Hiking the Lower Yahara River Trail

There's a new trail in town and I like it. It includes the longest inland boardwalk bridge constructed solely for non-motorized transportation in North America!



The Lower Yahara River Trail links my community, McFarland, with a trail system that links and loops around the greater Madison area, in a series of other trails.



I've highlighted the newest sections of the trail in green on this map. As you can see, it transverses a narrow strip of land between Upper Mud Lake and Lake Waubesa. In the past, we'd need to travel much farther, and through heavy traffic, to get to the parks across the lake. This new trail provides an easy, pleasant hike and access to the prairies and parks on the other side.

It's also open to bikers, joggers, and skaters. I realized later that I should have included more pictures of people in this post, because the trail was busy both times I've hiked it. The photos shown here were taken on two dates--during a dry, hot day in September and a recent warm, lush day in October.



Some trees had already lost their leaves in September because of a mini-drought with several days in the 90sF/30sC.



It was still pleasant on the dry, hot day, in spite of the difficult growing conditions.



But much more pleasant and peaceful after sufficient rain.



The trail parallels a long-established stretch of railroad.



Sections along the way provide bike racks and plenty of room for people to pause, park, and enjoy the scenery.



The clouds, the lake, and the shadows are mesmerizing.



Looking across to the railroad bridge, this is the point along the trail where Upper Mud Lake connects with Lake Waubesa. It's a popular fishing and boating spot.



Beyond the boardwalk, the trail connects with a particular area of Lake Farm County Park I'd never seen before--an area I'm planning to explore more fully next spring and summer. It's a beautiful loop of trails through prairie and woodland-opening habitat.



During my October hike, I saw several Common Buckeye butterflies.



Most of the forbs and grasses were dried up because of the September drought, but the framing of the colorful fall foliage made for pretty contrasts.















A few Brown-Eyed Susans (R. triloba) and Thistles (Cirsium spp.) were among the scant plants still blooming in October.





After exploring the prairie and the woodland for a bit, I headed back to the boardwalk, with similar lovely views on the return trip.







A few people were fishing.



Others were kiteboarding/surfing on the lake.



A beautiful red-tailed hawk swooped down over the lake, across the boardwalk, and into a tree in my sight line. It paused long enough for me to capture a few candids. Such a regal bird!

It's wonderful to have a new trail to explore so close to home. This new area is within easy walking/biking distance of home, and it opens up new paths of discovery. Enjoy this video, showing aerial and surface views of the trail: