Hiking the Ice Age Trail through Sauk and Columbia Counties - Eastern Bifurcation

If you've been hiking in the state of Wisconsin, you've most likely set foot on the Ice Age National Scenic Trail (IAT), and may not even realize you have.  And if you have unwittingly set foot on the IAT, there's a good probability you've done it in Sauk County. Devil's Lake State Park in Sauk County is the busiest park in the State of Wisconsin and recently USA Today ranked Devil's Lake the 5th best state park in the US.  If you've hiked at Devil's Lake or even if you've had a picnic along its lakeshore, chances are you've stepped onto the 10.9 mile Devil's Lake Segment of the IAT in Sauk County.

June Hike on the Gibraltar Segment of the Ice Age Trail

While hiking the Lodi Valley / Baraboo Hills Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail last winter, I decided to save a couple special miles to hike with my family. The Gibraltar Segment offers gorgeous views from the hills overlooking Lake Wisconsin. It also leads to the  Merrimac Ferry crossing on Lake Wisconsin, which happens to be a required portion of the 1,000+ miles to have officially hiked the Ice Age Trail.

Connecting Route from County Road X to Levee Road

A break in the frigid weather provided the perfect February day to complete the connecting route between the Sauk Point and Portage Segments of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Starting mid-route from the parking area at the Lower Narrows historical marker on Wisconsin State Highway 33, I headed south to County Road X and back. Eagles and hawks soared overhead.

Ice Age Trail Connecting Route from Parfrey's Glen to Hwy 33

An upturn in the weather provided a perfect February day to walk 14.3 miles (23 km) of the connecting route between the Sauk Point and the Portage Segments of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Views of old barns, the surrounding hills, and Devil's Head kept things interesting. For the first time this year, I spotted deer on my hike. Another beautiful day in Wisconsin.

Pine Island State Wildlife Area and Pine Island Savanna State Natural Area

The Pine Island State Wildlife Area and Pine Island Savanna State Natural Area are part of the connecting route between the Sauk Point Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail and the Portage Segment. The Caledonia Levee runs along Levee Road between the road and the Wisconsin River through the Pine Island Areas. Although there are no designated hiking trails through these areas, hiking is allowed. Today's total hike out and back was 15.5 miles (25 km).

Roznos Meadow, Merrimac Segment, and Connecting Route to Ferry Landing

Love the beauty of the bluffs at Devil's Lake State Park? How about the slippery ice and snow covered rocks on the ascents and descents? Two sections of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail offer fantastic views of the bluffs and surrounding hills without the slippery climb. The Roznos Meadow Trail and the Merrimac Segment provide easy hiking terrain with views of hills and bluffs in all directions.

January Hike on the Sauk Point Trail

The Sauk Point Trail is part of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, and travels east-west between Parfrey's Glen and Hwy 113 through the Devil's Lake State Park. It is located 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Baraboo, WI. The Sauk Point Trail is 4.5 miles (7.2 km) in length according to the map, 4.2 miles (6.8 km) according to the signage at the park, but only 3.9 miles (6.3 km) according to my GPS app. If you don't bring 2 cars, plan on hiking a total of about 7.8 miles (12.6 km) out and back.

January Hike on the Johnson Moraine Loop Trail

As I day hike my way through the Devil's Lake segment of the Ice Age Trail, I am in awe of Devil's Lake State Park's beauty, even on grey winter days. If we get much more snow, the Johnson Moraine portion of the Ice Age trail will be groomed for cross country skiing and therefore closed to hikers. Because the trail is not currently closed to hiking, I decided to hike the Johnson Moraine Loop starting from the Ice Age Trail parking area on Highway 113.

New Year's Day Hike 2015

Devil's Lake is the largest state park in Wisconsin, extremely busy in season, and beautiful even in January. The park is 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Baraboo, WI and contains over 29 miles (46.7 km) of hiking trails. While much of the world stayed awake until midnight New Year's Eve, I went to bed early and started 2015 the best way possible. Hiking!

Devil's Doorway

A few weeks ago I set out to hike around Devil's Lake and ended up adjusting my plans due to a thick layer of hard packed ice and snow covering steep, rocky portions of the trail. Today I headed back to hike around the lake and check out the Devil's Doorway.

Day Hike on the West Bluff Trail at Devil's Lake State Park

Devil's Lake is the largest state park in Wisconsin, one of the busiest, and incredibly beautiful.  Starting from the North Shore, the loop to the top of the West Bluff returning along the lake shore makes for a beautiful hike.