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Things to Do at Crex |
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We NOW HAVE A
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WILDLIFE WATCHING GETTING AROUND BY VEHICLE HUNTING AND TRAPPING PRAIRIE WILDFLOWERS GUIDED TOURS AND TALKS BITING INSECTS AND TICKS HIKING AND CROSS COUNTY SKIING REST AREA SHARP-TAIL GROUSE BLINDS SPRING BIRDING FESTIVAL WILDLIFE EDUCATION & VISITOR CENTER FALL WILDLIFE FESTIVAL
Crex Meadows is one of the premier wildlife viewing places in Wisconsin and most visitors come just for that reason! It is one of 76 sites included in the Wisconsin Wildlife Viewing Guide and is marked with special signs to lead visitors here. The extensive road system, including eighteen miles of dike roads, offers excellent access and great vantage points for wildlife viewing. More than 270 species of birds plus many species of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians can be seen on the property. The best time to view wildlife is at dawn and dusk. Wildlife is generally more active and there is less traffic and other disturbance at these times. Wildlife is everywhere so take your time along your journey and see all that you can. Wildlife is most abundant in spring (April-May) and fall (Sept.-Oct.) when large numbers of migrating birds stop at Crex to feed and rest. Spring offers the largest diversity of species and fall is best for sheer abundance for wildlife.
Wildlife viewing is also possible at Fish Lake Wildlife Area and Amsterdam Sloughs. Maps may be obtained at the Crex Meadows Wildlife Education and Visitor Center and on the Map Page within this website. All of Crex Meadows, except for the refuge (see map of Crex Meadows), Fish Lake, and Amsterdam Sloughs Wildlife Areas are open to the public for hunting and trapping. The seasons and bag limits can be found in the Wisconsin hunting and trapping regulations. All of Crex is closed to Canada goose hunting. Crex is included in the Burnett County Goose Management subzone, all of which is closed to Canada goose hunting. A map of the subzone is found in the Wisconsin Waterfowl regulations. Crex offers some of the best deer, bear, and waterfowl hunting in Wisconsin. Guided tours of Crex are available to organized groups (e.g. schools, clubs, organizations) upon request. Visitors will learn about the history and management of this unique area. Plenty of time is allowed for viewing and discussing plants and wildlife. Tours generally last one to two hours.
Slide talks are presented on and off the property. The standard program covers the history and management of the property but other topics (e.g. waterfowl, wildflowers, sharp-tailed grouse) are also available. Tours and talks can be arranged by contacting us by phone. Contact the Wildlife Educators at 715-463-2739 for more information. HIKING AND CROSS COUNTY SKIING For a more intimate experience with the property, you may enjoy exploring on foot. Foot travel is allowed anywhere but on the refuge (see Crex Meadows map). Remember to "tread lightly". While driving through Crex you will notice "Hunter Walking Trail" signs. These signs identify trails which are open to foot traffic only. Trails consist of old logging trails, firebreaks, and maintenance trails for dike and water control structures. Most of them are well maintained.
The Hay Creek
trail begins directly behind the Visitor Center and is approximately 1.5 miles long and winds through a
forested area to the Hay Creek Flowage. An observation platform
is located on the south shore of the flowage. From this view
you may see ducks, geese, herons, and osprey which sometimes
nest on the osprey platform on the east end of the flowage. The Upper Phantom Trail contains four loops totaling 3.7 miles. The loops are color coded and a map of the trail system is located at the parking lot on East Refuge Road. It is best to contact us ahead to see if trails have been groomed and conditions are good for skiing. Hiking and skiing are also available at Governor Knowles State Forest, just outside of Grantsburg.
Few people
have witnessed the elaborate, timeless display
Once you have made your reservation, we will send you the direction for finding and using your blind. It is extremely important to be in your blind by the time listed on your reservation form.
WILDLIFE EDUCATION & VISITOR CENTER Every trip to Crex Meadows should include a stop at the Crex Meadows Wildlife Education and Visitor Center first! Here you can pick up pamphlets, get answers to your questions, view the displays, and get current details on the best places to go and the variety of things to see.
The Center is staffed by volunteers on weekends from April through October from 10 am to 4 pm. During the week the Center is generally open from 8 am to 4:30 pm. Pamphlets are always available from the rack outside the Center.
One of the
reasons Crex is popular is because of the excellent access it
provides visitors. More than forty miles of township roads wind
through the interior of the property. A few roads are just
sand, but most are gravel or paved. The gravel and paved roads
are well maintained and suitable for all passenger vehicles.
The sandy roads, Kylingstad Road in particular, may There are also several miles of trails open to licensed vehicles. These trails are marked by routed signs. Most are two-rut, sand trails which end at parking lots. Use caution on trails, they are narrow and may be muddy and rutted. The self-guided auto tour route is a nice way to go if you are new to Crex. A pamphlet is available at the Visitor Center or on our website - Here is the link. It brings you through a wide variety of habitat past most of the must-see spots in the Wildlife Area.
