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One of my favorite places in Wisconsin for outdoor adventure is the Kettle Moraine State Forests.  The Wisconsin glacier did wonders over 10,000 years ago and provided a wonderful playground for outdoor enthusiasts.

Cross-country skiing Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern unit as a result this makes the list

Kettle Moraine State Forest is a local favorite

The State Forest consists of several units.  There is the Northern unit which is an hour north of Milwaukee near West Bend, Wisconsin; there is the Southern unit near Whitewater, Wisconsin; there is the Lampham Peak unit near Delafield, Wisconsin; and, there is the Pike Lake unit.  Here are ten reasons why they are awesome

Ten reasons Kettle Moraine State Forest is awesome

10.  Beautiful pine and hardwood forests. Rows upon rows of pine trees tower over the adventure traveler in the Scuppernong area in the Southern unit and the Greenbush area in the Northern unit; however, large strands of hardwood forest also abound.

9.  Variety of ecosystems – The units are all state forest, but there are many more ecosystems found in the parks besides forests.  There are lakes, prairie, glacial swamps, rivers, and bogs.  Sometimes there are all of these located in close proximity to each other.

South Kettle Moraine Scuppernong bog

8.  Cool lookouts – The Parnell Tower in the Northern unit and the Lapham Peak overlook in the Lapham Peak unit have fire towers where one can climb and get a spectacular lookout over the surrounding moraines and forests. Furthermore, the Pike Lake Unit also features a lookout on Powder Hill.

Parnell Tower Lookout, North Kettle Moraine State Forest

Parnell Tower Lookout, North Kettle Moraine State Forest yet another reason to come to the Kettle Moraine State Forest

Don’t forget the kids

7.  Kid centered outdoors – The Kettle Moraine State Forests are a great place to take kids.  Each park has swimming, fishing, and camping.  In addition, no dangerous animals currently reside in the park.  Kettle Moraine is not a wilderness, therefore, the trails never stray very far from a road. These factors make these park an ideal place to take families for a safe outdoor adventure.

Swimming beach at Long Lake, North Kettle Moraine State Forest hence a great spot for kids

6.  Trails set aside for specific activities – From time to time one hears about conflicts in the outdoors between specific groups who fight over outdoor space.  For instance, hikers complain about mountain bikers and vice-versa and the same with hikers and skiers in the winter.  This is not a problem in the Kettle Moraine system due to the fact that there are so many trails in the parks that set aside certain for certain users.  In fact, one can even receive a fine if they are doing the wrong activity on the wrong trail.  This goes a long way in making everyone happy.

If you do the wrong activity on the wrong trail it will cost you $243.00; therefore, it is best to stick to the correct trail

Top 5

5.  Great backcountry and car camping – The campgrounds are very spacious and beautiful, and both the North and the South have backcountry camping shelters along the Ice Age Trail.

4.  The Ice Age Trail – Speaking of the Ice Age Trail, the 1,100 mile epic trail winds through the Kettle Moraines on its way from Door County to the Minnesota border. Due to the fact that there is a national scenic trail through the Kettle Moraine State Forest system, it makes the parks that much more awesome.

Ice Age Trail at Butler Lake in the North Kettle Moraine State Forest yet another reason to adventure in the Kettle Moraine State Forest

3.  Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive- Many travel magazines and publications list the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive as one of the best in the Midwest and the country.  One can drive from the Northern unit all the way through the other units and into the South, but there is so much to do along the way that it is best to complete over multiple days.

Anytime is a great time to drive the Kettle Moraine State Forest Scenic Drive, but do not forget winter

2.  Activities galore – There is just about every outdoor activity imaginable in the Kettle Moraine system.  It is not just about quantity of activities either as the quality of each experience is impressive.  Great hiking, fishing, swimming, mountain biking, scenic driving, bird-watching, camping, snow shoeing, and . . . . As a result, everyone can find something to do in the Kettle Moraine State Forest.

Here it is here it comes, number 1

1.  Awesome cross country skiing – The cross-country skiing found in Kettle Moraine is up there with the best in the country.  The Nordic Trail Blue Loop in South Kettle Moraine and the Moraine Ridge Trail in Lapham Peak are outstanding and some of the best trails in the Midwest and the country.  They are both a great training ground for the Birkebeiner Marathon in Hayward, Wisconsin.  The parks do a wonderful job grooming the trails and keeping the public up to date on conditions.  In fact, Lapham Peak even has its own snow making machine for cross-country skiing.

All Wisconsin State Parks require an entrance fee, so check out this post out for information on these fees:

Wisconsin State Park sticker and trail pass: Best adventure travel money can buy

North Kettle Moraine State Forest cross-country skiing consequently, it makes the list

Because the skiing is so great in the North Kettle Moraine State Forest it makes the list

South Kettle Moraine State Forest cross-country skiing, perhaps the best Nordic skiing in the state

South Kettle Moraine State Forest cross-country skiing for some of the best skiing in the state

Adventure on!

The goal of Traveling Ted is to inspire people to outdoor adventure travel and then provide tips on where and how to go. If you liked this post then sign up for the email newsletter. Notifications are sent out once or twice a month with what is new with Traveling Ted’s adventures. There is no spam and email information will not be shared. Other e-follow options include Facebook (click on the like box to the right) or twitter (click on the pretty bird on the rainbow above).