Hiking on Glacial Debris
Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine State Forest sits on the terminal moraine left by the last Wisconsin Glaciation — the southern boundary reached by the ice sheet that covered the northern continent 12,000 years ago. The landscape is defined by kettles (depressions where ice blocks melted), kames (conical hills of deposited sediment), drumlins (elongated ridges formed under the ice), and eskers (ridges formed by meltwater streams). The Ice Age National Scenic Trail follows this moraine for 300+ miles through the state; the Kettle Moraine sections are the most dramatic and trail-friendly.
Trip Overview
- Duration: 6 days / 5 nights
- Section: Northern Kettle Moraine Unit — Dundee Mountain south to Lapham Peak (~65 miles)
- Camping: Dispersed primitive camping throughout; drive-in campgrounds at Mauthe Lake and Ottawa Lake for resupply
- Permit: No backcountry permit required on state forest land. Wisconsin state park fee applies at some campgrounds.
- Best months: May (wildflowers) and September–October (fall color, no bugs)
- Shuttle: Ice Age Trail Alliance (iceagetrail.org) has shuttle resources and volunteer hiking guides
Day 1 — Dundee Mountain to Mauthe Lake (10 miles)
Start at Dundee Mountain, a 40-foot kame with a viewing platform — from the top, the kettled landscape spreads in all directions, a frozen wave of glacial debris. The trail winds through a mix of hardwood forest and open meadow, crossing multiple kettles (many are wetlands with wood duck boxes) before reaching the Mauthe Lake Recreation Area. Resupply at the campground store; camp at the hike-in sites on the lake's eastern shore.
Day 2 — Mauthe Lake to Greenbush Group Camp (11 miles)
The trail climbs through the Greenbush area, the most kame-dense section of the Northern Unit — dozens of conical hills in close succession, with the trail weaving between them. The forest here is predominantly oak and hickory, changing from the boreal character of the north. Camp at the Greenbush backcountry site, a quiet clearing in mature oak forest.
Day 3 — Greenbush to Parnell Tower (12 miles)
Parnell Tower is the scenic highlight of the Northern Kettle Moraine: a 60-foot observation tower on the highest kame in the unit, with a 360-degree view over the glacial landscape. In fall, the view from the tower encompasses miles of color — maples and oaks from kettle to kame. Descend the western slope and camp in the hardwood forest below the tower.
Day 4 — Parnell Tower to Pike Lake (10 miles)
Cross Hwy 67 and enter the Southern Kettle Moraine Unit, where the terrain shifts to larger, smoother hills. Pike Lake State Forest has the clearest water in the system — Powder Hill on the lake's western shore gives views over the entire Southern Unit. Camp at the hike-in sites on Pike Lake.
Day 5 — Pike Lake to Lapham Peak (12 miles)
The final stretch climbs steadily toward Lapham Peak, the highest point in Waukesha County at 1,233 feet. The observation tower here is often snow-covered in early spring, and in fall it overlooks miles of suburban forest that somehow still feels wild. Camp at the Lapham Peak dispersed site below the tower.
Day 6 — Lapham Peak to Delafield (10 miles)
The trail descends into the Oconomowoc River valley and finishes at Delafield, a small city with easy Amtrak access to Milwaukee and Chicago. Or arrange a shuttle back to your start vehicle at Dundee Mountain (1.5 hours).
