Ice Age Trail

Following the edge of the glaciers, Wisconsin's Ice Age Trail traces roughly 1,200 miles along the terminal moraine of the last continental ice sheet, one of only eleven National Scenic Trails and entirely within a single state.

The route rolls through kettles, eskers, drumlins, and glacial lakes, low in elevation but rich in the landforms left when the ice retreated some 12,000 years ago. It is well suited to day and section hiking, with many completed segments linked by connecting roads still being replaced by off-road tread.

Practical detail: no permit is required for hiking, and much of the trail crosses public land with dispersed and designated camping; the mix of private easements means hikers respect posted access rules. Ticks and summer heat are the main nuisances.

May through October covers the comfortable season, with autumn bringing hardwood color to the moraines and spring offering wildflowers. Conceived in the 1950s to interpret the state's glacial geology, the trail doubles as an outdoor lesson in how ice shaped the upper Midwest.