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Lion's Den Gorge is an Ozaukee County Natural Area on the shore of Lake Michigan in Grafton. There are 3 miles of hiking trails, boardwalks through wetlands, a giant staircase that descends through layers of cedar forest, a salmon spawning stream, a few miles of beach front, a pond, and the deep and verdant ravine called Lion's Den.
It is open from sunrise to sunset through all seasons of the year. Only a 20 minute drive north of Milwaukee, Lion's Den is the perfect wilderness retreat in the metro area.
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| Lions Den Gorge Natural Area - Grafton WI |
More than a few years back in my past, I thought it would be a good idea to create a website where I shared all of the secret places that I knew of. Kids are often able to find the most unique and awesome places, and I racked a up a long list of these 'kid trails' from my own kid days. Lion's Den was the first place I was going to write about. Well, it's taken a few years for me to get to this, but here it finally is.
It wasn't called Lion's Den then - maybe the Grafton Lake Bluff, or The South Beach. It was a place that only local teenagers could find and navigate. A place for paintball wars and late night beach fires.
In those days, I was able to find my way along narrow winding deer trails to unique overlooks by the light of the moon. But, in my absence from the Grafton area, someone came along and spread woodchips all over the trails I once blazed and they put up signs saying don't do this and don't do that ... and they gave all of my sacred places new names - suitable for a downloadable PDF map. Yep, it's an official county park now ... and I have mixed feelings about all that.
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| Lions Den Gorge Natural Area - Grafton WI |
It is great that it is a county park, and frankly I am surprised that the landowner was generous enough to give up this prime piece of lakefront property. I am also sure his neighbors aren't quite as pleased. But, it has happened. The surreal landscape, the hidden treasure that is Lion's Den is able to be enjoyed by the entire community now. It has been an instant hit.
Lion's Den, as it is now called, is a 73 acre natural area set along the slumping bluffs of Lake Michigan. It features pristine wetlands, monumental bluffs and cliff sides, a pond, a salmon spawning stream, a deep and verdant ravine, cedar groves, a few miles of shallow beach front, and about 3 miles of wide and groomed hiking trails.
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| Lions Den Gorge Natural Area - Grafton WI |
Before this was an official county park, It was already being used as a place to walk dogs off the leash. The main trail, now called The Lion's Den trail was then a bridle path. It was also public hunting land - for waterfowl and for deer - of which there used to be plenty. But, with the heavy traffic that Lion's Den now gets, you can no longer take your dog off the leash, ride a horse safely, and you will rarely encounter deer. This is the sacrifice of sharing.
Some people who had long brought their hunting dogs here for training and exercise still do, and they still go off the leash in spite of the new rules. And, kids who used to climb the bluffs here after school still climb the bluffs in defiance of the signs warning of impending ecological ruin.
There has been something lost by opening this place to the masses. But, there has been more gained.
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| Lions Den Gorge Natural Area - Grafton WI |
One of the great draws of Lion's Den is the massive staircase that descends into the gorge through layers of cedar forest. As you reach the bottom of the stairs you can hear the waves of Lake Michigan crashing ashore. You then follow a stream out to the beach.
Back in the day, there was a tree that arced out over the Lake at the mouth of the stream. You could climb its branches out over the lake waves and watch the moon rise. The mouth of the stream used to collect piles of driftwood that would ignite quickly - a ready stash of firewood. this scene combined to make the most picturesque campfire location. The tree has fallen. But, this small piece of beach is still picture worthy. And, with so many flat stones, it is perhaps the most popular place to skip stones in Wisconsin.
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| Lions Den Gorge Natural Area - Grafton WI |
The landscape on top of the bluff is entirely different than in the gorge and on the beach. Wetlands here attract an array of birds including blue herons. A boardwalk and observation deck has been built where once there were duck blinds.
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| Lions Den Gorge Natural Area - Grafton WI |
Among the new amenities as a public space is a parking lot and a port-o-john set in the main parking lot. The popularity of Lion's Den has already exceeded expectations, drawing in regular crowds that eclipse any other Ozaukee county park that I can immediately think of. The small parking lot is overcrowded. A more formal restroom structure would be more accomodating than a lonely portable toilet. One could even imagine adding nearby parcels and an eventual redesignation as a county park complete with a picnic shelter and an open field for game playing. Currently Lion's Den is a designated natural area. But, regardless of what is called it is now a public place for the recreation and enjoyment of all people, an extraordinary lakefront environment, an acheivement of private and public partnership and stewardship, and a jewel in the crown of Ozaukee's communities.
Overview Lion's Den Gorge Natural Area
COUNTYOZAUKEE
COMMUNITIES
GRAFTON
TOTAL MILES
3-MILES NETWORKED TRAILS
DIFFICULTY
EASY
LOWEST ELEVATION
580 AMSL
HIGHEST ELEVATION
660 AMSL
POINTS OF INTEREST
LAKE MICHIGAN, DUCKS UNLIMITED WATERFOWL AREA, LION'S DEN GORGE
Directions and Trail Map
Click Map Image to load the full interactive map.
Address for your GPS: 511 High Bluff Dr, Grafton, WI 53024.
| coordinates: N43.338007, W087.887941 |
| From Milwaukee | 25 Minutes |
| From Madison | 1.5 Hours |
| From Green Bay | 1.5 Hours |
| From Wausau | 3 Hours |
| From Minneapolis | 5.5 HOurs |
| From Chicago | 2 Hours |
Photos
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| Lions Den Gorge Natural Area - Grafton WI |
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| Lions Den Gorge Natural Area - Grafton WI |
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| Lions Den Gorge Natural Area - Grafton WI |
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| Lions Den Gorge Natural Area - Grafton WI |
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| Lions Den Gorge Natural Area - Grafton WI |
Links
Feather Tailed Stories - Lion's DenNearby Attractions:
Port Washington Marina
Dining:
Newport Shores Waterfront Restaurant and Bar - Port Washington
Ghost Town Inn - Grafton
Pasta Shoppe - Port Washington