Trail Trek Challenge is a free year-round hike/walk program on the nature preserves you've helped protect in Wisconsin's Driftless Area. Challenge yourself to hike at least five of the 19 designated trails to discover nature's treasures and learn what makes these places so valuable for everyone who lives, works, and plays here.

COMPLETE THE CHALLENGE AND WE WILL SEND YOU A WATER BOTTLE STICKER to commemorate your accomplishment! Add the kids' names to your Trail Guide, and we will send one for each of the kids, too!

When you sign up, you'll receive a confirmation email with a link to your downloadable Trail Guide & Hike Log with hike descriptions and a place to record your hikes throughout the year. Downloadable trail maps, an interactive map, and driving directions to each hike location are available from the Nature Preserves section of our website. 

Registration kicks off at Earth Fair on April 27, 2025 with a guided marsh hike at Myrick part at 11am, and you can register at any time throughout the year.

Thank you to our sponsors, whose support helps us

• Protect trees, prairies, and clean water for plants, animals and YOU!
• Teach the value of nature through outdoor recreation and land restoration projects.
• Clear trails and provide free places for people to hike on over 7,000 acres in 9 counties.
• Inspire community members to unplug and spend more time outdoors.

2025-2026 Trail Trek Challenge Sponsors: J.F. Brennan Company, Organic Valley, Emplify Health at Gundersen,
Mayo Clinic Health System, Trust Point, People’s Food Cooperative, Altra Financial Advisors, Explore La Crosse, News 8 Now, 
Powered Printing-A Service of Dairyland Power Cooperative

SIGN UP

Tour #1 at 9:30 a.m is full. Please email [email protected] with your name, email and phone number to be added to our cancellation list.

Join us for guided cave tours at Kickapoo Caverns to learn about the beneficial role of bats and the importance of protecting their native habitat and Crawford County's karst geology. Kickapoo Caverns, an 83-acre nature preserve near Wauzeka, Wisconsin includes a large cave that serves as hibernation site for several bat species.

For protection of the cave and the safety of attendees, the tours will be limited in size and held at six scheduled times on July 12, 2025. The tours are part of the Conservancy’s Linked to the Land series of outdoor events sponsored by Olson Solar Energy with media support from WXOW / News 19.

Due to declining bat populations in North America in recent years, scientists have conducted research and helped to create public awareness of bats, their beneficial role in ecosystems around the world, and what can be done to protect them. Cave visitors at the scheduled tours will have an opportunity to learn more about bats and what can be done to protect them.

Many generous supporters have made it possible for the Conservancy to protect the property and to guide visitors through the its huge limestone cave. Home to four threatened bat species, the stunning limestone cave includes underground pools, a 40-foot-high cathedral-like chamber, and beautifully-colored stalactites. As winter home to several threatened bat species, the cave is available for tours only during a short period each summer when the bats are away from the cave.

ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED: 

Complete one registration form per participant. After sign-up (below), registrants will receive a confirmation email. The total time of each tour is just under an hour. Please plan ahead to arrive, park, and hike for 30 minutes before your tour start time. Someone will be at the entrance to the property to direct you for where to park when you arrive.

This is a rain or shine event, and temperatures can vary greatly from summer heat outdoors to 50 degrees inside the cave.

There is almost no cell phone reception at the Kickapoo Caverns property, so consider printing out your directions before you leave home. Please check your email in the morning before you leave just in case there is a last minute change with the tour.

PLEASE NOTE: Getting to the cave requires a 20-30 minute-long uphill hike that can be challenging on a hot summer day. Agility and stamina are also required for the cave tours that involve steep stairways and some passages with low overhead. NO WALKERS OR STROLLERS are allowed inside the cave.

Further details regarding times, accessibility, and certain restrictions may be found in the FAQ section below. Please read them carefully.

FAQs

Can anyone tour the cave?

The minimum age for cave tours is 7. All attendees under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. 

Agility and stamina are also required for the cave tours that involve steep stairways and some passages with low overhead. The cave tour can last for up to an hour, and the inside temperature of the cave is 50 degrees. There are no bats in the cave during the summer months. The cave tour is not recommended for those with claustrophobia.

What can I bring and wear to the cave tour?

This is a rain or shine event. The temperature in the cave averages 58 degrees Fahrenheit and cave tours last almost an hour, so bring a jacket or sweatshirt. We recommend safe walking or hiking shoes and clothing appropriate for hiking in a wooded area that may be hot and buggy (sandals not recommended). A full refillable water bottle is highly recommended. Waterproof shoes are a good option, as there are sometimes puddles in the cave. Footwear, clothing, and items that have been in other caves are not allowed in the cave at Kickapoo Caverns unless they have been thoroughly decontaminated with bleach. Cameras are allowed. Backpacks, handbags, wheels, walkers, hiking sticks, food and beverages are not allowed in the cave. If you bring those things, you may leave then in the cave entrance building while you are in the cave. Please put your name on personal belongings that you may want to leave in the cave entrance while on your tour.

Will there be bats in the cave?

There are no bats in the cave during summer months.

Are there bathrooms on the property?

There are men's and women's pit toilets in an outhouse at the top of the hill where we will gather prior to the tour.

(PHOTO: Participants tour the Kickapoo Caverns cave system during a 2023 Mississippi Valley Conservancy tour.)

This is a private, invite-only guided cave tour for local landowners at Kickapoo Caverns to learn about the beneficial role of bats and the importance of protecting their native habitat and Crawford County's karst geology. A password is required for registration from host organizers.

