Hiking in Wisconsin's New Glarus Woods State Park

We had planned our trip to New Glarus Woods State Park in late October. The leaves had already fallen but the hunting season within the park had closed and we could hike all the paths without being mistaken for a deer.

New Glarus Woods is an old growth forest and along its more than seven miles of hiking trails you will find ancient Oak, Elm, Hickory and Ash trees. If you go hiking in the late fall, like we did, you will see the trees without their foliage and marvel at the immense network of wood branches. This naked canopy towered over us as we hiked through the forest and the forest's ground dwellers were busy stocking food for the winter and easy to spot on the crackling leaves.

There are six marked trails within the park's 431 acres. The shortest is the Great Oak Trail. This .02 mile trail is located at the north end of the walk in campsites. Along this trail are some splendid examples of old growth Oak. We were treated to some Oak color since their leaves drop late.

The Great Oak Trail is also a good cut off point when following the Sugar River Trail Spur. The Sugar River Trail is a 24-mile multi-purpose recreational trail connecting several towns. It runs along an abandoned rail road bed. The Sugar River Trail is ideal for biking or snowmobiling but for hiking. It is a little too mechanized. The spur starts at the ranger's office and runs through the walk-in campsites and down to the town of New Glarus. Take the Great Oak Trail and skip the part down to New Glarus.

At the end of the Great Oak Trail you will be at the top of the Basswood Nature Trail. This is an interpretive nature trail with signs along its .4 mile length explaining the flora and fauna, and the park's history.

At the top of the loop is the Havenridge Nature Trail. This trail is the longest in the park at 4.2 miles. There is a guide book available at the ranger's office which is keyed to 36 markers along the trail explaining the features at each of these stops.

New Glarus Woods State Park is on the edge of what is called the driftless area. The driftless area is an area of highlands which were completely surrounded by ice 10,000 years ago but not covered. The Havenridge Nature Trail affords several good places to view this geology. Along the southern and eastern part of the trail you will be walking on a ridge overlooking the prairies below. The remainder of the trail is within the forest.

This is a diverse forest and you will be treated to many varieties of trees. Just south of County Road NN is an ADA accessible turkey blind. You can sit inside and wait for that illusive bird to come into sight.

The Indian tribes which first settled this area preferred trails which ran along ridges. This made it easier for them to spot game and escape their enemies. It is not hard to imagine those ancient people hunting along the Havenridge Nature Trail.

If you do not have the time to hike the entire 4.2 miles there is a cut off, the Walnut Trail, which you will find at the crossing to the turkey blind. This .4 mile trail cuts across the forest but will still give you a sampling of everything you would see on the Havenridge Nature Trail.

The last is the Chattermark Trail. You will find the trail head along the northern end of the Havenridge Nature Trail. This is a populated trail which runs through the main campground and past the amphitheater. However, it is wide, grassy, mostly level, and easily hiked. You can make a loop out of it by connecting to the Basswood Nature Trail and hiking north and around on the Havenridge Trail then south back to the campground. This loop would be approximately 1 mile of level hiking.

New Glarus Woods State park does allow hunting within its boundaries. There is a spring and fall season for gun and bow hunters. The park does post signs and maps warning hikers as to which trails are open to hunting. If you have questions, it is best to call ahead at 608-527-2335.

As our natural habitat dwindles it is good to know there is still old growth forest available to hike and enjoy. New Glarus Woods is a prime example of one of those forests. We can enjoy trees which were alive during our Revolutionary War. This forest was set aside in 1934 by people with the foresight to preserve a small piece of nature for us to enjoy today.

New Glarus Woods State Park is located on State Highway 69 just south of the town of New Glarus, WI and about fifteen miles north of the town of Monroe. The park is 120 miles from Chicago; 80 miles from Milwaukee; and 23 miles from Madison, WI. There is camping in the park along with a choice of lodging in New Glarus.