This week my wife and daughter joined me for a hike at Mosquito Hill Nature Center. With fresh snow on the ground and a brisk wind the walk was chilly. However it was a good day for a winter hike.
Key Features
- Interpretive Building: 11,000 sq ft with exhibits, displays, gift shop, and classrooms.
- Extensive Land: 441 acres bordering the Wolf River.
- Hiking Trails: Three miles of developed trails, including accessible paved options.
- Educational Programs: Nature programs for schools, youth, and adults.
- Natural Playscape: Outdoor play area for children.
- Gardens: Butterfly, pollinator, native plant, and rain gardens.
- Wildlife Viewing: Opportunities to see diverse wildlife and habitats.
- Recreational Activities: Hiking, snowshoeing, fishing, canoeing/kayaking.
- Special Events: Festivals, concerts, and workshops.
- Various Amenities: Picnic area, playground, restrooms, and more.
Review
As we started our walk I could see the tracks of other visitors who had braved the chilly weather to enjoy the day. Even though there was only about two inches of snow, I could tell from the shape of the tracks that one set of tracks was a snowshoer.
On this day we let our daughter pick the trail. Of course she wanted to walk up the hill. So we started walking up the trail on the southern side of Mosquito Hill Loop Trail. This is the steeper of the two trails. 246 feet up this hill on a brisk cold day and the effort kept us warm as we walked up.
At the top of the hill the trail performs loop around the plateau. All the way up the hill and around the loop there are small signs informing the visitors of local flora and fauna. On the west end of the hill is an overlook of New London and the Wolf River.
My daughter also found the fencing around the infamous Carnivorous Ash tree keeping it from attacking unwary hikers. We were not sure why there was fencing at the top of the hill and could not find a sign explaining the erection of this roughly square section of fence. A brief Google search after the hike did not answer the question.
On our hike we saw dozens of squirrels foraging for their hidden food cashes. We could hear birds chirping and flitting through the trees though the trees. Woodpeckers tapped on the trees looking for bugs. At the end of our walk I heard a hawk over the river but I could not find him to catch a picture.
The walk down we chose to take the alternative route wrapping around the hill to the north of the hill. It’s a more gradual hike however with the low angle of the sun in the winter this side of the hill is in shadow. Because of this the chill was worse and with the ease of the hill we quickened our pace to get back to our car.
We will have to come back to this site as we only walked one of the trails that day. There are multiple trails both paved and unpaved. Make sure to wear boots as either snow or mud can be expected on the unpaved trails. If you are not up for walking the trails you can visit the nature center.
Mosquito Hill Nature Center is located just east of New London off County Hwy S at the end of Rodgers Rd. Making this site just a half hour northwest of Appleton. As you are following Hwy 15 on your way to New London from Appleton you can see Mosquito Hill rising over the Wolf River to the north. If you’re looking for a short trip outside the Fox Valley for a walk this is a good option.
Please let me know if you plan a visit to Mosquito Hill in the comments. And thank you again for reading. Have a good hike.