Adventure Travel through North Kettle Moraine State Forest via a scenic drive

June 26, 1:52 PMChicago Adventure Travel ExaminerTed Nelson

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Adventure travel in Wisconsin by taking a scenic drive tour through either the northern or southern unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forests. The scenic drive tours in Kettle Moraine are a great way to explore the two state forests. Combined, the scenic drive encompasses 115 miles and crosses through six Wisconsin counties.

The Kettle Moraine State Forests are two outdoor recreation areas located near Milwaukee. The southern unit is directly west of Milwaukee and the northern unit is directly north. The northern unit is two hours from Chicago and is easily found by taking I-94 to Milwaukee and then continuing north on U.S. 45. The southern location is located off U.S. 12 just north of Whitewater, Wisconsin.

The scenic drives allow easy access to all the hot spots in each park. What is great about the scenic drive is that from this road the traveler can choose the level of adventure they want to attain. For instance, you can drive down this road and park at a trail head and hike the 649 mile Ice Age Scenic Trail.  Too much adventure for you?  Then you can drive down the road and park at a lake and go for a swim. The road allows access to both activities and many other adventures found in between.

The Kettle Moraine parks were formed by glacial activity over 10,000 years ago. The hills and valleys were formed by the movement of the glaciers and also by deposits left by the glaciers as they melted. Along the scenic drive in the northern unit there is an Ice Age visitor center that brings this information to life. All through the park there are signs that help explain this phenomenon. For instance, at Butler Lake in the northern unit off the scenic drive lies the Parnell Esker. There is a sign there that explains how an esker was formed then you can hike on this two mile glacial formation. An esker is a snake like ridge formed from deposits left by glacial streams flowing through a tunnel in a melting glacial.In the Northern unit another highlight of the scenic tour is the Parnell Tower. This tower is about a quarter of a mile off the road, so it is really accessible for children and some senior citizens. The tower has stairs that ascend over the tree line and give a wonderful view of the forest and the surrounding glacial hills.

The northern unit also has two camping spots that are both on lakes, which is a great plus for the hot summer season. Mauthe Lake and Long Lake each have designated swimming spots and for $12.00 a night are really nice places to camp. They each have amenities including showers, flush toilets, and electricity and certain sites.  Both lakes also have piers for fishing and ramps for boating.  Keep in mind that with every Wisconsin state park there is a fee for entry if you do not purchase their $35.00 annual sticker.

Another nice aspect of the northern unit is there is the town of Dundee right in the middle of the drive. This means it is not necessary to bring in food if you do not want to. I stopped in at the D’n’D’s Country Tap right in the middle of town and had awesome all I could eat chicken wings dinner for $6.25 with an amazing Spotted Cow beer from the New Glarus brewery. This was a Thursday night special, but they run great specials all week except when it is closed on Tuesday. They even had two TVs playing hunting shows.

This summer take a scenic drive through one of the Kettle Moraine State Forests and choose your own adventure. You can use this route for easy accessibility to bird watching, hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, boating, hunting, and many other activities.