Kettle Moraine State Forest Southern Unit

This is the part of the Kettle Moraine you’ll get to know best, because it’s the closest. The trailheads near Whitewater Lake and La Grange are 25 to 30 minutes from Lake Geneva, and the forest headquarters in Eagle is about 40. It covers roughly 22,000 acres across Walworth, Jefferson, and Waukesha counties, and it holds the most famous mountain-bike trails in southern Wisconsin, miles of hiking, spring-fed walks, and a year-round lakeside campground.

This page is a spoke off the main Kettle Moraine guide. For the wilder unit up north, see the Northern Unit.

The headquarters is at S91 W39091 Highway 59, Eagle, 262-594-6200. Call 262-594-6202 for a recorded trail-conditions update before you drive up.

Things To Do in the Southern Unit

• John Muir Trail System: Five color-coded loops from 1.25 to 12 miles, shared by mountain bikers and hikers, off County Highway H near La Grange. This is the singletrack people drive hours for.
• Emma Carlin Trail System: Three loops from 3.5 to 8 miles off County Highway Z, rockier and more technical, linked to John Muir by a connector trail for a big all-day ride.
• Scuppernong Trail System: Three hiking-only loops from 2 to 4.9 miles through pine plantation and prairie, no bikes, good for a quiet walk or trail run.
• Nordic Trail System: Five loops south of Palmyra off County Highway H, hiking in summer and groomed cross-country skiing in winter.
• Ice Age Trail, Southern Unit segment: About 30 miles of the national scenic trail run through this unit, including the Whitewater Lake segment closest to Lake Geneva.
• Bald Bluff Nature Trail: A half-mile climb to a former Native American signal hill and the high point of Jefferson County, with a long view from the top.
• Paradise Springs Nature Trail: A short paved loop to a stone springhouse and a clear spring pond, easy enough for any age.
• Scuppernong Springs Nature Trail: A 1.5-mile loop past bubbling springs, an old marl pit, and a former trout hatchery site.
• Stute Springs and Big Hill: A historic homestead trail that climbs to the highest point in the Kettle Moraine.
• Stony Ridge Nature Trail: A short loop right behind the headquarters, a good leg-stretch if you’re picking up a sticker.

Camping in the Southern Unit

• Ottawa Lake Campground: 100 sites, 65 with electricity, open year-round, with a swimming beach and a boat launch. The most popular family base in the unit.
• Whitewater Lake Campground: 63 primitive sites, the closest camping to Lake Geneva, near the Ice Age Trail’s Whitewater Lake segment.
• Pinewoods Campground: 101 wooded sites near the John Muir trailhead, the rider’s choice.

Reserve any of them through the Wisconsin DNR reservation system or 1-888-947-2757.

Restaurants and Dining Near the Southern Unit

Most of the food sits in the small towns ringing the forest. Palmyra and Eagle are your closest stops.

• East Troy Brewery: A 10-barrel brewery in a restored 1892 bank on the East Troy village square, scratch pub food, live music, and a Monday Night Supper Club. About 20 minutes from Lake Geneva.
• East Troy House: Chef-driven fine dining in downtown East Troy.
• Rushing Waters Fisheries and the Trout House: A working trout farm near Palmyra serving its own fresh and smoked trout, featured on Wisconsin Foodie.
• Clausing Barn Restaurant: A cafe inside a restored octagonal barn at Old World Wisconsin in Eagle, open during museum season.
• Squidy’s, Palmyra: a 20-year local institution with one of the best Friday fish frys in the area and an all-you-can-eat salad bar.
• Didi’s Supper Club, Dousman: a true Wisconsin supper club with steaks, chops, and the full relish-tray experience.
• Hen House Cafe and Red Roof Station, Eagle: easy breakfast and lunch near the headquarters.
• Rustix Grill, Eagle: burgers and bar fare close to the forest.
• Fork in the Road, Mukwonago: inventive casual American in a former stagecoach inn, another Wisconsin Foodie spot.
• David Allan’s Smokehouse and Saloon, Mukwonago: barbecue and a saloon feel.
• Union House: A fine-dining restaurant in Genesee Depot serving wild game and steaks in a building dating to 1861.
• Genoa Pizza, Palmyra, and Golden Dragon, East Troy: solid takeout and delivery after a long day on the trail.

For the apple-pie-in-a-paper-bag move, the Elegant Farmer in Mukwonago is a short detour and worth it in the fall.

Mountain Biking the Southern Unit

This unit is the reason a lot of people know the Kettle Moraine at all. The John Muir trails are fast, flowy, and beginner-friendly on the short loops, with enough climbing on the 12-mile blue loop to test anyone. Emma Carlin is rockier and more technical, and the connector trail between them makes for a long point-to-point day. You need a state trail pass ($25/year or $5/day) to ride, and the trails close when they’re wet, so check the trail-conditions line at 262-594-6202 first. Riding muddy trails wrecks them for everyone.

The Southern Unit Through the Seasons

Spring is for the springs. Paradise Springs and Scuppernong Springs run clear and cold, the trails dry out for the first rides, and the woods fill with wildflowers and birdsong. Summer means Ottawa Lake’s beach, early-morning rides before the heat, and long evenings at the campground. Fall turns the whole unit gold and red from late September into mid-October, and the climb up Bald Bluff or Big Hill pays off with color in every direction. Winter brings groomed cross-country skiing on the Nordic and McMiller trails near Palmyra, plus snowshoeing anywhere off the ski tracks.

Getting to the Southern Unit From Lake Geneva

• Whitewater Lake / La Grange trailheads: 25 to 30 minutes via WI-59 and US-12.
• John Muir and Emma Carlin trailheads: about 30 to 35 minutes.
• Forest headquarters and Old World Wisconsin, Eagle: about 40 minutes via WI-67.
• Palmyra: about 25 minutes.

These Trails could be a regular part of your day

Search Homes around Lake Geneva

Frequently Asked Questions About the Southern Unit