On the map, the Eagle Trail at Peninsula State Park in Door County Wisconsin looks like a short loop of little consequence.  But, this rugged and challenging trail is nothing short of an adventure.  For those of you locked in weekly office politics and paper pushing, the Eagle Trail offers a fantastic opportunity to escape.

The trail itself is only 2 miles long but the adventure starts within minutes as you begin to wind your way along rocky outcroppings, steep cliffs and quiet pine needle trails down to the Eagle Harbor shore.  When I first hiked this trail, I planned to take just 1 hour.  However, because of the rugged terrain, you should plan at least 2 hours to hike and up to 3 hours if you stop to explore the caves, Eagle Terrace, numerous geological formations, 500-year-old cedars and animal hideouts along the path.

Halfway, you will find yourself hiking along a narrow rocky path between the quiet shores of Eagle Harbor, a large bay fed by Lake Michigan, and along sheer cliffs that jut 150 feet skyward.  This is the perfect opportunity to have a snack, explore a few caves, and watch sail boats pass by in the distance.  If you are lucky, you may see an eagle skimming the surface of Eagle Harbor, catching a meal and then taking refuge among the rocky outcroppings of the Eagle Bluff cliffs.  The second half of the trail will provide a great workout as you ascend the rocky terrain to the top of the bluff overlooking Eagle Harbor.  Depending on which end you start from, you can spend some time on the Eagle Terrace, a large terrace cut out of the cliffs by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.  In the end, the Eagle Trail will leave you satisfied, both mentally and physically.

The trail is well marked, but it can be treacherous after rainfall.  I recommend bringing plenty of water, a snack, first aid kit, cell phone, sturdy hiking boots and several layers of clothing.  You will build up a sweat on the ascent back to the top of the bluff, but the weather can get chilly among the tall pine trees and along the Eagle Harbor shore.

Related posts:

1. Mt. Diablo State Park camping review
2. Best State Trails 2008: Florida
3. World’s most dangerous hiking trail
4. Hiking the Arizona Trail
5. Hiking the entire Pinhoti trail in sections

Tags: wisconsin

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 at 8:56 am and is filed under hiking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.