1000 Islands Environmental Center - Kaukauna

1000 Islands
Originally uploaded by WheretogoWisconsin

Kaukauna (Outagamie Cty)

The title of this really should be 'Looking for those #@$%! Pelicans' and my search has taken me to KAK-Kawna. I have to laugh when I say that town's name; sounds like someone's choking. Who knows what the town's real name was.

Anyhoo....the Fox River has overrun her banks as you can clearly see at the 1000 Islands Environmental Center due to last weeks storm, the very same storm that days before ripped through a boy scout camp in Iowa. The riverbank trails are the wooded plank type (seen in other pics), and several of those trails were blocked off.

Unfortunately, that barricade didn't stop me, though I have no real desire to gamble my life I couldn't help but try see why the trail was closed. If it didn't stop me imagine a couple of kids or drunken college students.

My review of this park was somewhat handicapped due to the amount of mud I had to navigate when hiking the upper woods portion of the park, which lie across the highway. However, there was much more activity on the main section, experiences which have imprinted itself upon my memory of this place. Like this fawn, for instance. He/she scampered towards me, bleating. I could go on, explaining every detail, but I grieve that it will not be able to convey the wonder I felt. It was a rare occurrance and I believed I was honored by its grace.

HOW TO FIND: The nature center is found on Dodge Street, tucked between the baseball and football park. The easiest way to take Hwy 41 North all the way round Appleton, Little Chute, to Cty J exit. You are coming into Kaukauna from the north on Hwy 55 and this will turn into Lawe, which you will follow into town, over the bridge and when you see Dodge, turn Left and watch for the sports park. You can also come up from Hwy 57, taking Cty Hwy Z west, which turns into Dodge in Kaukauna. Easy Peazy.

What to expect: A better review. Frankly I did not stay long enough to go into the nature center itself. This park has some nice winding trails along the Fox River. There are connecting trails from the main section to the upper wooded one. There is an eagle's nest there somewhere.

Oh, and there's Pelicans.