Its been a while since Jackie, Kathy and myself had an outside adventure. We decided it was time to enjoy the 70 degree weather by hiking somewhere. Retzler Nature Center is located in Waukesha and was the destination we settled on. I checked the Retzler Nature Center website, and found only vague information. It was mentioned that there are hiking paths at the center, but not much else was described. There is also a planetarium at the center and it's a hot spot for elementary school field trips. The center is very easy to find, and well marked. We found a bench, ate our lunch then checked out the map at the site.
Quite a few paths were indicated, we decided to start with the Red Nature Trail and it turned into a path that worked its way around the whole area. There were a few hills but nothing challenging. The whole area was mostly prairie land but did have a nice overlook of the countryside. In no time we were back where we started and decided to follow the Blue Prairie Pond Trail.
We came upon a coral of snowshoes which means during the winter they must rent them out for hiking. Sounds like fun, another idea for a future blog!
At the pond we found a lot of frogs, but I would hardly call them active. Actually they seemed like they were still in a hibernating trance.
The tadpoles were active though, swimming in pools along the shoreline.
Overall, I would rate this hike just average, a 5 out of 10. The topography was pretty much the same everywhere. Easy walking as its mainly a large prairie with some trees here and there.
I believe this Nature Center is more geared towards teaching school kids about prairie life and the environment as it had a large display on composting and compost bins. The whole area was extremely clean, and there is no parking fee. Entrance fee for the Planetarium for the general public is $4.00. Retzler Nature Center is located off Hwy 18 (Summit) then south on Madison Street/Co Hwy T, watch for Retzler Nature Center sign.
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