How long does it take to complete the Ice Age Trail?

More than 12,000 years ago, an immense flow of glacial ice sculpted a landscape of remarkable beauty across Wisconsin. As the glacier retreated, it left behind a variety of unique landscape features. These glacial remnants are now considered among the world’s finest examples of how continental glaciation sculpts our planet.

The Ice Age National Scenic Trail is a thousand-mile footpath that highlights these landscape features as it travels through some of the state’s most beautiful natural areas. The Trail is entirely within Wisconsin and is one of only eleven National Scenic Trails.

But the Ice Age Trail is more than a path through the woods. It is a place for mental and physical rejuvenation, a place to unwind after a hard day and enjoy the landscape of Wisconsin. More than 2.3 million people use the Ice Age Trail each year to hike and snowshoe, to backpack, to disconnect and reconnect.

Behind the scenes, a vibrant community of volunteers across the state work to build and maintain the Trail, making it one of the country’s best hiking experiences.

Ice Age Trail Facts:

• The Trail is managed by a partnership among the National Park Service, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Ice Age Trail Alliance.
• The Ice Age Trail is open for hiking, backpacking and snowshoeing. Many segments support cross-country skiing, too.
• The Trail is not yet complete. More than 600 miles are yellow-blazed Ice Age Trail segments, and more than 500 miles of unmarked connecting routes link the blazed segments. The entire route is about 1,200 miles long.
• The Trail’s western terminus is in Interstate State Park in St. Croix Falls, Polk County. It overlooks the St. Croix River and our neighbors in Minnesota.
• The Trail’s eastern terminus is in Potawatomi State Park in Sturgeon Bay, Door County.
• The Ice Age Trail is built and maintained largely by volunteers. Please join us in caring for this remarkable treasure.
• Most of the blazed Ice Age Trail Segments fit hikers’ ideas of a traditional, off-road hiking experience. Some segments, however, lead hikers right down the main streets of Wisconsin communities. This is by design – the Ice Age Trail is meant to connect people and communities.
• Thirteen municipalities (with more joining each year) have chosen recognition as an Ice Age Trail Community, underscoring the Trail’s positive economic impact, locally. Together, the Ice Age Trail Alliance and Trail Communities promote the unique qualities that make the Trail, and the community it travels through, a meaningful destination.
• The Trail occasionally coincides with state bike trails – biking is allowed on these sections only. Horseback riding is not permitted. Motorized vehicles are not permitted (with the exception of just a few segments that share state multi-use trails).
• The Ice Age Trail began in the 1950s as the dream of Milwaukeean Ray Zillmer, who had a vision of a long, linear park winding through Wisconsin along the glacier’s terminal moraine.
• The Trail crosses over many ownership types, including private land, city parks, state parks, county forests and national forest.
• The Trail travels through 30 counties.
• One of the goals of the Ice Age Trail Alliance is to permanently protect the route of the Ice Age Trail. Every year, we purchase land with privately donated funds and grants from government partners to get closer to achieving this goal. The State of Wisconsin also acquires land for the Trail through its Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program.

Thinking about taking on the whole Ice Age Trail? Take a look at the information below to help you get started. If you have questions not answered on this page, get in touch with us at (800) 227-0046 or [email protected]

What are the main things I should consider first?

The following two items are perhaps the key places to start:

• The Ice Age Trail is currently about half-complete. Covering the entire Trail means walking along many miles of quiet, country roads.
• Primitive camping is not permitted on many Ice Age Trail segments. Sleeping arrangements from night to night will vary widely.

I haven’t hiked the Trail much. How can I get a general idea of what hiking the Ice Age Trail is all about?

Check out the pages on our website designed for hikers of all distances:

• Trail Map and Guidebooks
  
• Plan a Hike
  
• Backpacking
  

What resources do you offer for detailed hike-planning and navigation?

Research and planning are key aspects of successful long-distance hiking. The Ice Age Trail Atlas, Ice Age Trail Databook, and Ice Age Trail Guidebook contain indispensable information for hike planning. Once on the Trail, the Guthook Guides app for mobile devices can be a critical aid for keeping you moving in the right direction.

Aside from Ice Age Trail Alliance guidebooks, what other resources are available?

In addition to the official record of the Ice Age Trail recorded in guidebooks and mobile app, members of our long-distance hiking community have developed and maintain many helpful unofficial resources for fellow hikers:

• A Facebook community for long-distance hikers
• Mileage-tracking spreadsheets (some posted in the “Online Extras” section of our Trail Map and Guidebooks page) designed specifically for long-distance hikers
• Insider tips on town services, resupply info and camping options
• A poster-sized Thousand-Miler Map & Checklist you can use to track your progress

If you are interested in getting plugged in to these resources and the Ice Age Trail long-distance hiker community, send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call at (800) 227-0046. We can put you in touch with one of our avid long-distance hikers.

Are there commercial services to help with shuttling and other areas of hiker support?

Not at this time. However, many of the volunteers who lead our local chapters enjoy working to help long-distance hikers…especially when the hiker gives plenty of advanced notice and expresses gratitude for the help!