Cardinal Marsh—Winneshiek County's "best-kept secret?"

Kate and I recently visited Cardinal Marsh on the western edge of Winneshiek County, which has been called "a hidden gem" by one article and a "best-kept secret" by another article.  I'll mention more about the words "hidden" and "secret" on Monday, but for now, let me agree that these 1,100 acres qualify as being "a gem."

The day we visited, we saw a hawk, a deer, four geese, two sandhill cranes and a number of smaller animals.  We had the area to ourselves.

To get to Cardinal Marsh, the best route from Decorah is to take Madison Road west until the road stops at 345th Avenue.  Turn right, then watch for a blue property sign with the number 2682 on it and turn into the driveway.  A very bumpy road takes you to a small parking lot near a boat ramp.

Speaking of the boat ramp, there are four small ponds and a large pond which can be paddled.  Our visit concentrated on walking the grounds, so we followed a horse trail around the large pond.  There's a variety of habitat at Cardinal Marsh, a mixture of timberland, marsh and upland, as well as the near-by Turkey River.

Yes, Cardinal Marsh is a "hidden gem."  On Monday, I'll discuss ways it could drop the adjective "hidden."