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The Sand Cave Trail is an easy to moderate footpath at Wyalusing State Park. It begins at the interpretative nature center and heads down the river bluff into verdant ravines as it leads to Sand Cave. A second spur trail loop takes hikers to Little Sand Cave. Total miles for both trails as an out and back adds up to 1.75 miles. Some of the hill climbs on the return trip can be arduous making this a moderate level trail that will require some athletic fitness.
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| Sand Cave Trail at Wyalusing State Park |
I had the pleasure of hiking this trail with my friend Mike on Labor Day Weekend 2017. All but two campsites were already reserved when we arrived and the park was full when we departed. We took the amazing scenic drive along the Lower Wisconsin Riverway on highway 60 from Spring Green and enjoyed the perfect holiday weather.
The Sand Cave trail was an unexpected delight. The trail meanders down a ravine through thick hardwood forest. Sand Cave itself appeared luminescent as we approached. A thin thread of a waterfall fell over the edge of the Sand Cave overhang. True to its name, the overhang cave featured piles of bright orange sand along with patches of red clay and white sand. It is truly a marvel not to be missed at Wyalusing State Park.
The spur trail to Little Sand Cave was also enjoyable. We navigated past Tinkle Point and wound ourselves ever deeper into the ravines that shed water off the high river bluffs down into the Wisconsin River below. Little Sand Cave also featured a water fall but was not nearly as impressive as Sand Cave. The trail then gathered elevation and we huffed our way back to the trailhead at the nature center.
This will be a memorable and enjoyable hike for any age hiker - especially those with curious children whose imaginations will be sparked by the adventure of cave exploration. The trail is a single track footpath that is wide and firmly packed without many rocks or roots. Aside from the long uphill climb on the return trip this trail is ideal for hikers of almost any fitness level.
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| Sand Cave Trail at Wyalusing State Park |
The Sand Cave Trail at Wyalusing State Park
COUNTY:Grant
COMMUNITIES: Bagley, Bridgeport
TOTAL MILES: 1.75 out and back
DIFFICULTY: Easy
CAMPING: Wyalusing State Park
POINTS OF INTEREST: Wyalusing Nature Center, Sand Cave, Little Sand Cave, Wisconsin River
Directions and Trail Map
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Address for your GPS: 13081 State Park Ln Bagley, WI 53801
| coordinates: 42.989411, -91.11583 |
| From Milwaukee | 3 Hours |
| From Madison | 2 Hours |
| From Green Bay | 4 Hours |
| From Wausau | 4 Hours |
| From Minneapolis | 4 Hours |
| From Chicago | 4 Hours |
Photos
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| Sand Cave Trail at Wyalusing State Park |
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| Sand Cave Trail at Wyalusing State Park |
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| Sand Cave Trail at Wyalusing State Park |
Links
Wyalusing State Park<