chippewa moraine ice age state recreation area

We frequent this place to start our hikes on the Ice Age Trail - they are open 365 days a year, have bathroom facilities and educational exhibits including live snakes! ! Ew. The staff are friendly and helpful and have great information about the area - and of course the miles of trails on the Ice Age are awesome.

This was a great walk, 10 km in total. We were dropped off at the beginning of the trail from the main office, by some enthusiastic employee. The walk consisted manly around the lakes, and the trail itself was fairly easy, nothing to taxing, mostly flat paths until the home stretch. On our return, there was warm cider and cookies waiting, a fitting end to a long walk. staff were helpful, friendly, and very informative. Great morning out, with the leafs changing Colour in the Autumn, great a this time of year..

Nicely groomed trails, knowledgable staff at the Visitors center, beautiful country. Take insect repellent and good hiking shoes. We hiked the Circle Loop. Went past and around many lakes and moraine areas. Saw lots of birds. Met some nice people who were on the Ice Age Trail portion.

While staying in Turtle Lake, my wife and I looked for a place at the state or national level to stretch our legs. After GPS was involved, we got dropped off at Sand Creek - where the prior center was (thanks SIRI). Finally we figure out how to get to the Center.... Just get to New Auburn and stay on Cty M. For about 9 miles. The place where the center is found is beautiful....the center is very nice as well. It could be enjoyed in full in about :30 minutes. We visited on a nice day in March... So Mosquitos were not a problem. We took the short Mammoth trail -.7 of a mile that runs a nice loop of climbs and descents. A wonderful side trip that - other than the challenge of finding it - would get my highest rating.

This place has a great interpretive center, helpful and friendly park rangers and long and interesting hiking trails. Take the mosquito repellent, though, if you go during the warm months of the year. The mosquitos were relentless on our hike!

I did the Circle hike, which includes a portion of the Ice Age trail. The guy at the visitor center told me that the mosquitoes had calmed down from earlier in the summer. I made sure to spray on repellent before I went onto the trail.The trail is pretty and has a number of nice views of the "kettles" that are formed from receding glaciers (you learn about that in the visitor center). It's an easy trail with a little elevation. Trail is well-marked and easy to follow. You have to cross the main road twice, but there's not much traffic.You enter the trails behind the visitor center. As soon as you go into the trees, the mosquitoes start on you. And they never let up until you exit the trees. I tried to keep up a high pace to outrun them, but it's not possible. There's always more. I even got a picture of one when he flew in front of the camera as I was trying to get a picture. He photobombed my picture.The repellent did work, but my sweat must have washed some of the protection off. I got about 4 bites on my head. They obviously went right through my hair. Savages. Worst mosquito encounter of my life.I'd go back and hike this place again, but not without a hat, net, and full protection. By the way, the visitor center is free and the people are volunteers. I suggest donating the amount you would normally pay to visit a state park. They've done a nice job with their exhibits.

Based upon the scenery alone I would give this place 6 stars. A small but interesting visitor center with several medium length hiking trails.We went during the Summer and hiked the Dry Lake Trail. The forest you hike through is amazing - but when we went during the Summer it was absolutely loaded with bugs. Most of the hikes intertwine through small lakes, and that means standing water, and that means mosquitos -LOTS of mosquitos. Someone who had lived in the area warned us so we used a lot of bug spray but for almost and hour we were surrounded by a buzzing swarm of mosquitos. We could rarely stop to rest or take photos in fear of the swarm landing on us. At another point of the hike you come out of the forest and walk through some beautiful rolling hills - but in the Summer time there were ticks in the high grass. We each had to pick several off several ticks from our shoes and socks.So an amazing, beautiful place that during the Summer is pretty much ruined by being over-run with bugs. I would love to return in the Fall when the cool weather kills off all the mosquitos and ticks.

Get your butt moving & get outside!!This place is worth the drive. It is truly beautiful here. They have activities for the kids and adults both, the volunteers seem to truly LOVE being there, they are so helpful and eager to share their love of the great outdoors!!DO NOT PASS UP THIS OPPORTUNITY!!EVERYBODY NEEDS TO SEE THIS PLACE ---- EVERY SEASON!!!!

I started visiting Maraine ridge with my children's school groups. Now I go back with friends to hike the beautiful trails. You can really see exactly where the glacier stopped.

Just beautiful there! Children get to do a scavenger hunt, but best of all the volunteers at the area go through each item they found and talk with the child about it. What a learning experience! Having an opportunity to touch and hold some of the snakes and turtles is very exciting, and very memorable. Hiking and all the education with in the whole area is just great. Everyone should take time out to enjoy and learn about the area.

My boyfriend and I come hiking here all the time. The gentleman who usually volunteers in the visitor's center is extremely personable and always has great information on trail conditions. The animals in the center are also fun to look at and represent range of animals found in the moraine. The best part about the Chippewa Moraine is that dogs are allowed off leash. We love taking our dogs for hikes and they love running free!

The moraine is a geological formation that dates from the end of the Ice Age. This area of Wisconsin have a very nice of those, and you can learn a lot about it just by visiting the little Visitor Center.This area has a number of trails and it is exceptionally beautiful during fall, you can have a great view of the moraine from the Visitor Center. The colors are amazing. Another thing we notice during the trail was the incredible amount of mushrooms growing in the woods, in the most diverse colors and shapes (you shouldn't touch them, but you can get great pictures).

Great place to take children. The visitor's center and the gentleman manning the desk are great. The hikes are easy but offer enough challenge for a 4 and 7 year old to make it an adventure.