Jun 20

The Prairie Enthusiasts: Celebrate the Prairies of the Driftless

Join The Prairie Enthusiasts for our first big summer event hosted by the Coulee Region Chapter! You can register for daytime activities on Saturday that includes lunch, hikes and workshops at various Coulee Region sites, and also a dinner and with a keynote speaker presentation at the Concordia Ballroom in La Crosse on Saturday night.

Concordia Ballroom
1129 La Crosse St, La Crosse, WI 54601
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Jun 20, 2025 06:00pm - Jun 22, 2025 12:00pm

$25.00 - $75.00

Day-Of Event Information

If you have any questions about the event or want further information, contact event organizer Jim Rogala at jrogala58@gmail.com. You can also text or call Jim on the day of the event if you have any issues meeting up with the group at (608) 799-6344.

It will be hot! Precipitation doesn’t look like it will be a problem for the hikes, but the predicted temperatures are a little concerning. We have a medical plan in place and a UTV available on site in case of an emergency. We will have one 5-gallon jug of cold water for refilling water bottles to make sure we have plenty of water and one 5-gallon jug of lemonade.

What to bring:

Clothing to be comfortable in the heat and sturdy walking shoes
Water bottle, sunscreen, bug spray, sunglasses, hat, hiking sticks, and anything else to be comfortable
Binoculars

Saturday Transportation:

There is very limited parking on-site during the Saturday Daytime Hikes.

For those taking the bus leaving from La Crosse, WI:

We will have a bus available to transport folks to all prairie sites. To catch the bus, meet at the Concordia Ballroom at 7:45 a.m. (MAP HERE). The bus will leave at 8:00 a.m. sharp, so plan accordingly.

For those NOT taking the bus from La Crosse, WI:

There is very limited parking onsite. Because of this, we ask that all folks who are not making use of the bus from La Crosse park their cars and meet at Sugar Creek Park by 8:45 a.m. (MAP HERE). The bus will stop at Sugar Creek Park to pick you up on the way to Rush Creek State Natural Area.

Bathrooms:

There will be two bathroom options available during the Saturday Daytime Hikes:

Porta potty at Rush Creek State Natural Area
Bathroom at Sugar Creek Park

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What to expect:

Experience the wonders of the Coulee Region bluff prairies

Learn about climate adaptation, land protection, restoration methods and more!

Meet friends both old and new who share a passion for these wonderful places

This event is open to and appropriate for both longtime Prairie Enthusiasts and those who are completely new to the field. It is family-friendly, and no prior knowledge is required.

Ticket Options:

There are two ticket options that can be grouped together or purchased separately depending on the experience you would like to have:

Daytime Hikes: Includes Saturday prairie tours, prairie workshops and presentations, and catered Saturday lunch. A bus will be available from La Crosse to the sites in Ferryville.
Saturday Dinner: Includes a catered dinner at the Concordia ballroom in La Crosse followed by a presentation given by Craig Thompson.

There will also be a meet and greet on Friday evening in La Crosse and a Sunday morning hike in the La Crosse blufflands that are free to attend.

Lodging Options:

Make a weekend out of this event! We recommend checking out the Explore La Crosse website for lodging options in the area.

What to bring:

-Appropriate clothing for being outdoors in June including sturdy walking shoes (and hiking sticks if you're so inclined)

-Water, sunscreen, bug spray, sunglasses, hat, and anything else to be comfortable

-Binoculars

Parking and Transportation Details:

We will have a bus available to transport folks from the Concordia Ballroom in La Crosse to sites on Saturday. Pick up will be Saturday morning and drop off will be late afternoon.

There is limited parking onsite. If you do not make use of the bus, please park at Sugar Creek Park where the bus will stop by to pick you up on the way to Rush Creek State Natural Area. After both the Rush Creek and Marowski site tours, the bus will return to Sugar Creek Park.

Other:

-Food: For our catered Saturday lunch and Saturday dinner, vegetarian options will be available. If you have dietary restrictions, please plan to bring your own food as we cannot guarantee the catered lunch and dinner will meet your needs.

Questions?

Contact Info@ThePrairieEnthusiasts.org.

