Finding undiscovered gems in the great outdoors is one of the best feelings in the world. Without people stomping around and elbowing you out of the way to get the best photos, it’s like finding your own little slice of paradise. Just a 30-minute drive from Rockford, Illinois, and an hour south of Madison, Wisconsin, is Colored Sands Forest Preserve. With fewer than 30 reviews on Google Maps and under 150 reviews on AllTrails, you may just have this hidden oasis all to yourself when you visit.
This 306-acre forest preserve sits just south of the Wisconsin border on the Lower Sugar River Watershed, which provides flood protection and recreation opportunities. Within Colored Sands, the Sugar River cuts through old dunes deposited after the last glaciers passed through, over 450 million years ago. Over time, trees, shrubs, and other vegetation have become established in the sandy soil, but remains of the dunes can still be seen.
Scenic eroded bluffs peek out along the riverbank, and there’s even a 40-foot sand bluff, cut in half by the river, which exposes the sedimentary layers. These formations are called St. Peter’s sandstone, locally known as colored sands — hence the name of the preserve.
Learn about migratory birds at the Colored Sands Forest Preserve
One of the best things to do at Colored Sands is to walk the 2.5-mile loop trail that follows nearly the border of the preserve and passes by several unique points of interest. Starting in the parking lot just off Haas Road, heading south, you’ll immediately pass by the Sand Bluff Bird Observatory, which has a bird banding station. Part of the allure of Colored Sands is its unique sandy soils that support a variety of plants beneficial to migratory birds. To better understand the trends of migratory and local bird populations, the station was established in 1967 and is now one of the largest public research facilities in the country, where volunteers place bands on birds to help collect data for scientists…