The spring
display of prairie flowers can be spectacular. Entire hillsides
may be covered with brightly colored bird's-foot violet, lupine,
and prairie phlox. The colors change continuously throughout
the summer and fall as one species fades and another blooms. At the time of settlement nearly 1/3 of Wisconsin, approximately twelve million acres, was covered by prairie type plant communities. Almost all of it is now gone. It's no wonder that very few people are familiar with prairie plants. Crex offers a great opportunity to observe and study these little known plants. More than two hundred species of prairie plants are found on the property. WHERE TO FIND PRAIRIE FLOWERS Prairie flowers are found throughout the seven thousand acres of restored brush-prairie habitat on Crex. Most of the brush-prairie is located on the northern half of the property. The area in and around the refuge is almost all brush-prairie and an excellent area to view prairie flowers. Take time for a stroll through the prairie. Investigate the flowers and tall, flowing grasses which few people see. Feel what it must have been like to visit the area two hundred years ago when prairie dominated the landscape. Treat the plants with respect and leave them for others to enjoy. A Crex plant list is available on request at the Wildlife Education Center. Wildflower ID guides are extremely useful, and locally appropriate ones can be purchased at the Wildlife Education Center or any good bookstore.
Crex is well populated by biting insects. Mosquitoes and deer flies can be very bothersome during the summer. Insect repellents are effective against mosquitoes but headnets and gloves are needed to ward off deer flies. Ticks, including the bear or deer tick which carry Lymes' disease, are common throughout the forested areas but are much less common in the open areas. The common wood tick is most abundant from snow melt until mid summer. The bear or deer tick is most abundant during cool weather in spring and fall. Look below for tips on identifying these two species.
(This Identification Card is Not To Scale)
The rest area on North Refuge Road is a great place to have lunch or just stop for a break. It occupies a hillside overlooking Riesinger Lake and the vast Crex Refuge. Geese, sandhill cranes and deer are often seen from this vantage point. Picnic tables, benches, fire grates, grills, drinking water and pit toilets are available for you use.
Camping is permitted at the rest area from September through December. This is the only place on Crex where camping is permitted. Tents may be placed on the lawn and camping vehicles may be parked in the corners of the parking lots. Camping is free but campers must register at the Visitor Center or at the self registration station. One of the biggest attractions at Crex Meadows is the excellent birding opportunities. Over 270 species of birds have been identified within the properties, and spring and fall migrations are spectacular. In honor of the birds, we host a birding festival each May which includes several bus tours, walking tours and an "early-bird special" tour. More information can be found on our events page.
The Crex
Meadows Fall Wildlife Festival is held each fall in early
October. This event attracts several hundred people each
year and coincides with the peak migration of eagles, geese,
ducks, and sandhill cranes. It is designed to acquaint the
general public with the wildlife and wildlife management
activities of the area. More information about the Wildlife Festival may be found on our events page (late summer and fall) and at the Wildlife Festival page.
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***This website is brought to you by the Friends of Crex, a non-profit organization dedicated to SUPPORTING WILDLIFE AND WILDLIFE EDUCATION at the crex meadows complex*** FRIENDS OF CREX, INC. 102 EAST CREX AVENUE, GRANTSBURG WISCONSIN 54840 (715) 463-2739 www.crexmeadows.org |
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Wildlife is
less visible in summer after the migrants have left and only the
summer residents remain. However, this is the time of year to
observe wildlife with their young. Some of the behavior you may
see in summer include: an osprey bringing fish to it's nest full
of young, a family of otters frolicking in the marsh, or a young
loon riding on its mother's back.
HUNTING
AND TRAPPING 
Groups
must provide their own transportation for the tour. Most groups
use school buses or charter buses. Car pooling is suitable for
small groups. Tours are available at no cost to non-profit
groups but donations are welcomed.
Two
trails were developed specifically for hiking or cross country
skiing. Hiking and skiing are located on the Hay Creek Hiking
Trail and Upper Phantom Cross Country Skiing & Hiking Trail. 
of the sharp-tail grouse. It is one of those obscure wildlife
performances that most people are not even aware of. There are
very few places in Wisconsin where sharp-tails still exist and
even fewer where you can observe their display. The display is
difficult to describe and can only be fully appreciated when
viewed in person. Visitors to Crex Meadows have the rare
opportunity to experience this unique display each spring on the
vast brush prairies of Crex.
Two
sharp-tail grouse observation blinds are available for Friends
of Crex members to use each Spring from mid-April to mid-May. Blinds
can only be used by reservation and can accommodate three to
four people. Reservations are taken after January 1, and be aware that
weekends fill up quickly. Call (715) 463-2896 or e-mail us at:
The
Visitor Center is located at the junction of County Rd "D" and
County Road "F". You will find exhibits, bird and mammal
displays, and a herbarium containing a wide variety of local
vegetation specimens. Here you can pick up a variety of
pamphlets to help you better enjoy your visit. Souvenirs are
also available at the Bog Shoe Gift Shop. Items including
caps, shirts, mugs, books and postcards can be purchased here.
The Friends of Crex sell these items to help fund the wildlife
interpretive program.
be impassable for short periods in spring and during wet
weather.
Picnicking
Camping