Celebrate the Prairies of the Driftless Program

Rush Creek State Natural Area hike by Melinda Knutson

Rush Creek State Natural Area by Justin Nooker

Rush Creek hike by Melinda Knutson

View of Mississippi River from Rush Creek by Justin Nooker

Hixon Forest tour by Jon Rigden

Hixon Forest by Jon Rigden

Meet and Greet

Friday, June 20

5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Melinda Knutson's Home, Onalaska, WI

Casual get together for those wanting to catch up the evening before the main events. Come when you can! Enjoy views of Lake Onalaska and the Minnesota bluffs as evening approaches. We'll order pizza from nearby Red Pines Restaurant to accommodate whoever shows up. No registration required, but if you are coming, an email to Melinda at trilliumlax@gmail.com on Friday will help us to estimate numbers.

Saturday Activities

Saturday, June 21

7:45 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.

Concordia Ballroom, La Crosse, WI

Bus leaves Concordia Ballroom parking lot at 8:00 a.m. sharp! Drive is approximately 45 minutes.

9:00 a.m. to Noon

Rush Creek State Natural Area, Ferryville, WI

Hike through the restored woodlands to the top of the bluff prairie. The destination will be a high-quality bluff prairie with inspiring views of the Mississippi River. The hike is long (1.2 miles one way) but not a steep climb and along a logging road. The focus of this hike will be to highlight the Climate Adaption planning and habitat management that the WI-DNR has undergone at the site. An alternative hike will be directly onto the bottom of the bluff prairie for those looking for a shorter hike.

Rush Creek is unique for its rocky, steep terrain, playfully called "goat prairies," and is part of the most extensive dry prairie remnants left in Wisconsin. Plants found at Rush Creek include lead plant, little blue-stem, side-oats grama, silky aster, blazing star, wood betony, compass plant and bird's-foot violet. The spring-fed Rush Creek supports a diversity of trees, shrubs, rare plants and animals.

Rush Creek is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1981. We recommend watching this nine-minute video, "Weathering the Change: Climate Adaptation at Rush Creek," prior to our Saturday hike to see how conservationists are working together to protect plants and animals at Rush Creek from climate change. You can learn more about NRF's work at Rush Creek HERE.

Noon to 1:00 p.m.

South Pavillion in Sugar Creek Park, Ferryville, WI

Catered lunch and social time.

1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Marowski Bluff Prairie, Ferryville, WI

Explore this Prairie Enthusiasts-owned bluff prairie that's part of the archipelago of prairies strung across the areas south of Rush Creek. We’ll have talks about the archipelago, the story of the donor and protection of the site and have a cut/treat demo and methods comparison. We’ll access the prairie from on top and people can venture downslope as they desire.

3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Bus drives back to Concordia Ballroom parking lot.

4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Free time. Rest or explore the vibrant downtown La Crosse businesses. There is also a walking trail along the Mississippi River, accessed near the waterfront.

5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Concordia Ballroom, La Crosse, WI

Come socialize with fellow prairie people at the historic Concordia Ballroom. Built in 1891, the ballroom is a legacy of the early German immigrants to La Crosse.

Doors open at 5:00 p.m. Dinner (including gluten-free and vegetarian options) will be served at 6:00 p.m. Enjoy music by Prairie Smoke as you socialize. Craig Thompson will give a presentation titled "Building Lifeboats: The Power of The Prairie Enthusiasts" beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Sunday Activities

Sunday, June 22

9:00 a.m. to Noon

Hixon Forest Bluff Prairies, La Crosse, WI

Visit beautiful and threatened remnant bluff prairies in La Crosse’s Hixon Forest. The Coulee Region Chapter has collaborated and partnered with a local group, Friends of the Blufflands, to restore these prairies. Learn about Hixon Forest, the “Experimental Farm” that existed here from 1931 to 1962, a brief description of the geology of the the bluffs, and the restoration work on that has included eight bluff prairies that were fast disappearing but are now thriving and strung together in an archipelago providing much needed habitat. We will visit three of those prairies: Birch Point, Zoerb, and Lookout Prairies, all while soaking in spectacular views of the Mississippi River and the city of La Crosse. This will be about a 3-mile hike on trails with some steep areas on the prairies for those who wish to explore the sites.

Following the hike, people may choose to group together at a nearby restaurant for lunch before hitting the road.

The Prairie Enthusiasts is a volunteer-driven conservation organization with 12 local chapters in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois, dedicated to the perpetuation and recovery of prairies, oak savannas, and associated ecosystems of the Upper Midwest through protection, restoration, and education. This Summer Gathering Event is an extension of our popular online winter conference with an outdoor, in-person event focused on education and connecting people interested in stewardship of these beautiful and precious natural communities.

The Prairie Enthusiasts | 122 W. Jefferson St. P.O. Box 824 | Viroqua, WI 54665 US

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