Exposing children to nature is a great way to grow strong brains and bodies, but it’s also a way to teach an appreciation for the outdoors and talk about ways to help protect the Earth. A perfect opportunity to motivate and educate your kids to make a difference in the world is to celebrate Earth Day.
When your family is outside together, without any distractions, it’s a great time to talk about what we can do to support the environment with small efforts such as eliminating the use of plastic bags, saying no to the use of straws, recycling and re-using items and walking when possible instead of driving. Drawing the connection to our actions and how they can affect the environment is easy when we’re experiencing the sights, smells and sounds of the great outdoors and family hiking is a fun and exciting way to raise the next generation of environmentally conscientious citizens and is easier than you think.
Hiking has tremendous benefits……BUT, sometimes the planning, packing and thinking about where to hike and not knowing what to expect on the trails is enough to make any parent want to throw up their hands and crawl back into bed. Our family has set a goal to hike all 46 of Wisconsin’s State Parks and we’re often asked for nearby trail recommendations good for toddlers and kids. To share our passion around family hiking, we’ve created a list of our favorite Wisconsin State Parks within a few hours away from Madison and the trails that our kids are still talking about today:
Aztalan State Park (Jefferson, WI): With only one trail (2.0 miles) that goes over burial mounds and along the Crawfish river, it’s an easy hike with loads of fascinating history, leaving you with a great sense of how Native Americans in the area lived.
Blue Mounds State Park (Blue Mounds, WI): Flint Rock trail (1.3 miles) connected to Indian Marker Tree Trail (0.5 miles). Flint Rock is a nice nature trail with interpretive signs and interesting chert rock outcroppings. About ¾ of the way into the hike you can connect to Indian Head trail which is rocky and fun climbing.
Devils Lake State Park (Baraboo, WI): West Bluff Trail (1.4 miles) includes a steep staircase that ascends to gorgeous views then wraps around the lake connecting to Tumbled Rocks Trail (1.0 mile) with story-worthy climbing boulders. Hiker Tip: This park gets really crowded so best to visit when the weather is less than perfect. This is the most strenuous hike on our list, but little ones can do it if you go slow and plan lots of snack/water breaks.
Governor Dodge State Park (Dodgeville, WI): Stephens’ Falls Trail (0.5 mile) is a short trail with stairs leading down to a waterfall. The trail then follows a stream through great climbing ravens. Hiker Tip: Stop at the old ice house on your left as you’re entering the trail for a quick history lesson on refrigeration. This is our “go to” hike and never disappoints.
Kohler-Andrae State Park (Sheboygan, WI): Black River Marsh Boardwalk (0.25 mile) is an easy/short hike on wooden planks along the lake. It has epic sand dunes and ends at one of the best nature centers in all of Wisconsin.
Mirror Lake State Park (Baraboo, WI): Echo Rock Trail (0.6 mile) is a mostly paved trail that ends at a large rock that our kids love to climb overlooking Mirror Lake. Hiker Tip: This park also rents out canoes and has a sand beach you can row to for a quick swim in the summer.
Natural Bridge State Park (North Freedom, WI): Indian Moccasin Nature Trail (1.0 mile) boasts a steep climb, but the large natural sandstone bridge at the top makes it well worth it.
Roche-A-Cri State Park (Friendship, WI): Mound Trail and Stairway Trail (0.3 mile) connects to a stairway that brings you to the top of the 300-foot Roche-A-Cri mound. Hiker Tip: Make sure to stop at the petroglyphs along the Mound Trail which are thought to be more than 1,000 years old.
Tower Hill State Park (Spring Green, WI): The trail system starts at the parking lot and ends at a shot tower, where hikers can connect to another trail descending to the river. Hiker Tip: Kids can see where lead was mined, melted into molten spheres and dropped down a tower into the river to cool to produce bullets. Mining caves and the original tower still exist, however there are bats in the caves so avoid this section if bats are not your thing.
See you on the trails.
