Outdoor Wisconsin - A Few Photos Left Behind

Here are a few odds and ends I photographed around Wisconsin this fall that I forgot to publish!

October came and went quickly in Wisconsin, but I had a few chances to enjoy the outdoors.

dunes at Kohler Andrae

I stayed overnight at Kohler Andrae State Park where I could walk down to the beach from my campsite.

view of the beach at Kohler Andrae

Early in the month I caught some fall color up at Dorchester city park in northern Wisconsin's lovely Marathon County.

my campsite under the trees

I even popped onto the North Country Trail for half an hour a little further along in the tiny town of Mellen.

Mellen is one of those towns that is so small their City Hall, police department and museum is all in one small building!

High Cliff State Park was peaceful and the deer just eyed me as I walked by but wasn't alarmed.

The park has Indian mounds along its trail system, though the shapes are better discerned from above.

A new discovery was the site for Maribel Caves Hotel. The hotel was built by Austrian immigrant Charles Steinbrecker in 1900 and was originally named after the nearby Maribel limestone caves. Tourists came to see the caves and the hotel had spring water pumped to it for spa bathing. If I had known more I would have stopped at Maribel Caves Park where a series of trails lead to caves and crevices to explore.  Some of the caves are gated and can only be seen on a guided tour. Public cave tours for the 2018 season will be every 3rd Sunday of the month May-October from 10am-3pm.

The hotel was destroyed originally by fire and the land is now in possession of the county since the 1960's. It was in much better shape before 2013 when it was hit by a tornado.  To see a photo of it in 2012 click here.