Great River Trail Prairies

State Natural Area (No. 357)

Location: Along the Great River State Trail, La Crosse and Trempealeau County. T17N-R8W, Sections 14, 15, 16. T18N-R9W, Section 21. 33 acres.

Access: In La Crosse County: From the southernmost intersection of State Highway 35 and County Highway OT in Midway (north of Onalaska), go west on OT 0.6 mile to County Highway ZN, then west on ZN 1.1 miles to County Highway Z, then north on Z 3.5 miles to Lytle Road, then NE on Lytle Road 0.3 mile to its end and the Lytle's Landing Canoe Launch parking area. Walk/ride southeast along the trail into the natural area. The best prairie is located 0.7 mile southeast. In Trempealeau County: From the junction of Third Street (Highway 35) and Main Street in Trempealeau, go north on 35 0.1 mile, then northwest on Park Road 1.4 miles to the intersection of West Prairie Road (just past the cemetery). Park along W. Prairie Road and walk east or west along the recreational trail into the State Natural Area.

Description: Great River Trail Prairies features two very diverse sand prairie remnants located an old railroad right-of-way. Unintentional fires started by the sparks of passing locomotives helped maintain the prairies through time. Today, management such as brushing and prescribed burning helps sustain the prairies. One of the last remnants of the Trempealeau Prairie, they feature grasses such as big and little blue-stem, and flowering plants including lead-plant, blazing-star, wild bergamot, vervain, spiderwort, hoary puccoon, prairie rose, and white sage. The prairies also harbor a healthy population of the rare clustered poppy mallow (Callirhoe triangulata). Great River Trail Prairies is owned by the DNR as part of the Great River State Trail and was designated a State Natural Area in 2002.