When I visit the Elkhorn Wisconsin area I always make time for a hike on the beautiful Nordic…read moretrails. They offer seven trails brteeen .6 and 9.2 miles, which are designated as beginner, intermediate, or advanced. The 2 mile red intermediate trail is perfect as it's about 45 minutes and gets your heart pumping with some steeper elevations.

Quiet, serene and peaceful are words that come to mind when hiking through the Nordic Trail Head. A…read morebreathe of fresh air and a totally enjoyable experience. We haven't even touched a fraction of the trails available to hike down here. This particular location is in the Southern Kettle Moraine forest and takes about an hour or so to get to out of Milwaukee. It is across the street from the famed mountain bike course, John Muir trail system. We were so kindly given some advice and it was wisely heeded. The trails we went on were excellent. Rolling hills and bluffs, some in the woods and some not. Either way we took a 4.5 mile-ish jaunt through the area and were just in awe! It was simply spectacular! Wisconsin in general has some of the best well marked trails one could ask for. We spent most of the time with our dog off leash walking the trail as the place was literally dead! I think that this trail goes slightly unnoticed because of the mountain biking trail next door. This equaled a win win for us! We will be back soon as I want to do the entire 9 mile stretch. Love some Wisconsin hiking! It is the best!

Very nice short paved hike and unique historic site. Paradise Springs is a natural spring, with 500…read moregallon per hour output. There's a nice interpretive booklet that helps explain numbered highlights. There's a cool decaying building over the springs, which was purely ornamental, the springs works whether its covered or not. The Petit (Pabst) family owned the property and put in a lot of features like a circular wading pool, a gazebo. The springs were bottled and sold until the 1960s, and another owner ran water powered electric in the early 1900s; the first house with electricity in the area. The pond is stocked w/Brook Trout for catch and release only. And across the way there's an old homestead from the 1860s which is in great condition. This is a nice short hike with lots to learn about.

Short and quick hike with my toddlers this morning. They liked picking up pine cones, exploring…read morethe old stone building and looking into the clear water. Saw a few trout swimming too!

Really enjoyed the terrain and the trail. The paths are clearly marked in some areas, but once you…read moreenter the open park, there are no signs and clear paths to continue the trail. The volunteers have done an exceptional job clearing the debris so that all hikers can enjoy a pretty lengthy distance. It's great to bring your pets along for the hike. There are a few parts where the steps and incline are quite steep-- so be cautious.

Easy segment with lots of exposure to sun. The low lying land can accumulate rain and cause a…read morebunch of mud though.

This trail is an excellent alternative to the longer, more strenuous nearby Scuppernong Trails just…read moreeast of here. But unlike those color coded trails, there's more to see along this 1.2 mile trail. Some of the springs are just mesmerizing. Seeing water bubble up from underwater sands is almost hypnotic. Other springs flow out of the ground and hillsides. Although shorter than even the shortest of the neighboring trails, definitely plan on spending an hour here, you'll be stopping often to take in the many features along the trail.

The Scuppernong Springs Nature Trail, across from the Ottawa Lake Recreation Area check in, is an…read moreeasy hike featuring dozens of natural springs, and the remnants of an old marl works plant. Differing from the other more wooded Scuppernong Trail, the Springs Nature trail is unique in its spring features and history. Check out the self guide for an explanation of natural springs, the marl plant and hotel, and the Native American settlement previously here. http://dnr.wi.gov/files/PDF/pubs/pr/PR0230.pdf The springs bubble up through the sand like something out of the movie the Labrynth, and also flow out of the hillside. It's a really unique feature. This is an easy unique hike that the whole family can enjoy.

I returned here after visiting about 30 years ago, and was very impressed with the trails. You can…read morespend many days here and still not see all the areas the park offers. We parked at the Oak Opening area and hiked down to Lake Defiance, taking the Lake Defiance Trail. We stopped at the Nature Center to see some displays and chat with the ranger, and then continued our hike. Seeing the moraines, the leftover hills and ridges from the retreating Wisconsin Glacier, 10's of thousands of years ago, was a geologic trip through time. This is a great local state park that does not have an entrance fee! (None of our state parks have entrance fees to the best of my knowledge!) This is a place I can't wait to get back to explore, right in the backyard of the Chicago 'burbs!

Very pleasant to go to. Very close to home if I just want to go somewhere with no noise. Lots of…read moretrails and just driving through it is very nice. Sometimes you can't just drive somewhere super far to sight see but thankfully this State park is here. Also it is free which is very nice.

