By Jennifer L.W. Fink
The Horicon Marsh, located in Dodge County, has been drawing visitors for more than 50 years. From the Native Americans who made their home along the marsh, to the half million tourists who visit each year, people have long been drawn to the marsh's unique combination of water and wildlife.
Few, though, venture out onto the marsh itself to explore the waterways and cattail stands of the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the United States. Buried deep in the marsh are unexpected treasures: flocks of molting wood ducks, feeding herons, otter slides and neotropical birds raising families in the midst of the Midwest. Horicon also bestows solitude for those who take to the water in canoe or kayak to experience nature away from the crowds.
Get up bright and early on Saturday morning; there will be plenty of time for lounging and dining later. Grab your gear (don't forget water, sunscreen, food and a floppy hat) and head to the Greenhead Boat Landing, approximately two miles west of Mayville on the east side of the Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area. For your first day on the water, keep things simple. The Horicon Marsh Canoe Trail, established in 2007, is a 6.5-mile interpretive trail - an ideal introduction to the marsh.
You'll paddle the main ditch, dug in 1910 in an effort to drain the marsh for agriculture, and learn about the private hunting clubs that once lined the marsh; the Greenhead Club, established in 1903, is the only one that remains. You'll be surrounded by cattails and experience the marsh as few people have.
"There's usually a nice little mist coming off the water early in the morning," says Mayville resident Brad Taggett, avid paddler and founder of the Rock River Canoe Regatta. "And if you go right at daylight, you'll see a significant amount of wildlife. You'll see deer, muskrats, egrets, pelicans - and the herons are usually feeding."
To read the full story, purchase the July/August issue of Wisconsin Trails, on sale July 9.