Join the Ice Age Trail Alliance at Tallgrass Restoration Prairie in Milton for a unique opportunity to learn about the flora and fauna you find on the Trail.
- Enjoy complimentary pastries, coffee, and juice
- See birds of prey up close during a Hoo’s Woods presentation
- Go on a guided prairie hike—learn about plants, restoration activities, and the important role prairies have in nature.
$10/adult, Free for kids 16 and under.
Not a member? Donate to become a member, today! Learn more about becoming a member.
Please bring lawn chairs to sit in. However, due the nature of this event, leave your pets at home.
Location Details:
Tallgrass Restoration, LLC
3129 East County Road N
Milton, WI 5356
Schedule of Events:
10:00 a.m.: Pastries, coffee, juice
10:15 a.m.: Guided Prairie Walk
11:00 a.m.: Birds of Prey presentation by Hoo’s Woods
12:15 p.m.: Guided Prairie Walk
Make a day of it: Since you’re nearby, make plans to visit Milton—an Ice Age Trail Community. The Trail runs through town and passes the historic Milton House Museum.
An Adventure is Meant to be Shared!
Lace up your hiking boots and gather your family and friends. Join fellow hikers, in celebration of National Trails Day, for a hike along the Greenwood Segment as it travels through the Greenwood State Wildlife Area.
The Hike:
Meander along the rolling terrain of the Greenwood Segment through savanna, grasslands, and prairie to the Pine Tree Point. From there, you’ll enjoy a panoramic view of an open prairie edged by oak savanna, while relaxing on a beautifully crafted log bench.
Event Details:
Bring the whole family and enjoy this free, self-guided hike. Walk at your own pace or as a group, including our four-legged friends (please keep your dogs leashed). Participants may use this hike’s mileage toward their Walk-the-Waush goal. In case of inclement weather, the hike will be canceled. All participants will receive a 2022 National Park Service Bandana, while supplies last.
What to Bring:
Hiking boots are ideal although tennis shoes can work, too. Dress in layers to accommodate Wisconsin’s weather. Bring a filled water bottle, insect repellant, and a lawn chair for relaxing in after the hike.
Directions:
We’ll meet at the Greenwood Segment parking lot located on Brown Deer Court. From County Road C, take County Road GG to the first right which is Brown Deer Court. Follow the yellow Ice Age Trail Event signs. Google Map Directions here. Trailhead in Hiker Resource Map here.
Questions?
Contact: Jenny Addis, Chapter Coordinator, (call: 715-802-3456, email: addisjenny@yahoo.com)
This event is generously sponsored by:
Pike Lake Segment
Please join us as we partner with the Friends of Pike Lake for their Discovery Day event. As part of that event, and to celebrate National Trails Day, we will offer a guided hike on the Pike Lake Segment of the Ice Age Trail. As we hike the IAT and other trails in the park, we see glacial features and climb a large glacial kame (Powder Hill).
No Wisconsin state park sticker is required, as this is the DNR’s Free Fun Weekend.
LOCATION: Beach Parking Lot, Pike Lake Unit, Kettle Moraine State Forest, east of Hartford. Click here for driving directions. Watch for yellow “Ice Age Trail Event” signs.
HIKE DESCRIPTION: We will take the Ice Age Trail east from the beach parking lot entrance, making a quick side trip to climb the observation tower on top of Powder Hill. We will return to the parking lot using the orange trail, which runs along the shore of Pike Lake. Total hike distance will be approximately 3 miles. (Participants can return on the green trail on their own to reduce the distance.)
WHAT TO BRING: Wear comfortable hiking boots and dress appropriately for the weather. Bring water and insect repellant.
HIKE LEADER: Mark Muellenbach
This event is generously sponsored by:
Photo by Christopher White
The Tyke Hike:
Join us on a family-friendly hike to explore Wisconsin’s own Ice Age National Scenic Trail on a paved trek along the Bark River! We will explore a tyke-sized portion of Waukesha County’s Hartland Segment. Families with children of all ages are encouraged to attend!
