Hiking the Plover River Segment of the Ice Age Trail

The Plover River Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail (IAT) offers a 5.9 mile (9.5 km) forested hike with manageable hills, swampy low lying areas filled with small boulders, and gorgeous views of the peaceful Plover River. Hiking this segment in late November offered my husband and me bug-free conditions in the swampy areas. That said, extra care is a must when hiking this segment during the snow season due to hard-packed ice and snow on boardwalks, rocks and slippery hills.

Starting from the southern terminus of the Plover River Segment, we parked in the IAT parking area on Sportsman Drive and hiked north, soon crossing Aniwa Creek. While this trail is well forested, towards the southern end of this segment we encountered some grassy areas. We hiked along a ridgetop I thought might be an esker, then hiked through a lower area filled with many small boulders and rocks near the river. 

Wondering if we are hiking on an esker

Many bridges, boardwalks, and benches along the Plover River Segment

Frozen!

Grassy area along the southern portion of the Plover River Segment

Staring to get into some lower area with many hidden rocks and wet spots beneath the snow

A beautiful sunny day even in the low lying areas

We entered a low lying area containing small boulders greeted us with many opportunities to break through the snow and ice into mucky, swampy water. The trail continued back up through the trees through another area of moderate hills and then dropped again to the Plover River through another swampy area with many small boulders which provided more opportunities to step through the snow into mucky water. Before long, we found ourselves at the Plover River checking out the crossing. 

Stepping among moss covered small boulders in low lying areas

Another view from a higher spot

Crossing the Plover River

The Plover River Crossing

We listened to the trickling babble of the Plover River, stopping at a peaceful bench to admire the tranquil surroundings. The gentle sounds of the Plover River and ideal placement of small moss-covered boulders made for a magical setting. I remarked I couldn't pass this by without taking a photo and then realized I had left my backpack at the top of a hill near a small bench halfway back to the car. Turned out the Plover River crossing was a comfortable place for my husband to wait around for me to run back and grab my pack. 

I hurried but still left my husband a good amount of time to rest and snack, I returned huffing and puffing, winded from rushing the entire way. We carried on and to our surprise the small boulders in the river were not at all slippery. The perfectly place boulders in the Plover River provided an easy crossing.  After crossing the river we hiked on, and I had a difficult time keeping up with my newly rested hiking partner.

A narrow bridge - careful on this one, it's slick!

Yellow blaze!

Signage about halfway through the Plover River Segment

Icy boardwalk

More trail signage

The terrain near the norther terminus of the Plover River Segment

Finished the Plover River Segment

Before long, we  crossed Wisconsin State Highway 52 and continued north along the forested footpath up and down more gentle hills. We heard nearby gunshots and saw a couple of hunters. I recommend wearing something colored blaze orange and take safety precautions should you decide to hike this segment of the IAT during hunting season. 

Much work has gone into the River Segment of the IAT, and the stretch north of Highway 52 contains boardwalks over wet areas with more under construction. One must be particularly careful on these structures due to slippery areas of hard-packed ice and snow on them in the colder months. Many thanks to the trail volunteers for the efforts put into this segment. 

Towards the northern terminus of the Plover River Segment the trail began to head in an eastern direction. Before long we were at the IAT parking area on County Road HH where we packed up our hiking poles and began our bike ride back to the car.

Map Plover River Segment Hike

That's all for now. Let's get outdoors and keep our wild places wild!

Total Distance Covered -  5.9 miles (9.5 km) one way.

Difficulty - Moderate with some easy hills, swampy areas, areas with rocks and roots in the trail, and a river crossing (can step on boulders). 

Trail Conditions - A windy 33°F(1°C) November day which quickly warmed to 46°F(8°C). The trail was covered with hard-packed ice and snow on the boardwalks and in low lying areas, as well as areas with little sun exposure. We did hear nearby shooting and see deer hunters in the forest along the trail. 

Highlights -  The gorgeous spot alongside the Plover River at the river crossing. Beautiful green moss growing on small boulders.

Total Ice Age Trail Miles to Date - Total official IAT trail distance completed to date - 545 miles (871 km).

Amenities - There is trail head parking for the IAT on  Sportsman Drive, Hatchery Road, State Highway 52, and County Road HH.

Location - Parked in the IAT parking area on Sportsman Drive.