Ice Age

https://www.nps.gov/iatr/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Age_Trail The Ice Age Trail is a National Scenic Trail stretching 1,200 miles (1,900 km) in the state of Wisconsin. The trail roughly follows the location of the terminal moraine from the last Ice Age. As the route traverses the moraine, it sometimes meanders into areas west of the moraine, including the Driftless Area in southwestern Wisconsin. The trail passes through 30 of Wisconsin's 72 counties, from the northwestern part of the state to the Lake Michigan shoreline in the east. The western end of the trail is at Interstate State Park along the St. Croix River, which is the border between northwestern Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota. The eastern terminus of the Ice Age Trail lies at Potawatomi State Park, along Wisconsin's Door Peninsula off of Sturgeon Bay. The Ice Age National Scenic Trail spans 1,200 miles, traverses some of Wisconsin's finest geologic and glacial features, and passes through the ancestral lands of 15 Tribes. The Trail is built, managed and maintained by dedicated volunteers, Ice Age Trail Alliance, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, local partners, and the National Park Service. Ice Age National Scenic Trail spans nearly 1,200 miles across Wisconsin. Major commercial airports are located in cities and regional hubs throughout the state, offering access to the trail. Numerous trailheads with parking are available, allowing you to explore the trail at various entry points along the route. Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area Situated along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, the Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area offers unspoiled beauty with kettle lakes and many glacial features. Hiking, snowshoeing, backpack camping, fishing and bird watching are popular activities. The David R. Obey Ice Age Interpretive Center houses first-class glacial, cultural and natural history displays. Devils Lake State Park Situated along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, Devil's Lake State Park offers magnificent views from 500-foot quartzite bluffs overlooking a 360-acre lake. Visitors enjoy nearly 30 miles of hiking trails, lakeshore picnic areas, swimming beaches, paddling opportunities, and year-round naturalist programs. Interstate State Park Visitor Center Interstate is Wisconsin's oldest state park, established in 1900. Located along the picturesque St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, the park provides scenic views of the river and the steep-sided gorge known as the Dalles of the St. Croix. The Ice Age Interpretive Center features a film, photographs, murals and information about Wisconsin's glacial history. Kettle Moraine State Forest Visitor Center The first and largest unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest offers year-round recreation among world-famous glacial landforms. Visitors can swim at three beaches, enjoy challenging mountain biking trails or groomed ski trails, hike the Ice Age Trail, take in a nature program, or just escape among 30,000 acres of rolling, wooded hills and prairies. The Ice Age Visitor Center is open all year. The forest has over 350 campsites, including family, group, equestrian and backpack opportunities. St. Croix National Scenic Riverway The Ice Age National Scenic Trail passes through the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway north of St. Croix Falls. Camping Opportunities There are camping opportunities, both public and private, along much of the 1200-mile route of the trail. Additional information and a map of locations is available through the Ice Age Trail Alliance. Glacial Erratic Boulder on Harwood Lake Segment of Ice Age National Scenic Trail Photograph of a large glacial erratic boulder in autumn with trees covered in colorful foliage and f Glacial Erratic Boulder on Harwood Lake Segment of Ice Age National Scenic Trail Chippewa Moraine Segment of Ice Age National Scenic Trail Photograph of an autumn prairie scene with rolling hills edged by trees under a partly cloudy sky. Chippewa Moraine Segment of Ice Age National Scenic Trail Ice Age Trail Sign Photograph of “Ice Age Trail” sign surrounded by a forest with autumn foliage. Ice Age Trail sign on the McKenzie Creek Segment of Ice Age National Scenic Trail Gibralter Rock expansive view as seen from atop Gibraltar Rock The view extends for many miles from atop Gibraltar Rock. Felsenmeer in Ice Age National Scenic Trail Blue Hills Segment Photograph of a forest scene with a V-shaped boulder-strewn valley. Blue Hills Felsenmeer in Wisconsin. Ice Age National Scenic Trail Road Sign Photograph of “Ice Age Trail” sign surrounded by a forest with autumn foliage. Ice Age National Scenic Trail sign near the McKenzie Creek Segment Yellow Blaze Marking the Ice Age National Scenic Trail Photograph of a yellow rectangular blaze painted onto the trunk of a tree. Yellow blazes indicate that you are on Ice Age National Scenic Trail Trail On Straight Lake Segment of Ice Age National Scenic Trail Photograph of leaf covered trail in autumn. Trail on the Straight Lake Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Pine Lake Segment of Ice Age National Scenic Trail Photograph of an autumn prairie scene with a grassy trail meandering into the distance. Trail on the Pine Lake Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail Trail On Harwood Lake Segment of Ice Age National Scenic Trail Photograph of autumn forest scene with dirt trail littered with colorful leaves leading