Newton Blackmour State Trail Part 1

This week my wife and I decided to take a walk on a trail we had seen in Shiocton Wisconsin. We ended up hiking a little farther than we expected. However we saw some amazing things.

Key Features

• Twenty Two Mile Trail: Stretching from New London WI to Seymour WI
• Diverse Scenery: The trail traverses a variety of landscapes, including forests, wetlands, and prairies.
• Multi-Use Trail: Suitable for hiking, biking, and other recreational activities like walking and jogging.
• Wildlife and Nature Observation: Opportunities for wildlife viewing and appreciating the natural environment.
• Outdoor Recreation and Exercise: Provides a space for physical activity and enjoying the outdoors.
• Seasonal Experiences: Offers unique experiences throughout the year as the landscape changes.

Review

When looking at this trail I saw a parking lot at the Mack State Wildlife Area. I planned to park at that parking lot and then walk west toward Shiocton and the Wolf River, returning on the same route. However I did not plan properly for the distance. Unfortunately that means that we ended up walking 9 miles and were not properly prepared for the distance.

The Newton Blackmour State Trail is an old rail line running between New London and Seymour. The trail surface is made of crushed gravel. The old rail road bridges have been refurbished to cross the Wolf River. The terrain is not hard but the distance between points can be a challenge.

As I looked at the route we planned to walk from the Mack Wildlife Area through Shiocton to the Wolf River. Once there we would hook up past Veterans Park on the corner of Hwy 54 and Old 54 Rd. Swinging back into Shiocton to stop at one of the gas stations for a break, before walking back to the trail and returning to our car.

This route seemed simple enough. And I reminded my wife that if she thought we should cut the route short we could return to our car at any point. We completed the route anyway, much to the chagrin of our wearied legs. And thanks to hiking boots I purchased larger than normal for colder weather and thin socks I earned myself a substantial blister on my foot for a souvenir.

The night before our walk, rain washed out all of the foot, paw, and hoof prints. As we walked we watched for new prints and the section of trail between Herman and Puls road was free of prints. One hiker walked half way down this path as we traveled.

We kept our eyes open for animals as we walked. Seeing chickadees and other birds as we walked we eventually notice a bald eagle soaring over our heads. Unfortunately the eagle would not come close enough for a clear picture. The cardinals however paced us as we walked.

Gun shots rung out in the distance as the section of trail between Puls Rd and hwy 76 runs parallel to the Shiocton gun range. As we started along this section of the trail we started to see deer hoof prints. As you get close to the gun range there are signs indicating that you are close to it. The gun range is part of the Shiocton Lake Park which connects to the trail with a bridge over the canals that run along both sides of the trail. After passing the park, houses and apartments start to pop up near the trail.

Crossing Hwy 76 the trail continues to the Wolf River. Here the old rail road bridge was modified for walking and biking. However its here that I started to notice the trail is used for snowmobile traffic as well. There are rubber mats along this bridge designed to protect the wooden platform of the bridge from the metal on the snowmobile tracks.

We turned north at Old 54 Rd walking to Veterans Park. Built at the intersection of Hwy 54 and Old 54 Rd the Wolf River bends at this park and lake sturgeon from Winnebago, Butte Des Morte, and Poygan Lakes are often seen spawning during the early spring. Today we saw our second Bald Eagle but again it did not want to present itself for a photo.

There is a black top trail that leads along the river bend here but it does not directly connect to the Newton Blackmour trail or the sidewalks of Shiocton. So we have to risk walking on the roads briefly. We stopped at one of the gas stations on Hwy 54 in Shiocton to use the restroom and grab a couple snacks for energy.

We then returned to the Newton Blackmour Trail at Hwy 76. At a picnic table near Hwy 76 we sat to eat our snacks and enjoy the day. Starting our walk was very overcast threatening to rain. By this time however the sun was starting to peak through the clouds. Munching on jerky and trail mix we contemplated the return trip. We were at the end of our energy and still had a 3 mile hike to go.

Eventually we packed up and started back to our car. Two red tail hawks streaked past the trail and again I was unable to get a good photo. Rifle and hand gun fire could be heard again as we walked past the gun range again. Past the gun range the cardinals joined us til we got to Puls Rd.

After we crossed Puls Rd though we started to see something that was not on the path earlier. Evidence of deer having walked on the path after we had could be seen. Soon we saw something else. Canine paw prints marked the trail. These canine prints did not have corresponding human prints.

After examining and photographing one of the best prints we were sure that these were wolf tracks. Laying my pocket knife which measured 4.8″ long for size reference the print was at least 5″ long. Either this print was from a very large dog or it was a wolf print. Later at home we confirmed this had to be a wolf print and it had come through after we had earlier in the day.

We finished our walk happy to see the car and ready to get home. This was an eventful walk. While it was longer than we had anticipated we soldiered through and had a good experience. The base trail of Newton Blackmour is rather straight but the wildlife and scenes along the trail make the experience. While parking at Shiocton Lake Park may have made the hike easier that day we would not have seen some of the things we saw.

Please let me know in the comments if you plan to walk this trail or have in the past. And thank you once again for reading my blog.