Loop The Little Lake 2026 03

This week we were looking for a hike on paved or boardwalk trail that was close. So we decided to visit the Loop the Little Lake.

If you have not read my previous posts about this trail you can find them below:

• https://eggers-photography.com/loop-the-little-lake-2025-08/
• https://eggers-photography.com/loop-the-little-lake/

So after church today we drove to the Fritse Park parking lot to start our hike. We decided to hike on a Sunday instead of our usual Saturday hike because yesterday was very cloudy and dark. Which would not provide great pictures.

Today started out mostly cloudy and threatened to be a challenge for photos as well. Soon however the consistent wind would blow the clouds to the east.

The trail was busy today, so much so that we figured people were happy for the nice weather. We grabbed my camera, locked the car, and started to cross the trestle bridge.

The wind whistled through the cables in the railings of the bridge as we crossed. Small waves rolled under the bridge as we crossed.

About halfway across the trestle, my wife received a call. Our oldest daughter wanted to join us on our hike. So we returned to Fritse Park and wandered around the Rydell Conservancy for a little bit while we waited for her.

Little Lake Butte Des Morts was mostly ice free but the little ponds in the conservancy were still covered in ice. During our wandering it briefly started to sprinkle. I hid my camera under my hoody to protect it for the short shower.

Soon enough our daughter arrived. We met up and started across the bridge again. As we walked my wife and daughter talked about their week and I searched for good shots with my camera.

We approached the Menasha side of the bridge and the bay to the north of the bridge was frozen. Sea Gulls sat on the ice resting. The trill of Red-winged Black Birds announced their return to the area.

As we started to cross the second bridge from Menasha to Doty Island and what I mistakenly thought was a rock in the river raised its head. A swan was swimming with two geese.

After I took a few shots of the swan we finished crossing the bridge. On Doty Island we hooked around the water treatment plant and started walking toward the bridge to downtown Neenah.

Approaching Cook Park we looked to the top of the old tree in the center of the park. In this tree is an eagles nest and every time we walk this trail we take time to see if there is an eagle near by.

There is also a nest in one of the trees close by which I’ve taken pictures of eagles near in the past. But I have never seen an eagle in the Cook Park tree. Today though an eagle was perched in the Cook Park tree.

We spent a few minutes taking pictures as we walked by the park. Other photographers were there in the park taking pictures as well. We turned onto the bridge and left Doty Island.

We checked the nest over the water and it looked empty. Just a flock of cormorants hanging out on a fallen tree in the mouth of the river.

We continued on to Arrowhead Park. This open park on the south side of Lake Butte Des Morts brought back the wind. Where the trees along the east side of the lake blocked some of the wind. But the clouds had pushed east and allowed the sun to warm us on the rest of the walk.

In Arrowhead park I snapped my first picture of the year of a killdeer and a robin. Leaving the park we crossed the final bridge of the hike, over the Neenah Slough. We connected up with the sidewalk along N Lake St and returned to our cars.

It was a nice day and good to get a nice long hike. These trails will continue to be one of our go to hikes, and I’m sure I’ll write about it again.

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