into forest, Trail on the Harwood Lake Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail 2014 Recipients: George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service Discover the inspirational stories and amazing dedication of volunteers honored with the 2014 Hartzog Award. Volunteer Thelma Johnson standing with her cooking equipment 2011 Recipients: George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service Meet the six winner of the 2011 Hartzog Awards, which celebrates the amazing contributions of volunteers to our national parks. Youth volunteer 2017 Recipients: George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service Meet the recipients of the 2017 George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service. These award recipients are recognized for their exceptional dedication and service to parks and programs. Boy outside holding a tool onto a wooden post. 2020 George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service Each year nearly 300,000 volunteers across the National Park Service (NPS) donate more than 6.5 million hours of service, for a value of more than $185 million. Through their extraordinary work and dedication, these volunteers make an exceptional contribution to their parks and communities. We are pleased to congratulate the national recipients of the 2020 George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service. Photo of Tom and Karen Hartley dressed in period clothing standing and smiling outdoors. Volunteer Story: Ice Age Trail Alliance Staff and volunteers of the Ice Age Trail Alliance were the National Park Service winners of the 2020 George and Helen Hartzog Award in the “Volunteer Group” category. They also won the award in the Midwest region of the National Park Service (Regions 3, 4, and 5). The George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service recognize the exemplary contributions of volunteers across the National Park System. People build a boardwalk within a forest with yellow and green leaves. Things to Do in Wisconsin Find things to do in Wisconsin. A sailboat on calm water near the edge of sandstone sea caves with trees growing on top. My Park Story: Jayne Ann Valley’s National Trails Day Experience Meet Jayne Ann Valley, a volunteer who joined a National Trails Day event at Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway on June 3, 2023 with the Volunteers-In-Parks (VIP) program. Working with their partners, Wild Rivers Conservancy, the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway co-managed the volunteer program called Riverway Volunteers. 2022 George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service The National Park Service is pleased to congratulate the recipients of the 2022 George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service. A montage of photos of volunteers working in a national park. Collaboration promotes efficiency in Midwest Region fuels projects In April 2023, NPS Midwest Region staff were joined by fire staff from Alaska to conduct prescribed fires in the Midwest Region. Fire activity and needs vary throughout the country, and it is a common occurrence for resources to be sent to other regions to assist where needed. Fuel reduction projects were completed in multiple Midwest Region parks, totalling nearly 4,900 acres. Smoke rises from the ground amid leafless trees. Reflecting on 55 years of the National Trails System Act: A Journey Through the Establishment of National Scenic and Historic Trails In celebration of the 55th anniversary of the National Trails System Act, learn more about these significant trails and their history. Autumn trailbuilding along the Cross Plains Segment of Ice Age National Scenic Trail Between October 18 and October 22, 2023, 268 volunteers donated 4,776 service hours to build trail along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. People use hand tools to remove vegetation in a golden-leafed forest. Prescribed Fire at Ice Age National Scenic Trail Wildland fire success story about the first prescribed fire at Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Fire burns in a field behind a sign that says 2023 Excellence in Volunteerism Awards The National Park Service congratulates the regional recipients of the 2023 Excellence in Volunteerism Awards. These nominees embody the values of service, engagement, and stewardship fundamental to our national parks. The volunteer-in-parks logo Project Profile: Planting, Thinning, & Reintroduction to Promote Health and Climate Resilience in Midwestern Forests The National Park Service (NPS) will strengthen forest resilience in Midwestern parks. Path running through an autumn forest 2016 Recipients: George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service Learn the invaluable contributions of the 2016 Hartzog winners, celebrating excellence in volunteerism. Group of school kids pointing at things in a marsh area Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds multi-park prescribed fire and fuels management work in National Park Service’s Great Lakes Fire Management Zone In 2024, fire management staff from the National Park Service’s Great Lakes Fire Management Zone, based at Indiana Dunes National Park, completed prescribed fires and fuels management projects across six different parks in four states using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding. Projects consisted of prescribed fires, mechanical fuels reduction, pile burning, ecological surveys, and natural resource monitoring. Flames consume a pile of dead limbs and logs near a brick structure.

