Birding by Railcar: Exploring the Chippewa Bottoms
This tour is simply the most unique way to penetrate the wild areas of one of the most important floodplain forests in the entire upper Midwest. The Tiffany Bottoms cover 12,000 acres of prime breeding and migratory bird habitat. This is a 5-6 hour ride on standard gauge tracks in miniature-sized railcars. Frequent stops are made, allowing excellent viewing opportunities of secretive birds like the Prothonotary, Mourning, Golden-winged & Cerulean Warblers. Possible sightings include: Red-shouldered Hawk, Sandhill Crane, Whip-poor-will, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and Veery. Resident nesting Bald Eagles are also on the menu as are herons, egrets and many woodpeckers. Lots of knowledgeable & friendly birding guides from the Coulee Region Audubon Society will be on board to help you spot and identify birds. For your comfort, facilities are provided on the last rail car. (A portable Porta Potty for those on the Go!) The rest of the railcars are not enclosed, so be sure to pack warm clothes in case of cool weather, bring a lunch & beverages. Insect repellent, good walking shoes and a soft sitting pad are highly recommended.
Day & Time: Sunday morning at 7:00am - 12:00pm.
Fee: $20 / person
Level of Difficulty: Easy
We've rented a bus to transport a lot of birders to the rail car trip in the Tiffany Bottoms.
Bus leaves from the Festival Headquarters at 5:15 a.m.
Directions (if you're driving on your own):
From the Festival Headquarters, travel north on Hwy. 35 for 2.5 miles to Hwy. 35 / 53 North. Follow this and proceed for 3.8 miles to the Trempealeau exit. Follow Hwy. 35 for 8 miles into the town of Trempealeau. You will continue on Hwy. 35 North all the way upriver past the town of Nelson (which is approximately 46 miles from Trempealeau - there is an excellent cheese factory found there that serves lunch and ice cream). At the stop sign in Nelson, turn right continuing on Hwy. 35. After roughly one mile, turn right onto Hwy. 25 north. You will drive for roughly 10 miles. Watch for the yellow train cars located on the left of the road. There will be someone there to help guide you in for parking.
Meeting: Parking lot
Drive Time: Roughly 2 hours north of La Crosse.