Our hikes, during this portion of our 2026 ’82 Day Roadtrip’, included portions of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, both at Wisconsin’s Interstate State Park and near the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway Visitor Center in St. Croix Falls.
The Ice Age National Scenic Trail is one of the most fascinating of America’s 11 National Scenic Trails, and it is uniquely Wisconsin; almost the entire trail is within the state. It stretches for about 1,200 miles, following the edge of the last continental glacier that covered much of Wisconsin roughly 15,000 years ago. The trail is really a journey through the landscape the glacier created, including ridges called moraines, round “kettle” lakes formed when buried ice melted, winding gravel ridges called eskers, and rolling hills known as drumlins.
To the North and East: The “glaciated” look—rolling hills, thousands of “kettle” lakes, and thick deposits of gravel and boulders moved by the ice.
To the South and West: The Driftless Area (in green), a pocket of land the glaciers mysteriously bypassed. Here, the scenery changes instantly to deep valleys, tall bluffs, and craggy rock towers that were never flattened by the ice.
What makes the Ice Age Trail so special is that it explains much of Wisconsin’s scenery. The farms, forests, valleys, and lakes are not just pretty scenery — they are the result of ancient forces that shaped the land. (The Driftless Area itself was mostly missed by the last glaciers, which is why it has such a different, rugged character with steep valleys and winding roads.)
The Ice Age National Scenic Trail and the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve are related, but they’re different National Park System units.
The Scientific Reserve was established by Congress in 1964 to protect outstanding examples of landscapes created by the last continental glacier. Rather than being one continuous park, it consists of nine separate units scattered across Wisconsin.
