Visit Sardeson Forest Preserve in the Driftless Region for Great Views, Challenging Hiking, and Good Birding

by anders458, posted in Uncategorized, birdwatching, Driftless Area Land Conservancy, fall colors, hiking, kids activities, snowshoeing, spring wildflowers, winter activities, Wisconsin

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG

In late March, I completed six short hikes in five days (totaling about 15 miles) in the Driftless Region in northwestern Illinois and southwestern Wisconsin. My son came for a few hikes, my wife joined us for one trail adventure, and I was solo on the other hikes. Unlike much of the Midwest, the Driftless Area was not flattened and otherwise reshaped by the glaciers during the Wisconsin Glaciation. The Driftless Region comprises about 24,000 square miles. It reminds me a lot of the beautiful hills of Ireland.

We stayed in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, during one leg of our trip. Mineral Point (founded in 1827) is one of the oldest towns in Wisconsin. It has a strong Cornish history, so we saw many Saint Piran’s Flags and were able to enjoy pasties and figgyhobbin (at the Red Rooster Cafe), and some Cornish beer. Mineral Point has a great bookstore, a cool stationery and office supply shop, an opera house, and many art galleries—key traits of any worthwhile town. (The Board Shoppe was one of my favorite stops.) In much of the town, you feel like you’re in the 1850s or 1860s because of the historic buildings. On our first day in town, my son and I hiked the Merry Christmas Mine Hill Trail, which overlooks the town. More on that spot in a future blog post.

On day two, I visited Sardeson Forest Preserve, which is located on the western edge of Mineral Point. It was a sunny morning in the low 50s—a nice improvement from the near-freezing temps I’d hiked in earlier in the week. The Driftless Area Land Conservancy (DALC), a nonprofit land trust in Southwest Wisconsin, calls Sardeson “small but mighty!,” and I wholeheartedly agree. (The DALC was kind enough to provide the warm weather images for this story.) The preserve is only 12 acres in size, but the diversity of its trails, significant changes in topography, and ecosystems make it a fun place to hike. And the preserve seems larger than 12 acres. The trails start at the top of a sandstone bluff near the parking lot. But before you start on the trails, take a short walk from the parking lot to Roland’s Rock, which provides a lovely view of the valley (especially before the trees are heavy with leaves) and a stream that feeds the Pecatonica River. Roland’s Rock and the preserve itself are named after Roland Sardeson, a local artist, raconteur, potter, stone mason, and free spirit who passed away in 2016. More on him later in this article.

The trail from the top of the bluff drops around 140 feet to the valley below. There are two loop trails. You can take a short 0.25-mile loop trail in the northern section of the property that descends only a bit before returning to the top of the bluff. I skipped this trail and decided to take the longer loop trail (approximately 1 mile) that descends into the valley and takes you below massive sandstone formations, through beautiful woods, past the stream (a portion of which you can access), and then back up through upland forest and prairie remnants to the main road (Betty Lane). The trails are rocky and may be slippery in wet or icy weather. At times, you will need to navigate around boulders.

I had the preserve entirely to myself during my visit. The plants were still largely dormant, and I saw no animals other than birds. So, I simply reveled in the joy of being alone, the steady birdsong, and the rays of the sun gradually emerging from the bluffs above.

I’m endlessly fascinated by other people and their life stories. During my travels in the Driftless Region and other areas, I always wonder about the origins of the names of towns, forests, hills, and other natural and nonnatural features. Sardeson Forest Preserve was no exception. After conducting a little research, I learned that Roland Sardeson was a beloved figure and quite a local legend. In addition to being a potter and stone mason, Sardeson also volunteered for the Marine Corps and served in Vietnam, according to his obituary—which he wrote. He also loved acting and skydiving (he made 1,860 skydives in his life, including skydiving into several local 4th of July celebrations). He also built more than a dozen little libraries around Mineral Point. There are some great photos, a video, and memories of Sardeson on the High Street Beat blog.

Roland Sardeson: On His Experience in the Marines and in the Vietnam War

“You may ask why would anyone join the Marine Corps and especially during a war. Well, I don’t know. Who knows anything at 19 years of age? I suppose patriotism had a part in it, adventure, also. See the world. Ignorance and naivete surely played a role. In any case my outlook on the world expanded and changed during those three years. All the stories good or bad one reads about Vietnam or any war are probably true to someone at some time. My tour was by turns boring, scary (if not terrifying), exciting, rewarding, devastating, exihliarating, life affirming, life threatening, and eye opening. When my turn came to go home I didn’t need to be coaxed. I survived/thrived during it, and it was the seminal event in my life on which all other things are partially based.”
–Source: Sardeson’s Self-Penned Obituary

