Fall Travel Series: Hiking in Grafton

Welcome back to what is quickly becoming a guide to my favorite hiking trails! I never imagined my hiking aspirations would take me to Grafton but we were traveling to the area to purchase some bare root evergreens as part of a new planting project and decided to explore the area. What impressed me the most about this particular nature preserve was the vastly different terrain represented in a short span of hiking. From the sand dune bluffs to a boardwalk through a marsh, over a woodland ravine and down a cedar lined staircase to the beach of lake Michigan- this is my photographic journey of Lion’s Den Gorge Nature Preserve.

One might begin their hike from the parking lot onto a mulch trail through a new growth woods. It seems like nothing more than a nice walk around a nature preserve if you are unfamiliar with the area like we were. But low and behold the trail twists and turns to bring about a fantastic view-

Most of these trails look like they just drop off the edge of the sand cliff and might have you feeling a little squeamish if you venture too close to the edge but the blue shades of Lake Michigan are worth taking a moment to admire before turning back to secure your footing on more dependable trails.

Ahhh…there! Away from the bluff-is that better? This park has such a variety of ways to see it! These more accessible trails guarantee a wide range of visitors can take in even more of the 73 acre public park of Ozaukee County, Wisconsin.

There is even a wooden boardwalk through the marsh area inland from the lake shore.

Quite a different sight from the blue water of the Great Lake as it meets the skyline on the other side of the trails. A fantastic habitat for birds, this secondary water source and meadow coverage ensures there is room for all types of wildlife to thrive at Lion’s Den Gorge.

But now it’s time to understand how this nature preserve got the name Lion’s Den Gorge. Beyond more wooded trails you will encounter a large ravine with a hearty bridge.

But this isn’t the gorge, oh no. After a few more forks and turns you will find yourself emerged in a cedar grove that feels like old trees you would see in parts of Door County or far far up north in our state.

This is the staircase to the bottom of the Lion’s Den Gorge.

This trail then spills you out onto the beach beneath the sand dunes you peered cautiously over.

Having been to parts of Oregon on the West Coast the combination of the waves crashing on the beach after emerging from a cedar forest brought back memories of watching early morning surfers when we hiked there.

And that’s one of the beautiful things I can’t praise Wisconsin enough for. There are so many different landscapes and terrains that you can travel a few hours and feel like you have arrived in a completely different place.

Speaking of a different place- after we left the trails at Lion’s Den, we made a quick stop to see Lime Kiln Park. I’m a sucker for old brick and stone structures like these (remember Fayette State Park!?!).

The whole park is actually quite nice. It is a scenic location along the Milwaukee River with the remains of these old lime kilns to set it apart from other places with pavilions and playgrounds (which it also has).

For the brief afternoon we found ourselves in Grafton I was not disappointed by what the area had to offer. The hiking at the nature preserve would be worth replicating in different seasons to see changes in the wild flowers. Experiencing the sand dunes from down on the beach was also unexpected. So many teetering trees as the shoreline slowly erodes away, ensuring that the nature of this landscape will never look the same.

We’re winding down the fall travel series. Only one stop left and we’ll be crossing a southern state border to do it! See you in November for this final adventure post of 2023!