You are currently on the registration page for the private landowner Tour #7  at 12:30 p.m.

Join us for guided cave tours at Kickapoo Caverns to learn about the beneficial role of bats and the importance of protecting their native habitat and Crawford County's karst geology. Kickapoo Caverns, an 83-acre nature preserve near Wauzeka, Wisconsin includes a large cave that serves as hibernation site for several bat species.

For protection of the cave and the safety of attendees, the tours will be limited in size and held at six scheduled times on July 12, 2025. The tours are part of the Conservancy’s Linked to the Land series of outdoor events sponsored by Olson Solar Energy with media support from WXOW / News 19.

Due to declining bat populations in North America in recent years, scientists have conducted research and helped to create public awareness of bats, their beneficial role in ecosystems around the world, and what can be done to protect them. Cave visitors at the scheduled tours will have an opportunity to learn more about bats and what can be done to protect them.

Many generous supporters have made it possible for the Conservancy to protect the property and to guide visitors through the its huge limestone cave. Home to four threatened bat species, the stunning limestone cave includes underground pools, a 40-foot-high cathedral-like chamber, and beautifully-colored stalactites. As winter home to several threatened bat species, the cave is available for tours only during a short period each summer when the bats are away from the cave.

ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED (BELOW): 

Complete one registration form per participant. After sign-up (below), registrants will receive a confirmation email. The total time of each tour is just under an hour. Please plan ahead to arrive, park, and hike for 30 minutes before your tour start time. Someone will be at the entrance to the property to direct you for where to park when you arrive.

This is a rain or shine event, and temperatures can vary greatly from summer heat outdoors to 50 degrees inside the cave.

There is almost no cell phone reception at the Kickapoo Caverns property, so consider printing out your directions before you leave home. Please check your email in the morning before you leave just in case there is a last minute change with the tour.

PLEASE NOTE: Getting to the cave requires a 20-30 minute-long uphill hike that can be challenging on a hot summer day. Agility and stamina are also required for the cave tours that involve steep stairways and some passages with low overhead. NO WALKERS OR STROLLERS are allowed inside the cave.

Further details regarding times, accessibility, and certain restrictions may be found in the FAQ section below. Please read them carefully.

FAQs

Can anyone tour the cave?

The minimum age for cave tours is 7. All attendees under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. 

Agility and stamina are also required for the cave tours that involve steep stairways and some passages with low overhead. The cave tour can last for up to an hour, and the inside temperature of the cave is 50 degrees. There are no bats in the cave during the summer months. The cave tour is not recommended for those with claustrophobia.

What can I bring and wear to the cave tour?

This is a rain or shine event. The temperature in the cave averages 58 degrees Fahrenheit and cave tours last almost an hour, so bring a jacket or sweatshirt. We recommend safe walking or hiking shoes and clothing appropriate for hiking in a wooded area that may be hot and buggy (sandals not recommended). A full refillable water bottle is highly recommended. Waterproof shoes are a good option, as there are sometimes puddles in the cave. Footwear, clothing, and items that have been in other caves are not allowed in the cave at Kickapoo Caverns unless they have been thoroughly decontaminated with bleach. Cameras are allowed. Backpacks, handbags, wheels, walkers, hiking sticks, food and beverages are not allowed in the cave. If you bring those things, you may leave then in the cave entrance building while you are in the cave. Please put your name on personal belongings that you may want to leave in the cave entrance while on your tour.

Will there be bats in the cave?

There are no bats in the cave during summer months.

Are there bathrooms on the property?

There are men's and women's pit toilets in an outhouse at the top of the hill where we will gather prior to the tour.

(PHOTO: Participants tour the Kickapoo Caverns cave system during a 2023 Mississippi Valley Conservancy tour.)

REGISTER AT BOTTOM OF PAGE

Your local grasslands experience...

Mark your calendar and join us on a guided hike for a rare glimpse of the rolling grassland and wildflowers that once carpeted much of this area. This free hike at New Amsterdam Grasslands is offered to the public by Mississippi Valley Conservancy and is sponsored by Olson Solar Energy and News 19. The Prairie Walk and Talk will be held Saturday, August 9, 2025 from 10 a.m. until noon at New Amsterdam Grasslands.

Hike guide, Pat Caffrey, will identify native grasses and flowers and show where prairie restoration efforts have created more habitat for pollinators such as butterflies and bees. Pat, one of the original founders of the Conservancy, has played a key role in protecting New Amsterdam Grasslands and will be able to answer all of your questions about this unique property.

New Amsterdam Grasslands includes 310-acres of scenic remnant prairie, a rare glimpse into the rolling grasslands that were prevalent throughout the area 200 years ago. The property is a boon for native plant, bird, and butterfly enthusiasts. Plant species include big and little bluestem, ironweed, blue vervain, bergamot, wild lupine, white indigo, amethyst shooting star, bird’s-foot violet and many more. You will learn the story of the grassland birds, including bobolinks and eastern meadowlarks, who call this space home as you walk the path with your guide.

What to bring and wear...

• Print out the property brochure and map ahead of time to be sure you know where to go.
• Consider loading the free Merlin app on your phone to help you identify birds by sound.
• Wear good walking shoes, and consider spraying your shoes and pants for ticks ahead of time.
• Binoculars and a walking stick are optional items you may wish to bring along.

The meet-up is at the Rotterdam Avenue gate at 9:45 a.m.  
ANY UPDATES OR CANCELATIONS WILL SENT BY EMAIL THE DAY BEFORE OR OF THE EVENT.

Please register by August 6th so we can plan for the event.