There was snow in the Kettle Moraine State Forest for the hottest (ahem, coldest?) minutes, and I wasn’t about to waste it.
My destination: Scuppernong trails in Southern unit of Kettle Moraine State Forestsouth of Dousman. The trails are some of my favorites in southeastern Wisconsin because they pass through attractive pine plantations, offer loops that can be completed in an hour or two, and aren’t too far from Milwaukee.
The trails were previously groomed for cross-country skiing, but in 2017 the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced they would no longer be tracked and would be open to hikers, snowshoers and pets, as well as skiers.
“The decision to discontinue Scuppernong was based on a number of reasons,” Brian Lemke, deputy forest superintendent, said in an email.
He stated that in the southern part of the National Forest there is no dedicated trail for snowshoeing and winter hiking, with the exception of the Ice Age Trail, which is not a loop and is narrower. There are two mountain bike trail systems in the forest, the John Muir and Emma Carlin trails, which are open to hikers, but the growing popularity of fat tire bikes means there is more conflict between hikers and cyclists on these trails.
There are two other trail systems in the South Unit that are still skiable – Nordic and McMiller – and Lemke said Nordic trails are the most popular and used most, even when Scuppernong was groomed. The McMiller system just got a novel warming shelter, plus it’s the only place in southeastern Wisconsin for biathlon training, making Scuppernong a prime candidate for a hiking/snowshoeing system.
Fluffy, airy snow provided a serene backdrop to a recent hike along the trails. With only a few inches on the ground, snowshoes were not needed. Some skiers tried their luck in the shallow snow, cutting narrow, parallel lines into the trail I followed.
As I set out from the trailhead, the wind blew the snow from the pine branches, the pliable snow cushioned my steps, and the elevated pines stood guard over the trail.
From the trailhead, I followed the combined red, orange, and green loop in a counterclockwise direction. The one-way traffic signs on the trail are a remnant of the system’s past as a ski system.
Trail junctions are well marked – this is another product of the ski system. At the first intersection, I continued along the green loop, the longest route in the system, 7.9 km long. The other two loops – the orange one at 7.1km and the red one at 2.3km – provide shorter options. The Ice Age Trail, marked with yellow signs, also passes through the system but does not loop. Pay attention to maps and trail markings so you don’t get lost.
At the northern end, the system meanders along the Pinewoods Campground. Closed in winter, the campsite is almost as peaceful in summer, with the entire loop designated as a 24-hour peaceful zone.
One of the best things about winter hiking is seeing landscapes obscured by leaves during the sultry months. On the Scuppernong trails, this means a full view of the forest’s rolling glacial topography: steep-sided moraines and deep cirques dotted with bare, hardwood.
As I rounded a bend in the path, I noticed something too shiny to be natural – ornaments and garland hanging from a miniature oak tree. There were several Christmas cards on its trunk in a plastic bag.
“I think I will never see anything more beautiful than a decorated tree, it’s been 31 years,” wrote someone signed as CTLF in one of them.
I tend to be a supporter of a Leave No Trace outdoor policy, or LNT – a set of ethical principles that encourage people to minimize their impact on land and leave outdoor space as they found it. But in this case I agreed with CTLF. Hopefully whoever put up the decorations will come back to remove them at some point, but for now it’s a fun surprise to find a decorated tree in the middle of the forest.
Just beyond the tree, a brief side trail led to an overlook overlooking the Kettle Moraine to the west – a great place to watch the sunset.
That wouldn’t happen for another two hours, so I headed back to the trailhead, passing only one other hiker on the trails in almost two hours.
The trails aren’t usually this peaceful, especially in the summer and fall when runners head to the hills for training. But winter brings more solitude on trails across the state, and with a little snow to spare, the Scuppernong trails are the perfect sanctuary to take in the beauty of the season on foot.
More information: Although the trails are no longer skiable, they are still open to skiers. If you’re hiking or snowshoeing, try to stay away from parallel trails left by skiers – the trails are wide enough to walk along.
Three other trails in the area are skiable when there is enough snow: McMiller Trails, S103-W38754, Eagle; Lapham Peak, W329-N846 County Road C, Delafield (man-made snow almost guarantees skiing all winter long); and Nordic Trails, N9084 County Road H, Whitewater.
To park at the Scuppernong trailhead, you will need a state parks sticker ($28 per year, $8 per day).
Getting there: The Scuppernong Trail is located off S58-W35820 County Road ZZ in Dousman, approximately 55 miles west of Milwaukee.