Wisconsin's Glacial Landscape A mere 15,000 years ago, during the Ice Age, most of northern North America lay under the grip of colossal ice sheets. The eff ects of the advancing and retreating glaciers can be seen in the headlands of Cape Cod, the Finger Lakes of New York, and the hills o f M ichigan, but nowhere is the g lacier' s mark upon the land more im pressive than in W isconsin. Indeed, the State has lent its name to the most recent series of glacial advances and retreat s--the W iscon sin Glac iation lasting from about 100,000 t o 10,000 years ago. Many times during the past two mill ion years, a time also known as the Pleist ocene Epoch, the climate has fluctuated between warmer and cooler temperatures . During the colder fluctuations, glaciers formed and spread outward from Arctic areas , engulfing most o f northern North America. Each of the major glaciations has been followed by a warmer interglacial period, probably similar to that of today , during which the glac iers melted away. The glacier most recently flowed into Wisconsin about 2 5,000 years ago and reached its greatest extent, covering approx imately twothirds of the State, about 14,000 to 16, 000 years ago before melting back. The retreat of the ice front was interrupted a number of times by readva nces; the last one touched northwestern W isconsin about 10,000 years ago. The extent of this and earlier glaciations in Wisconsin is shown on the maps on this brochure. distances are called errat ics. The material frozen into the base of the flowing ice gouged and scraped th e land, leaving in some areas scratches, called striations , in the bedrock . In other areas stream lined , elonga te hills called drumlins were formed . Wisconsin's stat e capitol sits atop one of these hills. Impressive clusters of them are fou nd in the Campbellsport Drumlins Unit of the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve and in other areas, particularly southeast ern W isconsin The striations and the long axis of the drum lins indicate the direction the ice flowed. W hen the ice melted at the edges of the lobes the sand , silt, cobbles , and boulders frozen in it were released and formed ridges called moraines. Even as the glacier melted back, ice usually contin ued to flow toward its edge, bringing mo re debris w ith it. Occasionally the f low stopped, the ice stagnated , and blocks of ice detached from the glacier were buried in debris. Many of Wisconsin 's lakes lie in the depressions formed by the melting of the buried ice . The mora ines vary greatly across the state. Those in the southwest are usua lly dry, narrow ridges sitting atop the older hills at the edge of the unglaciated Driftless Area. Across the northern counties the moraines form a broad band The advancing ice was channeled into the lowlands now occupied by Lakes Superior and M ichigan, Green Bay, and the Fox River, and it was impeded by the uplands of the Bayfield, Keweenaw, and Door Peninsulas. The ice was thus split into six m3jor lobes as it flowed across the state . The Green Bay Lobe, which had few obstructions in its path, penetrated as far south as present-day Janesville in Rock County. The ice within the lobes was almost always sliding or creeping toward the edges of the glacier, even