The Mississippi isn't the only river focus along the Great River State Trail. It bridges 18 streams and channels coursing their way to the Mighty Mississippi. These crossings and surrounding wetlands are havens for wildlife. Deer are often seen in the cool shade even at mid-day. The Black River forms a maze of channels that herons and egrets love. Interconnecting links to over 101 miles of state trails. In the sleepy river town of Trempealeau you can watch tugboats finesse 400-foot-long barges through lock and dam No. 6. Nearby, Perrot State Park is a scenic wonder. In ancient times, its soaring bluffs were isolated from those on the western shore when torrents of glacial meltwater changed the river's course. It became a natural landmark for people from the sophisticated Native American Hopewell culture of 2,000 years ago, to the French explorer Nicholas Perrot in 1685. Just south of trails-end at Marshland, you can tour the Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge, a 5,600-acre riverside home for migratory waterfowl, herons, egrets and resident bald eagles. You'll agree, it's a great river and a great place to be.