Tyke Hikes give kids the opportunity to explore, discover and participate in natural play. Specifically, they can cover up to 1.5 miles over the course of 1-2 hours. They last approximately 1-2 hours and can cover up to 1.5 miles. Tyke Hikes are led by Peter Dargatz, a forest kindergarten teacher and Ice Age Trail volunteer.
Tyke Hike Details:
This hike’s picture book is A Fall Ball For All by Jamie Swenson. We will start our hike at the beginning of the Hartland Segment trailhead. After reading this book, we will hike for approximately 30 minutes at a child-led pace and then return. There will be occasional stops for play and exploration – stops at the playground are likely! Hikers should dress appropriately for the weather and wear comfortable footwear. Bring water.
Location:
The yellow Tyke Hike Signs will guide you to the meeting point at Hartland’s Centennial Park parking lot.
Contact Information:
Questions? Peter will answer them.
Get lost in the right direction with us!
The Hike:
Join us for a 2.3-mile (total) out-and-back hike along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail as it travels through the 160-acre Walla Hi County Park (Manitowoc County). The route offers both beauty and challenge as it meanders up and down through heavily forested oak and beech trees and around moss-covered erratics to Slab Hill. Walla Hi is one of the northernmost examples of the high hummocky terrain found in the kettle moraine.
Event Details:
We expect the hike to take about 1.5 hours. Wear appropriate clothing, and bring water and mosquito repellent. Hikers should be aware of the logging operation in the park removing the dead Scotch pine and ash trees.
Location Details:
Walla Hi County Park. Meet in the lower parking lot by the bridge. The hike is 2.3 miles and will take about 1.5 hours. Atlas 91f, Walla Hi Segment
Join us in hiking from the North Pavilion in Riverside Park to the rustic cabin in the Janesville School Outdoor Lab. We first hike the Devils Staircase Trail and on to the Arbor Ridge segment. 5.2 miles round trip with a stop at the cabin for snacks and drinks.
This event is generously sponsored by:
The Hike:
Join us on a Tyke Hike to explore Wisconsin’s own Ice Age National Scenic Trail! We will explore a tyke-sized portion of the Waterville Segment in the Kettle Moraine State Forest. Families with children of all ages should attend!
These hikes give kids the opportunity to explore, discover and participate in natural play. Most hikes include a picture book story and educational materials as well as certificates for children. In addition, service opportunities may be included. They last approximately 1-2 hours and can cover up to 1.5 miles. Tyke Hikes are led by Peter Dargatz, a forest kindergarten teacher and Ice Age Trail volunteer.
Hike Details:
We will hike for approximately 45 minutes and then return. There will be occasional stops for play and exploration along the way. Hikers should dress appropriately for the weather and wear comfortable shoes/hiking boots. Most importantly, bring water.
Location Details:
This hike will start out at the UW-Waukesha Fieldstation, W349 S1480 Waterville Rd, Oconomowoc, WI 53066.
Contact Information:
Questions? Peter will answer them for you.
“Get lost in the right direction” with us!
Get a start on your Mammoth Hike Challenge miles with a scenic hike along a portion of the Trade River Segment. Enjoy a three-mile hike that traverses a serpentine boardwalk and meanders over and around bedrock. Stroll through a prairie and woods, and don’t miss a photo op next to a beautiful basalt rock dropped by the Superior Lobe of the last glaciation!
You’re invited to join the Indianhead Chapter for an end-of-the-season potluck.
Volunteer shuttles will take hikers back to their vehicles.
HIKE DETAILS:
Date: Sunday, October 6, 2024
Start Time: 2:00 p.m.
Distance: 3 miles
Hike Start: Trail Access and Parking off 280th Ave and 130th Street
End Point/Shuttles: 140th Street parking area
Recommendations:
- Know your activity tolerance and respect that.
- Dress for the weather: wear layers, a hat, etc.
- Bring bug repellant, water, and a snack.
- Bring a dish to pass for the potluck.
Note: Inclement weather will cancel the hike.
