Attractions and Places To See around Durand - Top 5

Nice views of the Chippewa River, it's pretty wide!

While consulting the komoot map during a road trip on the Great River Road Scenic Byway along the east side of the Mississippi River, I noticed a cluster of hilltop highlights nestled between the Chippewa and Mississippi Rivers. They were all komoot-generated highlights, and none included tips or photos. Intrigued to learn more about these highlights, we decided to visit four of them. Round Hill was the fourth highlight we chose to explore. Looking for a way to reach the Round Hill highlight, we followed Round Hill Road to the spot komoot indicated as the closest approach along a known route. Despite our efforts, we couldn’t find a trail from there that led to the summit of Round Hill. The Round Hill Komoot highlight is located on private property owned by the Round Hill Corporation, which also manages Camp Angelus, a Catholic camp at the base of the hill. On the satellite map, Round Hill appears completely covered in trees, making it unlikely that visitors would find a rewarding view from its summit. When I returned home, I was surprised to find the Round Hill highlight included among the highlights that komoot asked me to recommend. Although we did not actually hike to the highlight at the summit of Round Hill, I recommended it so I could include this tip for other komot users who might be interested in visiting it.

If you're searching for a trail to the komoot-generated trail Round Hill summit highlight, you'll come across Camp Angelus—a rustic Catholic campground and retreat center set on about 100 acres of wooded land along the Chippewa River. Founded by Father Michael O'Connell in 1948, the camp was designed as a place for young people to deepen their faith while enjoying the natural world. Father O'Connell, an avid outdoorsman and devoted priest, dedicated himself to creating a camp that combined traditional Catholic teachings with outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming, and campfire storytelling.

As Martha and I were driving the Great River Road Scenic Byway along the east side of the Mississippi River, I was intrigued by a cluster of komoot hilltop highlights nestled between the Chippewa and Mississippi Rivers. These were all highlights recommended by komoot, but none included tips or photos. The Ganoe Hill was the third highlight we decided to visit. We parked our car at the location komoot suggested on a dead-end road leading into a farmstead. A farmhouse occupied the hilltop itself with surrounding agricultural fields. Using the Gemini app, I learned these facts: Ganoe Hill is a summit in north-central Pepin County, Wisconsin, near Arkansaw, with an elevation of about 1,150 feet. It belongs to the Prairie du Chien Group of sandstone and dolostone, characteristic of Wisconsin’s Driftless Area. The hill is likely named after the Ganoe family, early settlers in the region. Ganoe Hill sits on private property with no public access or hiking trails; nearby public hiking spots include Maiden Rock Bluff and Tiffany Bottoms State Natural Area.

This highlight marks the western terminus of the Chippewa River State Trail. There is a picnic table and bench with a great view of the Chippewa River and the Durand waterfront. Nearby, there are dining facilities featuring porches with views overlooking the Chippewa River.

You can ride 14 miles from this intersection to Menomonie on the Red Cedar State Trail, 7 miles west to Durand on the Chippewa River State Trail, or 23 miles east to Eau Claire on the Chippewa River State Trail. The trouble is, there is no place to park your car.