Roland Sardeson also loved the land. He grew up on his maternal grandparents’ dairy farm along the Pecatonica River near Hollandale, Wisconsin. After serving in the military and attending college, Sardeson settled in and fell in love with Mineral Point. When lifelong Mineral Point residents would tell him, “But you weren’t born here,” Sardeson liked to reply, “No, I was not born here, but I got here as soon as I could.’ Sardeson bequeathed the land that makes up the preserve to the Driftless Area Land Conservancy before his death. (On the sign at the preserve, there is a quote from Mike Christensen that says, “This land is where Roland would come to think, memorize his lines, and appreciate the driftless landscape.”) Sardeson loved the land so much that he wanted others to be able to enjoy it as much as he had in his lifetime. How wonderful!

Sardeson’s self-penned obituary is wonderful in itself, so I suggest you check it out. But here’s a great excerpt. And when you hike at Sardeson Forest Preserve, think about the fantastic natural legacy that Roland Sardeson left us.

“Since I have learned that obituary words are not cheap, I’d like to save my dough for charities. There will be a memorial party at Lind Pavilion, Mineral Point. I won’t be there, but you’ll have a good time. . .. If I have had any regrets of a lifetime lived, they would be 1) it seems our leaders, the smartest men in the room, continue to try and improve the lives of people in other countries by attacking them with little or no forethought as to its necessity or consequences. 2) I would have liked to have been a senior fellow at a think tank. 3) I should have danced a lot more. . .. Well, this bio has gone on much too long, and I still have much to say, but let’s end with the quote from that king in the Scottish play: ‘Life is but a walking shadow, a poor player who struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.’ That may be dark, but I like that whole thing. Semper fi.”

Before You Go to Sardeson Forest Preserve:

  • The preserve is open dawn to dusk.
  • In addition to hiking, you can go running and snowshoeing at Sardeson.
  • No-Nos: No camping, horseback riding, bicycling, or harvesting plants.
  • Dogs must be leashed at all times.
  • Wear sturdy footwear because the trails are rocky and uneven.

Here’s a list of our recent hikes in the Driftless Region in case anyone would like to try them during a visit.

Copyright (text, except quoted material): © Andrew Morkes

Copyright (photos): © Andrew Morkes; except those copyrighted to the Driftless Area Land Conservancy; I’d like to thank the conservancy for providing the photos and for passing on a few thoughts about Roland Sardeson. I found the photo of Roland Sardeson in many spots online, with different credits. The most commonly cited source was Gorgen Funeral Home-Mineral Point.

Looking for some other great nature destinations in Chicagoland? If so, check out my book, Nature in Chicagoland: More Than 120 Fantastic Nature Destinations That You Must Visit. It features amazing destinations in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Click on the title to learn more. The book has 306 pages and 210+ photos and is only $19.99.

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ABOUT ANDREW MORKES

I’ve been a writer and editor for more than 30 years. I’m the founder of College & Career Press (2002); the author and publisher of The Morkes Report: College and Career Planning Trends blog; and the author and publisher of Hot Health Care Careers: 30 Occupations With Fast Growth and Many New Job Openings; Nontraditional Careers for Women and Men: More Than 30 Great Jobs for Women and Men With Apprenticeships Through PhDs; They Teach That in College!?: A Resource Guide to More Than 100 Interesting College Majors, which was selected as one of the best books of the year by the library journal Voice of Youth Advocates; and other titles. They Teach That in College!? provides more information on environmental- and sustainability-related majors such as Ecotourism, Range Management, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Built Environment, Sustainability Studies, and Sustainable Agriculture/Organic Farming. I also served as a member of the parent advisory board at my son’s school for five years.

In addition to these publications, I’ve written more than 80 books about careers for other publishing and media companies including Infobase (such as the venerable Encyclopedia of Careers & Vocational Guidance, College Readiness: The Vault Guide for High School Juniors and Seniors, the Vault Career Guide to Consulting, and many volumes in the Careers in Focus, Discovering Careers, What Can I Do Now?!, and Career Skills Library series), Lerner Publishing, and Mason Crest (including those in the Careers in the Building Trades, Hands-On Careers, Social Media Today, Woman in STEM Careers, Getting Started, and Cool Careers in Science series).

Here’s a list of the environmental- and clean energy-focused titles that I’ve written or co-written:

Articles about my work have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Practical Homeschooling, and other publications. My photographs of musicians, artists, and the natural world have been published in several books. My poetry has been published in Cadence, Wisconsin Review, Poetry Motel, Strong Coffee, and Mid-America Review. As an amateur artist, I’m pleased to say that four of my paintings were included in the 2025 Beverly Art Walk.

© Andrew Morkes

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