Mill Bluff State Park: Camel's Bluff Trail (Blog Hike #702)

Trail: Camel’s Bluff Trail

Hike Location: Mill Bluff State Park

Geographic Location: southeast of Tomah, WI (43.95071, -90.31899)

Length: 1.25 miles

Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)

Date Hiked: July 2018

Overview: A circumnavigation of Camel’s Bluff.

Park Information: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/millbluff

Hike Route Map: http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=706661
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: Southeast of Tomah, take US 12 to Funnel Road; this intersection is located 3.5 miles east of I-90/94 exit 48 or 3.1 miles west of I-90/94 exit 55.  Go north on Funnel Rd.  Cross over/under I-90/94 to reach the signed pull-out parking area for the Camel’s Bluff Trail on the right in 0.8 miles.  Be careful not to block the vehicle gate at the rear of the pull-out when you park.

The hike: Several of my hiking trips have taken me across I-90/94 through central Wisconsin, and every time I wondered about the tall, cliff-sided, flat-topped rock outcrops on either side of the interstate between exits 48 and 55.  Finally, on my way to Montana in July 2018, I decided to stop and check out the rock outcrops.  I learned that the rock outcrops were formed when outflow from glacial Lake Wisconsin washed away surrounding sediment at the end of the last ice age, and they constitute the centerpiece of Mill Bluff State Park.

            Established in 1936, Mill Bluff State Park protects 1337 acres on and around the aforementioned rock outcrops.  The park features a swimming area, 2 picnic areas, and a 21-site campground, but the park’s most popular feature is the 223 stone steps that lead to the top of the park’s namesake bluff.  The steps were built by the depression-era Works Progress Administration, and they lead to a nice north-facing viewpoint.

            For hikers who want more of a hike than just climbing the stone steps, the park also offers the 1.25 mile Camel’s Bluff Trail described here.  Camel’s Bluff and Mill Bluff are on opposite sides of I-90/94, so you will have to drive to the Camel’s Bluff Trail trailhead after climbing the steps up Mill Bluff.  The Camel’s Bluff Trail offers no views, but it offers a gently rolling hike through the woods and prairies at the base of Camel’s Bluff.

Vehicle gate at pull-out parking area

            Start by walking around the red metal vehicle gate and walking back the two-track entrance trail.  In only a few hundred feet, the trail forks to form its loop; a bench sits at this intersection.  For no reason, I chose to angle right and use the trail going left as my return route, thus hiking the loop counterclockwise.

Hiking through forest

            Heading first east and then north, the trail narrows to a wide single-track course as it descends gradually through a mixed pine and broadleaf forest.  Side trails exit left and right, but the widest main trail is easily identifiable even though all trails are unmarked.  The area is somewhat damp, and the bugs were terrible here on my late July visit.  On the bright side, my approach scared a couple of deer off the trail and into the woods.

Rounding Camel's Bluff

            Just past 0.5 miles, the trail curves left to exit the forest and enter a small prairie.  This section of trail lies the furthest from I-90/94, so the interstate noise that has been ever-present thus far lessens somewhat here.  The trail curves left and climbs on a gradual to moderate grade.  At 0.9 miles, you reach the trail’s highest elevation as you round the north end of Camel’s Bluff, which sits through the trees to your left.  Shortly thereafter you close the loop, and a short walk down the entrance trail returns you to your car to complete the hike.