite of scuba divers. The 1½-mile West Bluff Trail and part of the East Bluff Trail are part of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. For a 4½-mile loop, hike the East Bluff Trail and return on the East Bluff Woods Trail. For more, see Devil's heaven.

On the weekend before Halloween, the park holds a 1½-mile candlelight hike with bonfire and refreshments; 608-356-8301, www.wiparks.net.

Getting there: It's south of Wisconsin Dells, just east of U.S. 12.

What to do nearby: On the third weekend in October, Baraboo is a stop on the popular Fall Art Tour. The International Crane Foundation is a few miles to the north, and the Mid-Continent Railway offers rides on vintage trains just to the west, in North Freedom. To the south, across the river from Prairie du Sac, Wollersheim Winery offers tours daily; 800-227-2266, www.baraboo.com.

Effigy Mounds National Monument near Marquette, Iowa

Eleven miles of trails wind along the blufftop in this national monument, named for 195 burial mounds left by an ancient people. They're remarkable, because 31 are in the shapes of birds, reptiles and mammals, including the 137-foot-long Great Bear Mound. On the two-mile Fire Point Trail, overlooks provide sweeping views of the river valley; 563-873-3491, www.nps.gov/efmo.

Pikes Peak State Park, just south of McGregor, and Wyalusing State Park, across the river in Wisconsin, also have hiking trails with fantastic views. Expect peak fall color to start next weekend.

Getting there: For nonstop views, follow the Great River Road south.

What to do nearby: The second weekend of October is Marquette's Flea Market Under the Bridge as well as McGregor's Leaf Arts and Crafts Festival; 1-800-896-0910, www.mcgreg-marq.org. Across the bridge in Prairie du Chien, Villa Louis holds a "Spirits of St. Feriole Island" program in October, 1-608-326-2721, www.wisconsinhistory.org.

Superior Hiking Trail on Minnesota's North Shore

It's almost impossible to pick out the most scenic stretches, because there are so many. The two-mile Oberg Mountain hike probably is the most popular in fall, when overlooks provide views of the mountain's maple forest; from Minnesota 61 near Lutsen, take Forest Road 336, or Onion River Road, two miles to a parking area. From one side, the Oberg loop winds around the summit; from the other, the Superior Hiking Trail leads to Leveaux Mountain.

Near Tofte, the 924-foot summit of Carlton Peak commands a spectacular view up and down the shore. From the parking lot at Britton Peak, a three-mile drive up the Sawbill Trail, or County Road 2, it's a three-mile round-trip hike.

For a great five-mile loop hike, park at the mouth of the Split Rock River, four miles north of Gooseberry Falls State Park, and follow the Superior Hiking Trail up the west side of the red-rock river gorge and back down the other side.

Getting there: For maps, call the Superior Hiking Trail Association at 218-834-2700, go to www.shta.org or stop by the headquarters in Two Harbors at 731 Highway 61 (Seventh Avenue). The group's "Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail" (Ridgeline Press, $15.95) is very useful.

What to do nearby: On Lutsen Mountains, the Alpine Slide stay open through the third weekend in October. Single rides are $7.50, but the ride down a twisting concrete chute on plastic sleds is addictive; buy an unlimited pass online for $29, and you'll also get unlimited rides on the North Shore Mountain Tram and use of the mountain-bike trails. Horseback trail rides are $35. Call 218-663-7281 or visit www.lutsen.com.

Guided fall hikes

For more about organizations that offer guided hikes in autumn, such as the Superior Hiking Trail Association and chapters of the Ice Age Trail, see Along for the walk.

Last updated on October 14, 2008

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