as it melted. As the ice moved it froze around grains of sand, pebbles, and boulders , picked them up, and carried them along. Boulders that were ca rri ed great of hills and hollows - a poorly drained rocky landscape dotted w ith lakes, marshes , and bogs. The Chippewa Moraine Ice Age Reserve Unit is a particularly picturesque portion of these moraines, containing numerous depressions fi lled w ith lakes, bogs, and marshes . The moraine in Waushara County in the center of the state is similarly pitted with thousands of these depressions, but most of them are dry. Th e rugged, scenic Kettle Moraine in the eastern part of the state is actually a series of moraines formed between the Lake Mic higan and Green Bay Lobes. The Green Bay Lobe also lef t a moraine in Sauk County which bloc ked both ends of a gorge in the Baraboo Hills creati ng Devils Lake. Some mora ines sta nd no more th an 30 feet above the surrounding terrain, but others in t he Kettle Moraine rise to heights of 250 t o 300 feet. of the glacier. Like drumlins, they are usually aligned para llel to the ice fl ow. The flowing meltwater spread fi ne layers of sand in broad pla ins, such as those in Langlade, Rock, and Portage Counties, that today are fertile cash crop farm ing areas . In se veral areas the meltw ater pooled , form ing large lakes w here silt and clay collected . The flat bed of glacial Lake Wisconsin , one of t hese lakes, is a marked contrast to the unglaciated hills of the Driftless A rea th at bound it s w estern side. In the Fox River valley, Lake Winnebago and Horicon Marsh are small remnants of anot her prog lacial lake--Lake Oshkosh . The torrents of meltwater released from the w asting glacier or draining glacial lake

Ice Age Trail Thousand-Miler Map and Checklist 2021-0330 Using This Map Key to Symbols Connecting Route Ice Age Trail Trade River This map was created by an Ice Age Trail Alliance volunteer based on the Ice Age Trail Atlas and the Ice Age Trail Guidebook (2020 – 2022 Editions) and updates provided by the Ice Age Trail Alliance. If you have questions, corrections, or suggestions, contact IATA volunteer Sue Knopf (graffolio21@gmail.com). Segments or connecting routes where changes have been made since the 2020 – 2022 editions of the IATA publications or are anticipated in the near future are noted on the map and in the list with a star ( ). Because the Ice Age Trail route changes from year to year as volunteers construct new segments and reroute and/or close others, hikers should refer to the IATA website (iceagetrail.org) for the most up-to-date Ice Age Trail information. The e-version of this map is available free from the Hiker Resources page of the IATA website (https://www.iceagetrail.org/hiker-resources/; see More Resources to Explore). It is a PDF file enabled for commenting so that you can write notes or mark segments you’ve hiked using Adobe Reader’s commenting tools. At full size, it is 36 inches by 54 inches. A hard copy version is available from the Ice Age Trail Alliance store (https://www.iceagetrail.org/product /ice-age-trail-thousand-miler-map-checklist/). It is 30 inches by 44 inches. Segment label with segment name, mileage, and map number(s). Mileage noted as “4.3 (0.4) mi” means that the segment length is 4.3 miles including a 0.4-mile connecting route. 