Photo Essay: Ridge Run Park—A Glacial Wonderland in All Seasons!

November 8, 2023  |  Topics: Places

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By Eddee Daniel

Welcome to wonderland! The entrance sign to Ridge Run Park does not include that phrase. But it might as well. I had been to the park on previous occasions in winter, spring and summer and therefore knew it to be a special place. It was therefore with great anticipation that I signed up for a tour in October, sponsored by Schlitz Audubon Nature Center. A good excuse to visit again during the peak of autumn. The weather had been foul for several days prior, but that day dawned sunny and serene. As you can see from the photos, the park was nothing short of spectacular on this occasion.

It’s a perfect setting for the Ice Age Trail, which runs the length of the park—approximately a mile and a half. The trail winds around several ponds, sheltered by the steep wooded ridges typical of glacial topography. If you want a longer hike, the West Bend Segment of the Ice Age Trail continues south from Ridge Run to the trailhead at Paradise Road. On the north end there is a short gap where the trail uses the sidewalk to reach the next portion of the West Bend Segment in Glacial Blue Hills Recreation Area, another beautiful stretch of the trail. But I digress.

We learned from our guide, Shelly Rollins of Schlitz Audubon, that Ridge Run had been a county park until Washington County proposed requiring an entry fee (as is typical in the county). Apparently, there was quite an uproar from the community who love this park. The upshot was a transfer from the county to the City of West Bend, which now administers the park, still free of charge.

It being a glorious autumn day with the multicolored foliage literally surrounding us on all sides, we also learned from Shelly about the biology of the changing colors. As you probably know from elementary school science, it is chlorophyll that makes the leaves green in the first place—and enables them to use the sun to make plant food. The cooler autumn weather causes the chlorophyll to break down. This allows the other colors, most of which have been present all along, to surface.

Yellow comes from xanthophyll, which can be seen in birches, beeches, ashes, and aspens, among others. Orange, often the most sensational, results from carotenes found especially in the sugar maples that make up so much of Ridge Run’s foliage. Red is found in oaks, some maples, and sumacs. It is caused by anthocyanin, which is produced as the chlorophyll breaks down. Our dry summer, along with cool autumn nights, likely was responsible for the intensity of this year’s colors.

If you go to Ridge Run, it can be approached from two directions. From the east the entrance is not far from the Hwy 33 exit off Hwy 45, right next to the UWM – Washington County campus. The west entrance is a longer way around off of Scenic Drive. The only road connecting the two sections of the park is closed to traffic. But it’s an easy walk from one end to the other—and a much better way to enjoy this remarkable park!

For more information about Ridge Run Park, as well as photos from other seasons, go to our Find-a-Park map.

Related stories (Schlitz Audubon tours and events):

West Bend Sculpture Walk 

A guided—and illustrated—tour of Lake Park

Touring Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area

Xtreme Raptor Day 2021 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center

Touring Schlitz Audubon Nature Center with the Sierra Club

Schlitz Audubon Nature Center is a project partner of A Wealth of Nature. Eddee Daniel is a board member of Preserve Our Parks and a member of Schlitz Audubon.

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