Hiking Hemlock Curve Nature Trail Near Peshtigo, Wisconsin

 

After visiting Marinette, Wisconsin and Seagull Bar State Natural Area, we wandered to the Hemlock Curve Nature Trail near Peshtigo. Hemlock Curve Nature Trail is part of the larger Peshtigo Harbor Wildlife Area and represents one of the trails created as part of a partnership between the Marinette County Land  & Water Conservation, UW-Extension and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources that was funded by the Wisconsin Coastal Management Project. We had this trail to ourselves so it was an entirely soothing experience surrounded by nature.

A grassy trail heads through the woodlands.

An Easy Looped Trail Through Woodlands

The trail is a fairly easy, flat trail and consists of two adjacent loops. You can either take the longer outer loop or take a cut-through forging a shorter loop. The longer loop is about 2.4 miles. So, this is a nice little adventure to add to your trip to the area.

A dense woodland beckoned us forward.

A dense woodland greeted us when we arrived. At the head of the trail, we checked out a map before embarking. Immediately, we observed a wealth of birds within the preserve. This is a noted birding area and we quickly learned why as we heard and saw many birds on our adventure. We also appreciated the shade of the trees since we had been out in the sun quite a bit earlier. 

A peek at the Peshtigo River through the trees as
the sun dances on the water surface.

Pausing to Enjoy the Peshtigo River

Eventually, we began walking along the Peshtigo River. We basked in quite a beautiful, tranquil view. Our enjoyment was enhanced by the fact that we were all alone on the trail. Entire peace. We also spotted a graceful egret. 

Golden hour highlights the Peshtigo River with a special golden kiss from the sun.
Trees surround the river with jubilant greens along the Hemlock Curve Nature Trail.

For a while, the trail traced the bends of the Peshtigo River. The river is pretty snake-like in this area in fact, displaying quite a few bends before reaching Green Bay. We hiked on a late summer afternoon, so we benefitted from the extra golden kiss of sun waiting to set. 

Lobelia flowers delighted us along the  Hemlock Curve Nature Trail.

As we headed back to the head of the trail, we spotted woodland wildflowers. The wildflowers provided a sweet little cap to our afternoon hike.

Finding the head of the trail is a bit tricky. The head is on Badger Road which is easy to miss. We ended up driving right past Badger Road on our first attempt to find the trail. However, we enjoyed some nice river views on this extended, round-about drive and even ended up at Peshtigo Harbor on Green Bay. So, not truly a loss! While it wasn't too buggy during our visit. this trail can be buggy. Watch out for mosquitoes and ticks. In winter, adventurers like to use the trail for snowshoeing.