Ice Age Trail

There’s a 1,200-mile footpath that runs only in Wisconsin, and it traces the exact edge of the last glacier. It’s called the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, and some of its best miles run straight through the Kettle Moraine, close enough to Lake Geneva that you can hike a stretch and be home for dinner.

This page is a spoke off the main Kettle Moraine guide. It covers what the trail is, its history, the segments worth driving to, and how to start with a short day hike.

What Is the Ice Age Trail?

The Ice Age National Scenic Trail is a 1,200-mile hiking path entirely within Wisconsin, following the terminal moraine left by the last glacier about 10,000 years ago. About 675 miles are finished footpath, with the rest connected by roads. It runs from Interstate State Park on the Minnesota border to Potawatomi State Park near Sturgeon Bay, passing through 30 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties. It’s one of only 11 national scenic trails in the country and became an official unit of the National Park System in 2023.

The trail is marked with yellow blazes and is free to hike. It’s broken into just over 100 segments, ranging from about 1 to 16 miles, so you can hike a single afternoon stretch or chain segments into a multi-day trek. It’s administered by the National Park Service and built and maintained by the Ice Age Trail Alliance, a volunteer-driven nonprofit based in Madison.

A Short History of the Trail

The idea belongs to a Milwaukee conservationist named Ray Zillmer, who in the 1950s pushed for an “Ice Age National Park” that would protect Wisconsin’s glacial landforms and let people walk among them. He founded the organization now known as the Ice Age Trail Alliance in 1958 and died in 1960, before the idea took hold.

Wisconsin congressman Henry S. Reuss picked it back up, championing the glacial reserve in the 1960s and writing a 1976 guidebook that built public support. Congress formally established the trail in 1980. More than four decades later, in 2023, the National Park Service named it an official unit of the park system. The Northern Unit’s Henry Reuss Ice Age Visitor Center carries his name.

The Best Ice Age Trail Segments in the Kettle Moraine

The Kettle Moraine holds some of the most developed and scenic stretches of the entire trail, and they’re the closest good segments to Lake Geneva.

• Whitewater Lake Segment: About 5 miles through the Southern Unit near Whitewater Lake, the closest segment to Lake Geneva and an easy half-day out and back.
• Southern Unit segments: Roughly 30 miles of trail wind through the Southern Unit past Bald Bluff, the springs, and the high ground at Big Hill.
• Northern Unit segments: About 31 miles run through the Northern Unit, past Parnell Tower and Dundee Mountain, with five reservable backpacking shelters spaced along the way.
• Holy Hill Segment: A scenic stretch near Hubertus with the basilica of Holy Hill rising above the trees, especially striking in fall.
• Loew Lake Segment: A quiet day-use unit with no admission sticker required, good for a low-key walk.

Camping and Shelters on the Trail

The Kettle Moraine is the best place on the whole trail to sleep out. Both the Southern and Northern units have established campgrounds, and the Northern Unit has five three-sided backpacking shelters spaced for overnight treks. The Trail Alliance has also built more than 20 dispersed camping areas statewide to make long-distance backpacking easier. Reserve state-forest sites and shelters through the Wisconsin DNR or 1-888-947-2757.

How To Start: A Day Hike From Lake Geneva

You don’t need to be a thru-hiker to enjoy this trail. The move from Lake Geneva is simple: drive 25 to 30 minutes to the Whitewater Lake area, park (you’ll need a state-forest vehicle sticker), and walk as far out as you like before turning around. The trail here rolls over glacial ridges and past kettle ponds, and it’s marked clearly with yellow blazes. Bring water, wear real shoes, and check yourself for ticks after. For longer plans, the Ice Age Trail Alliance maps break every segment down by distance and difficulty.

The Trail Through the Seasons

Spring brings running springs, wildflowers, and the year’s best birding along the southern segments. Summer is green and shady, best hiked early before the heat and the bugs. Fall is the showstopper, with the hardwood ridges turning gold and red from late September into mid-October. Winter opens the trail to snowshoeing, which is allowed along the footpath as long as you stay off any groomed cross-country ski tracks that share the route.

Getting to the Trail From Lake Geneva

• Whitewater Lake Segment (Southern Unit): 25 to 30 minutes via WI-59 and US-12.
• Southern Unit segments near Eagle: about 40 minutes.
• Holy Hill Segment (Hubertus): about 1 hour.
• Northern Unit segments (Campbellsport / Dundee): about 90 minutes.

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Frequently Asked Questions About the Ice Age Trail