Sylvania Wilderness Canoe Camping on Clark Lake, July 2016

In the Sylvania Wilderness, blue skies, plentiful wildlife, and the relative lack of 4th of July crowds made the mosquitoes much more tolerable. After a wet Memorial Day in the Sylvania Wilderness, our dry Fourth of July weekend felt great - not a drop of rain, cool nights, and sunny days. Arriving on Saturday afternoon, we unloaded and paddled 2.5 miles (4 km) across Clark Lake to the Birch  campsite. Tucked away in a little bay, not too many paddlers ventured by and we enjoyed relative privacy despite the holiday weekend and a fairly busy scene at the put-in.

Family Camping Trip to Peninsula State Park

Peninsula State Park is located in Door County in Fish Creek, Wisconsin along scenic State Highway 42. Known as a hotspot for paddle sports, boating, bicycling, and outdoor theatrical productions at the Northern Sky Theatre, Peninsula State Park is Wisconsin's most popular stop for car camping. The park gets extremely busy, and we planned to arrive on a Sunday and leave on Thursday before the busy weekend began.

Father's Day Paddle on the Sugar River

On a bright sunny Father's Day we set out for a paddle on the Sugar River. I cast my vote for an early departure as the forecast called for hot, sunny weather. However, getting the family moving proved a challenge as our eight-year-old had enjoyed her first sleepover ever earlier in the weekend, so her tiredness slowed our pace. We finally got on the water somewhere around 11:00 am. According to my GPS we paddled an easy 8.5 miles from Attica to Albany on the Sugar River in Green County, Wisconsin. My husband's guidebook indicated something closer to 7.2 miles.

Sylvania Wilderness Canoe Canoe Trip - Memorial Day Weekend 2016

Our first family canoe camping trip of 2016 in the Sylvania Wilderness in Michigan's Upper Peninsula begins with a downpour. We paddle and portage what dry makes for an easy 4.3 miles (6.9 km) across Clark Lake and Loon Lake to our campsite, Eagle 1. Our daughter, less than pleased to have been caught in the downpour without rain gear on, puts her rain jacket on over her wet clothes. She then takes 30 minutes to drag herself across the normally 5 or 10 minute portage in the rain. It is clear we should have put on our rain gear before jumping into the canoe.

Janesville Segment of the Ice Age Trail

There is nothing like the fragrance of honeysuckle. Smelling of Fruit Loops and roses, no matter how many times I run into it on a hike, it is so fragrant I find myself looking around wondering who would wear so much perfume on the trail. Turns out honeysuckle lines the Ice Age National Scenic Trail (IAT) throughout the Janesville Segment. If you love the stuff, check out this segment in mid-May.

Camping at Hartman Creek State Park

Why do we return to camp again and again at Hartman Creek State Park? The park provides a great launch point for hiking the Hartman Creek Segment of the Ice Age Trail and canoeing on the Waupaca Chain O' Lakes. The park also has some nice trails for mountain bikes. The park is located west of Waupaca on Hartman Creek Road, south of State Highway 54 and north of State Highway 22. Due to our hectic work schedules and to much to do, we had only one night to camp and enjoy the fresh air.

Hiking the Pike Lake Segment and Slinger Segment of the Ice Age Trail

Starting from the campground at the Pike Lake Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, I hiked the Pike Lake and Slinger Segments of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail (IAT). The state park at Pike Lake offers plenty of parking options for these segments; however, a state park admission fee or annual state park sticker is required. The Pike Lake Segment of the IAT heads uphill hiked south to north, and downhill hiked north to south. As I am a back-tracker rather than a shuttler, I experienced both. The Slinger Segment is relatively flat.