SIGHTS > TRAILS
TRAILS
Some of the best hiking in the Great Lakes region is right here in the woods, prairies and state natural areas SNA) of Southern Wisconsin. Lakes Edition is your mobile guide to the trails.
FEATURED TRAIL
Cam Rock Park Is A Nature Wonderland
By Janice Redford
Special to the Lakes Edition
Enjoy this complimentary audio
article from the Lakes Edition
Cam Rock Park Is A Nature Wonderland
Want to hear more? Please visit our Sound Cloud
for other free audio articles.
Cam Rock Park is 500 acres of green spanning the villages of Cambridge and Rockdale in the eastern edge of Dane County. The park consists of three separate areas with three miles of trails that runs along Koshkonong Creek that features four bridges along the route. Day trip worthy, the parks has extensive facilities
modern shelters as well as updated playgrounds for the kids.
Cam-Rock Park is well-known for cross-country skiing, kayaking, mountain biking and hiking. Certainly, one of Cam Rock's highlights include its' restored prairies of natives species endemic to our area. And while you're exploring be sure to check out the Poetry Trail at Cam-Rock II.
New additions to the park include hundreds of newly planted tree which replaced the ones devastated by the Emerald Ash Borer. The park is well-maintained by a crew of volunteers from Friends of Cam Rock Park. The dedicated team is often around cutting out invasive species, or dead trees, and monitoring Koshkonong Creek's water quality. The creek has many natural springs key to the healthy survival of area wildlife, and replenishes Lake Koshkonong downstream.
The history of Cam-Rock Park began in the 1960s with the foresight of area citizens known as the Cambridge Foundation encouraging the purchase of land along Koshkonong Creek by attorney Donald Rumpl.
Once the foundation had accumulated enough contiguous parcels they offered the riparian woods to the Dane County Parks Commission. The County began the original construction of the trails and shelter in the 1970s.
Flash forward to today and Cam Rock Park is considered a major, staging site for mountain bike racing in the state. But you don't need a bike to enjoy this green wonderland for nature lovers of all types. Bird watching in the early morning hours is a must and pack a light bag or basket for a lunch along the quite Koshkonong Creek.
Cam-Rock County Park
Cambridge, Wisconsin
Length: 4.9 miles
Level: Beginner - moderate
Type: Loop
Trail: Multi-use
Popularity: Low to moderate crowds
Trailhead: W. Water Street, Cambridge
Some Of Our Favorite Trails
Over the years Lakes Edition has covered outdoor recreation in Southern Wisconsin from state parks to best kept secrets our reporters have written articles about many of the regions' natural highlights. Below are some of just a few of our favorites.
Please enjoy!
Have a trail you would like to recommend? Send us a line info@lakesedition.com
put "TRAILS" in the subject line.
Aztalan State Park
Lake Mills, Wisconsin
Located one mile east of Lake Mills on County Road Q the park offers a trip back in time to one of Wisconsin's earliest communities. Aztalan park's over one hundred and seventy acres of restored prairie and Oak Savannah allow visitors enough space to practice social distancing. This state park is full of numerous educational displays, hiking trails and recreations of the original stockades that once bordered the human built effigy and ceremonial mounds dating from 500 A.D. - 1000 A.D. Bordering the Crawfish River, Aztalan State park is a National Historic landmark and contains one of Wisconsin's finest restored, archaeological sites.
Open all year with new COVID-19 hours from 11 AM to 5 PM. It is an educational field trip for young and old.
And if you go, Please remember to pick up after yourself, wear a mask when passing by other visitors at a safe distance, and buy your state park sticker online!
Email: farmer@lovefood.farm
Phone: (608) 217-5387
The Glacial Drumlin Trail
Skirting the southern edge of Lake Mills offer recreational opportunities to hikers and bikers. The 52-mile trail coursing through farmlands and prairie, wetland areas, was once a Chicago and Northwestern railroad track bed running between the eastern edge Madison (Cottage Grove) and western edge of Milwaukee.(Waukesha.)
It is where the trail passes by Lake Mills that visitors with find the Zetoski Marsh, a beautifully restored, wetland of nearly 2000 and home to 200 species of species. The Glacial Drumlin Trail is open 365 days a year.
Please remember to pick up yourself, wear a mask when passing by other visitors at a safe distance, and by your state pass online.
Email: farmer@lovefood.farm
Phone: (608) 217-5387
The John Muir Bike Trails
N9097 Cty. Rd. Highlights includes 25 miles of rough, natural surface, single track, mountain bike trails fit for bikers looking for a challenge. Located north of the Town of La Grange and U.S. Hwy. 12 and south of the Town of Palmyra this most popular trail system in the southern Wisconsin region. Five different loops ranging from 1.25 miles to 12 miles.are featured. Parking, water, and vault toilets are available. One of more challenging features of the John Muir Bike Trails is one-way trail in the hilly terrain of the Kettle Moraine State Forest (KMSF) segment.
This rugged terrain, hills, and kettle-like depressions make for some tough riding and may not be suitable for everyone.
Park hours are 6 a.m to 11 p.m. daily.
Call (262) 584-5200.
