MILWAUKEE — Nov. 17 is National Take a Hike day, so to celebrate, here is a list of six hiking trails in Wisconsin that are worth checking out.
1. Ice Age National Scenic Trail:
The Ice Age Trail is the longest trail in Wisconsin at around 1,000 miles long. The footpath is contained entirely within Wisconsin, and takes you through some of the most beautiful spots in the state.
This trail runs through cities like Delafield, Hartland and Slinger, Wis. You can also hop on the trail near Plymouth, Kewauskum and West Bend. For a full map of the trail, click here.
Located in Baraboo, Wis., this park has over 9,000 acres and sees about three million visitors per year. With beautiful views of Devil's lake, this park is open year round.
While the trails are snow covered, snow shoeing is allowed and so are pets, so bring your dog and explore the park!
3. Kettle Moraine State Forest - Lapham Peak Unit:
Lapham Peak, which is located 25 miles west of Milwaukee, features more than 17 miles of loop trails that vary in difficulty. The trails are open to hikers in the summer and cross-country skiers in the winter. Hikers and snowshoers must stay off the trails when they're snow-covered, but skiers are welcome.
4. Lion's Den Gorge Nature Preserve:
Featuring over half a mile of 90-100 foot bluffs, the Lion's Den Gorge Nature Preserve is one of the last stretches of undeveloped bluff along Lake Michigan. This preserve stretches from Mequon to Port Washington, and offers recreational activities like bird watching, fishing, hiking and picnicking.
This trail system, which is less than an hour from Milwaukee, features three different loops with various distances. This trail is mostly hilly terrain, and distances vary from 3.5 miles to 8-miles-long. Snowshoers, hikers and bikers are all welcome on these trails; however, all three loops have difficulty levels of moderate or hard. To see a full map of this trail system, click here.
This system is sort of the sister system to the Emma Carlin Trails, however the John Muir Trails are a bit more difficult and include some longer loops. With distances ranging from 1.25-12 miles, and difficulty levels ranging from easy to most difficult, the John Muir Trail System is open to hikers, bikers and snowshoers. For a full map of the John Muir Trails, click here.