4.3 (0.4) mi • 3f Connecting route label with mileage and map number(s) CR 4.5 mi • 33f Means an anticipated or actual Trail or route change since the 2020–2022 editions of the IATA publications. Bifurcation points B A Note about Mileages 65.7 The mileages listed on the map are based primarily on GPS data collected in the field. If you add up mileages and compare the totals to the stated mileages for counties and the entire Trail, you may find small discrepancies (usually not more than 0.1 miles) due to rounding error. Accepting these discrepancies, the Ice Age Trail Alliance recognizes the following total mileages at the time the map was published: • Total Ice Age Trail route, including both branches of the bifurcation: 1224.8 miles. • Total Ice Age Trail route, including the eastern branch of the bifurcation but not the western: 1142.9 miles.* • Total Ice Age Trail route, including the western branch of the bifurcation but not the eastern: 1142.1 miles. 1077.2 Washburn 119.3 (See Barron) Burnett 1023.6 * Because most who apply for “Thousand-Miler” recognition hike the eastern branch of the bifurcation but not the western (both are not required), the distances from the county borders to each terminus are based on this approach. Grassy Lake (See Polk) 8.5 mi • 7f CR 0 2.5 mi • 6f. 7f 1142.9 Tuscobia Bear Lake 11.2 mi • 8f–10f 5.4 mi • 7f, 8f Timberland Hills Area 10.9 mi • 6f CR 2.4 mi • 10f 7.0 mi • 10f Sand Creek 65.7 (58.5+7.2) Rusk 6.0 (0.3) mi • 5f, 6f Indian Creek 5.4 mi • 5f CR 4.5 mi • 1f Gandy Dancer 3.4 mi • 3f, 4f 15.5 (0.3) mi • 1f–3f 9.0 mi • 1f 12.8 (4.6) mi • 32f, 33f Wood Lake 13.4 mi • 25f, 26f CR CR 3.4 mi • 23f, 24f 15.6 mi • 12f–14f Highland Lakes 5.5 (2.8) mi • 25f 0.9 mi • 24f CR 53.6 (43.0+10.6) CR Trade River 4.3 (0.4) mi • 3f Barron (and Washburn) Parrish Hills 12.0 mi • 31f, 32f 65.8 (49.7+16.1) Rib Lake Pine Line 7.3 mi • 12f 2.9 mi • 4f Straight River CR 0.6 mi • 24f Southern Blue Hills 0.7 mi • 4f Lincoln 6.5 mi • 24f, 25f 1.2 mi • 11f, 12f CR Pine Lake East Lake 9.6 mi • 11f 9.4 mi • 4f, 5f CR 33.7 (16.9+16.8) Northern Blue Hills • Rice Lake McKenzie Creek St. Croix Falls 364.3 778.6 Hemlock Creek Polk (and Burnett) St. Croix Falls • 298.5 844.4 CR 5.7 mi • 8f 2.1 mi • 28f Harrison Hills Mondeaux Esker 0.8 mi • 3f Straight Lake 3.6 mi • 3f Summit Moraine 14.5 mi • 30f, 31f 11.7 mi • 23f 12.4 mi • 33f, 34f Alta Junction 153.0 989.9 15.2 mi • 22f, 23f CR 7.6 mi • 15f Taylor 6.2 mi • 15f, 16f CR 1.8 mi • 16f 4.0 mi (+1.7 mi retrace) • 28f 26.7 mi • 17f–19f Turtle Rock Averill-Kelly Creek Wilderness CR 5.1 mi • 28f 4.9 mi • 27f, 28f Chippewa (See Kewaunee) 5.9 mi • 39f, 40f 0.6 mi • 27f CR Door Plover River CR Chippewa River 1.9 (0.1) mi • 16f 447.4 695.5 Grandfather Falls Newwood 6.9 mi • 26f, 27f 8.4 (3.2) mi • 16f 24.1 mi • 36f–39f 10.4 mi • 28f, 29f 2.9 mi • 26f, 27f 87.2 (65.9+21.3) Firth Lake CR 83.1 (54.5+28.6) CR Camp 27 9.9 mi • 35f, 36f Langlade 6.3 mi • 29f 1.9 mi • 26f 14.5 mi • 19f–20f Harwood Lakes Underdown CR CR Kettlebowl 1.2 mi • 30f 3.9 mi • 26f 15.6 mi • 21f, 22f Chippewa Moraine 12.0 mi • 34f, 35f CR Timberland Wilderness Lake Eleven 5.7 mi • 14f Lumbercamp 1.2 mi • 30f Jerry Lake • Wausau 58.3 (20.8+37.5) 1142.9 3.5 mi • 40f D