Hike Location: Perrot State Park
Geographic Location: west of Trempealeau, WI (44.01596, -91.47598)
Length: 2 miles
Difficulty: 7/10 (Moderate/Difficult)
Date Hiked: June 2018
Overview: A climb, steep in spots, to a bluff high above the
Mississippi River.
Park Information: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/perrot
Directions to the trailhead: North of La Crosse, take
US 53 to SR 35. Exit and go north/west
on SR 35. Drive SR 35 west 8 miles to
the town of Trempealeau. Where SR 35
turns right in the middle of town, turn left on Main Street. Drive Main St. toward the river 3 blocks and
turn right on First Street. First Street
turns into Sullivan Road and Park Road before ending at the entrance to Perrot
State Park in 1.9 miles. Pay the park
entrance fee, and park in the first parking lot on the left after passing the
gatehouse.
The hike: It was
the fall of 1685 when Nicholas Perrot, one of the first French explorers in the
upper Mississippi River valley, came to the confluence of the Trempealeau and
Mississippi Rivers in present-day southwest Wisconsin. Perrot and his men needed a place to camp for
the winter, and the site’s abundance of wood, large prairies for game hunting,
and high bluffs for protection from the wind made it ideal. Perrot did a lot of trade and forged many
treaties with native peoples at this site (some of whom had been living here
for 5000 years), and between 1732 and 1737 a French fort stood here.
Later white
settlers occupied the land, and in 1918 John Latsch donated the land to
establish the state park with the request that the park be named after
Perrot. From 1935 to 1937, the Civilian
Conservation Corps’ (CCC) Camp Perrot stood here. The CCC built a shelter and trails on the
park’s Brady’s Bluff in addition to facilities at nearby Trempealeau National
Wildlife Refuge, a lock and dam on the Mississippi River at Trempealeau, and
some projects at Merrick State Park just upriver.
Today
Perrot State Park protects 1270 acres of bluffs overlooking the confluence of
the Trempealeau and Mississippi Rivers.
The park offers a 95-site campground, access to the Great River Trail (a
bike trail), 6 picnic areas, and 12.5 miles of hiking trails. In fact, Perrot State Park offers some of the
best hiking in Wisconsin, a state only somewhat known for its hiking. The park’s best trails head to the bluffs for
their fantastic river views, and this hike takes the back route to Brady’s
Bluff, the park’s highest point.
 |
| East Brady's Trailhead |
Start by
walking across the park road to find the signed trailhead for the Brady’s Bluff
and Perrot Ridge Trails. The park map
calls this trailhead the East Brady’s Trailhead though no signs on the ground
indicate such. A metal historical marker
erected by the Wisconsin Historical Society in 2003 stands here and gives a
brief synopsis of the bluff’s history.
The single-track dirt trail heads into the woods, which features a lot
of oak trees.
In less
than 500 feet, the trail forks to form our loop. To make the climbing easier, this description
turns right to head up a few stone steps and uses the trail going straight and
slightly downhill as its return route, thus hiking the loop counterclockwise. Signs identify this trail as the Perrot Ridge
Trail, but it also forms the back route to Brady’s Bluff.
 |
| Climbing on the Perrot Ridge Trail |
The trail
climbs gradually at first with the park road and park office visible and
audible downhill to the right. Soon the
grade intensifies as the trail curves left to tackle the slope head-on. A pileated woodpecker flew into the trees
beside me and started hammering for insects on a dead tree’s trunk. As you approach the top of the first steep
area, a small prairie opening offers a view of Brady’s Bluff above you and to
the left.
 |
| Looking up at Brady's Bluff |
At 0.3
miles, you reach a trail intersection on the side of Perrot Ridge. Major trail intersections at Perrot State
Park are identified by black numbered posts bearing park trail maps, and this
intersection is post #5. The option
going right leads to the top of Perrot Ridge, which offers another nice
Mississippi River view, but this hike turns sharply left to head for Brady’s
Bluff.
The trail
surface turns to mowed grass as the trail embarks on a fairly level course on
the side of Perrot Ridge. This trail
doubles as a cross-country ski trail in the winter, and partially obstructed
views up and down Perrot Ridge emerge.
At 0.7 miles, you reach post #10 and another trail intersection. The trail going right heads down the back
side of Perrot Ridge, so you need to turn left to continue our loop.
 |
| Hiking atop Brady's Bluff |
 |
| Shelter at Brady's Bluff |
At 1.2
miles, you emerge from the forest into Brady’s Bluff’s spectacular and breezy prairie. Turn left to reach the excellent stone/wood
CCC-built blufftop shelter. Looking out
from the shelter, the Mississippi River paints a long, wide streak from right
to left, and Trempealeau Mountain takes center stage below you to the
north. (Aside: the name Trempealeau
comes from a French phrase that translates “bathed in water,” a fitting name
because the mountain is surrounded by the confluence of the Trempealeau and
Mississippi Rivers.) Many islands, some
large and some small, dot the river, and the hills of Minnesota line the
opposite bank. Take some time to enjoy
this well-earned view and have a trail snack at the CCC shelter.
 |
| Trempealeau Mountain and view north |
 |
| View downstream from overlook |
When you
are ready to descend, continue east past the shelter. The descent down the sheer front side of
Brady’s Bluff starts very steep, but soon some stone steps and switchbacks ease
the grade. In total, the trail descends
470 vertical feet over 0.8 miles. This
trail was built by the CCC, as evidenced by the trail’s extensive stone stair
and switchback constructions that were absent on the trails you hiked earlier.
 |
| Sidehill trail in prairie |
The trail winds
downward through prairie, then forest, and then another small prairie before
reentering the forest for good. The
sidehill trail allows you to see just how sheer this bluff is. The park road soon comes within earshot
downhill to the right, and you cross a creek with a small waterfall just before
closing the loop. A short walk past the
historical marker returns you to the parking lot to complete the hike.
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