50 Hikes in Wisconsin: Short and Long Loop Trails Throughout the Badger State

Hiking and backpacking in the Badger State, for hikers of all abilities.

Hikers of all ages and abilities in the Badger State will find traversing the statewide trails in Explorer's Guide 50 Hikes in Wisconsin to be an educational as well as a recreational opportunity. The 50 trails relate to both the natural and cultural history of the area. It takes only a few minutes to drive from the largest forested region in the state―the Chequamegon-Nicoler National Forest―to the Apostle Islands Lakeshore. Some of the best hiking in the state is accessible within a half hour's drive of downtown Milwaukee.

This volume's hikes fall within four quadrants: the hilly, driftless southwest; the northwest's terminal moraine and the Ice Age trail; the heavily wooded and agricultural northeast featuring Door County, Wisconsin's Cape Cod; and the southeast's glacier-made Kettle Moraine. Also, almost all of the trails are used as Nordic ski trails in the winter; others are suited for snowshoeing. In this guide, an overview chart provides at-a-glance information on the 50 hikes that range from 1.5 to just over 9 miles in length. Each hike description includes directions to the trailhead, a topographic map, and a detailed account of the route. Hikemaster Morgan emphasizes not only the flora and fauna but also what each trail has to tell people of all ages about Wisconsin and the region's past. 50 black-and-white photos, 51 maps

John Morgan is a freelance writer whose stories about natural resources and the environment have appeared in several Wisconsin publications.

Ellen Morgan is a native Badger and a food scientist. When not in the lab she can be found chipping away at section hiking the Ice Age trail.