High Cliff Spring Wildflower Show

Last week the weather was unbelievable, and the spring wildflower show just exploded in Central Wisconsin.

Cloud of Rue Anemone on forest floor

I stayed a night at High Cliff State Park, and even scored the Group Camp all to myself when I mentioned my asthma and my need to avoid campfires if possible.

I wasted no time getting out of my work clothes and getting out onto the trails.

The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and I felt like I could walk for hours.

Say "Sunshine"!

There was a small hitch though...somehow when I was rearranging things while packing my yoga pants and running shorts got left out of the bag.  Oh, well, as you might imagine that didn't stop me.  I had pajama pants packed which was better than hiking in dress trousers, right?

Pajama pants tucked in socks just in case but no ticks yet!

The park was crowded with folks out to get some exercise, but for some reason they were all on the paved road and not in the woods which has plenty of trails with most of them quite wide.

No matter, that meant I didn't have to worry about being in anyone's way as I crawled on the ground to get eye level with those stunning wildflowers.

 I don't think I've ever seen such thick groupings of Dutchman's Breeches before!  They do love a rocky slope in the woods so not a surprise to see them at High Cliff though.

I know my more recent posts mentioning High Cliff involved Halloween decorations, fireworks on the 4th of July and the mound effigys in the park, but the park is actually situated on the Niagara Escarpment high above Lake Winnebago and part of it also used to be a quarry.

Dicentra cucullaria

I never would have thought the first time that Wayne and I stayed here in 2010 that I would end up coming back again and again to see it at so many different times of year.

Erythronium americanum - Yellow Trout Lily

I even found clusters of Yellow Trout Lily, which I often have trouble catching in bloom. And the large Trillium in the campground were just starting their bloom as well.

The evening ended with a glorious sunset over Lake Winnebago, and not a single drop of rain!  Nearby was a large cluster of Purple Martin gourds so if you're a fan of them High Cliff is the place to come camping this summer before they leave in late August.