We were driving from Madison to Kopps in Brookfield and decided to stop by this forest since we've…read morepassed it so many times. We parked at the south unit, where there's plenty of parking, and set out on the trail during the first week of September. Be prepared for mosquitoes; definitely bring repellent and consider wearing dark-colored clothing. The trails are generally well maintained, though some areas have taller shrubs. We saw a couple of Indian springs. Overall, it's a fairly easy and enjoyable hike.

The Kettle Moraine State Forest (southern unit) encompasses a few campgrounds, many hiking trails,…read moreOttawa Lake, and is home to two of the best mountain biking trails in the State. Easily accessible from Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago, it feels remote without being too far from the closest cities. I've camped in the Pinewoods Campground here for many falls- and biked both the Emma Carlin and John Muir Trails. The mountain biking is great, but (as a novice) I always bump the given difficulty levels up a notch. Medium is Difficult, etc. Ottawa Lake campgrounds is good for families who want direct access to the Lake. The Lake has a beach, a fishing pier, a dog pier, kayak/canoe launch. Pinewoods sites are actually really secluded. True to name, they're amongst towering pines. The facilities are cleaned once a day. Scuppernong Trail is a great system of a few hikes amongst the pines, and the Scuppernong Springs Nature Trail is an easy hike with bubbling springs, that the family will love.

While this was a spacious park, I don't think it's worth the daily pass fee of $7. There is a good…read moreamount of parking available and a small pond for people/dogs to play in. Checked out some of the trails but they weren't too well maintained. We primarily stopped by for a beer garden and car show. If you don't pay the fee beforehand online, you'll receive something in the mail about a month later. Surprised they charge this much considering they don't put more into their park. I'd rather check out a different free park in the area, like Whitnall.

I've been here before over the years for the trails and dog parks. You need a day or year pass for…read moreparking. The year pass is worth it if you would visit more than 6 times/visit any of the other Waukesha Parks. I went this past visit with my pup to paddle board- I personally wouldn't go again for this since it really is a pond and the water is a bit stinky and quite yucky! If we would have fallen in the water I would have been so upset so we only did one lap and then I let him play some water fetch. I do love the expanse of trails however and it looks like they have a beer garden set up as well. I'll come back just not for the water portion here

For something to get out us out of the house this last year, my wife and I seek out new trails…read moreevery chance we get. Seeking most options in Washington, Ozaukee and Waukesha Counties. Glacier Hills is one of the best. The simply fact that with the hilly nature makes it very scenic and just the right amount of challenge. The trail coming into Friess Lake is pretty special. We will be back for sure.

This park is the best. Every time I go here I meet a cool doe. And it's got some amazing foraging…read more I don't usually eat mushrooms (not in love with the texture), but if done right, they're pretty good.

Archeological site for Mississippian culture featuring mounds and stockades. Pay to park online…read moreusing your mobile. Don't miss out the museum next door. A nice short/quick waaround the site

Aztalan State Park is such a beautiful hidden gem of Wisconsin State Parks. I've been here a few…read moretimes and I really love the beautiful nature and the history that surrounds Aztalan.

I liked the mountain biking here a lot. As a beginner I found challenging trails but nothing…read moredangerous for me so that was good. I liked the mix of technical and flow on the different trails. Only lack of a star because the trails were not always labeled well causing us to get lost a couple times.

Leo (the bulldog) and I enjoyed a hike at CamRock park. Dog park permit required, fyi. You can…read morepurchase annual passes through the city/county or else buy a daily pass on-site. This park seems predominantly geared (pun not intended, I swear!) towards mountain bike riders but there are several loops that hikers can also enjoy. (Mountain bikers need a trail pass too, fyi. Daily or annual passes can be purchased on-site). We didn't come across too many other people while we were here, despite it being a gorgeous fall day. We did meet up with one dog off-leash running with a biker. Scrraaappppe!! (dragging out soapbox) Argh! I get it - for many people they think their dog is well-behaved so they don't need to be on a leash. Well, there are rules for a reason and when people disregard those and let their dog off-leash when they shouldn't, parks crack down & change rules to not allow dogs at all (um, look at most Madison parks as a prime example). People with "well-behaved dogs" forget that #1) other people may be afraid of dogs and your off-leash dog is especially scary to them and #2) other dogs you encounter may be dog-aggressive or leash-aggressive so if your dog runs up to them, oooh boy! ANYway, back to CamRock. This was a fine spot for hiking and I'd go back if I were in the area. However, if I were driving from Madison I would probably opt for Indian Lake over CamRock for a hiking trip. I would definitely like to go back to CamRock in the spring though for some mountain biking, those trails looked like fun!