Questions? Please call hike leaders, Cheryl (715-371-0048) or Barb (715-410-8069)
Photo credit: Roberta Smith
Bring your tribe hiking on the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Photos by: Luke Kloberdanz, James Mills, Cameron Gillie
As the snow melts, trees bud out, and wildflowers begin adding a glimmer of color to the Trail, chapter-led hikes begin populating the Ice Age Trail Alliance calendar in earnest.
Continue reading →
Be Fanciful. Be a Force of Nature. Be a Nature Princess…at any age! Make a crown, dust off your boots, and come explore the wild kingdom on the Dunes Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Photo by Woodland Dunes Nature Center staff.
Be Adventurous. Do Princesses climb trees and get dirty? Absolutely. This program, inspired by the children’s book, “Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots?”, is designed to be a royally good time, packed with opportunities to get out and get messy. Continue reading →
We’ve hit our group-size limit for this event. We hope you’ll join us next time!
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Join us for a 4-day backpacking trip in one of the most pristine sections of the Ice Age Trail – the Chequamegon National Forest. This outing is a collaboration of the Ice Age Trail Alliance and the Verona Ice Age Trail Community.
Trip Details
Dates: Monday, September 18th – Thursday, September 21, 2017 (departing at 7:30 a.m. from the Old County Road PB park & ride in Verona) Continue reading →
The Cross Plains Segment shows off its best summer look. Photo Credit: Lou Ann Novak
In 2017 the Village of Cross Plains became one of eight Ice Age Trail Communities. This designation is more than a sign on the highway and a ribbon cutting. It is an invitation to use the Ice Age National Scenic Trail to celebrate the local culture, history, landscape, and businesses.
This July 14 and 15 the Village, in collaboration with the Cross Plains Chamber of Commerce, and the Ice Age Trail Alliance’s Dane County Chapter, will be taking up the invitation to celebrate! Continue reading →
Trail Happenings!
Photo by Dave Caliebe
GET OUT: Hikes
Boost your happiness; immerse yourself in a healthy dose of nature (vitamin Green!).
Dane County Chapter, Cross Plains Segment: Birding Hike
Early spring mornings are the time to see and hear migrating and newly-arrived birds of the woodlands, savanna and prairie habitats along the loop in the highlands above Cross Plains. Bring binoculars; hike leader will help identify avian friends! Continue reading →
Photo credit: B. Bednarek, Parnell Segment, view from Parnell Tower
Did you know, world famous glacial landscape features are within an easy drive from your front door?
This might not seem like such a big deal until you consider that walking across the high ridge of an esker, or peering down into a kettle lake is a bit like time travel, giving you a peek into how the landscape of Wisconsin was formed.
Conveniently, the almost 30,000 acres of the Northern Kettle Moraine State Forest contains some of the most stellar glacial remnants of the last Ice Age. In fact, this region was formed as two tongue-shaped ice sheets collided, creating a valley of ice some 10,000 years ago. As these huge sheets of ice melted, the meltwater cascaded into crevasses carrying sand, gravel, and boulders, depositing them along the way. This is what shaped the rolling ridges and deep kettles – large crater-like depressions – that make up the topography of this beautiful forest. Continue reading →
A trail flows through a sea of wildflowers in the John Muir County Park.
Photo credit: K. Mcgwin
Trails do not just magically appear in the woods or along a ridgeline for our hiking pleasure. It might seem like it as we take a stroll down a long, shaded path, with a glimpse of it unfolding ahead of us. Most of us don’t spend a lot of time thinking about how a trail is constructed or the dedicated hours of design and layout (about a 100 hours) involved for every mile of trail, not counting the hours dedicated to the actual building, mile per mile, of trail.
In fact, most of us have a limited knowledge of exactly how many miles of trails exist in our country, not thinking perhaps beyond the trails in our own county or state parks, or the few mountain trails we’ve hiked, in Colorado, perhaps. It turns out, according to the American Hiking Society, there are 200,000 miles of trail throughout the United States. Continue reading →