Dane County Winter Fun Extravaganza

Event Description

Join the Ice Age Trail Alliance, Lussier Family Heritage Center and Dane County Parks at the Winter Fun Extravaganza! The event will be a great opportunity to get outside this winter. Ice Age Trail Alliance volunteers will be at the snowshoe area to help attendees with gear and questions. Alliance members will also have maps, stickers and bandanas for everyone who comes by to say hello.

Here is a list of fun things that will be going on that you can participate in.

Sledding – A few sleds will be available at first come, first serve basis.
Warming Shelter Fire – We will light up the fire in the warming shelter and be providing s’mores with a donation to our environmental education programs.
Snowshoeing – Snowshoe rentals will be $5 a pair to use during the event on a first come, first serve basis.
Permit Free Weekend for Cross County Skiing!
Bonfire – We will have a bonfire going at the shelter and be providing s’mores and hot chocolate with a donation to our environmental education programs.
Snow free play! Use our igloo bricks to build an igloo, make snow people and more!

This is a free event open to the public, no registration is required. This event is weather dependent, check Dane County Parks’ Facebook event page and other social media platforms for cancelations.

Location

Indian Lake County Park

8183 State Highway 19
Cross Plains, WI 53528
Get Directions

Contact

heritagecenter@countyofdane.com

*Image credit: Lussier Family Heritage Center, Dane County Parks

Guided Hike- Springfield Hill

Enjoy a nice wintertime hike! There is not quite enough snow to use snowshoes, but that won’t stop us from having lots of fun. Come out for a nice time!

[CANCELLED] Snowshoe Hike- Liebetrau Prairie

This event is cancelled due to weather. Please check back for more group hike opportunities!

Enjoy a nice wintertime hike, and if there is enough snow (fingers-crossed) we will be using snowshoes. Come out for a nice time!

Trailtessa 2024: Be BLISSFUL

Be BLISSFUL

February 17, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Hartman Creek State Park, Waupaca/Portage Counties

Cost: $20/attendee, Girls under 18 are free

Pure Bliss. Embrace all that winter has to offer! Join the Ice Age Trail Alliance at Hartman Creek State Park for a morning hike. Make new friends, warm your hands at a post-hike bonfire, and enjoy homemade, locally-sourced AMAZING soup and bread from female-owned 13 Chairs in Amhurst.

10:00 am – 1:00 pm Snowshoe Hike (lunch included after the hike)

*2-mile guided snowshoe hike along the Hartman Creek Segment. Snowshoes will be available for attendees to use if needed.

Registration fee is non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, we will consider it a donation to the Alliance.

Trailtessa [treyl-tes-sah], noun: a woman or girl who gets out on the Ice Age National Scenic Trail to experience adventure, freedom and a new way to be. Trailtessa Retreats are events designed by women for women. Re-discover YOU with plenty of permission. Be any way you want to Be. Trailtessa events were created in conjunction with the REI Force of Nature initiative.

We love dogs, but we ask that you not bring them to Trailtessa events.

Trailtessa 2023: Be BLISSFUL

Be BLISSFUL

February 18, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Hartman Creek State Park, Waupaca/Portage Counties

Pure Bliss. Embrace all that winter has to offer! Join the Ice Age Trail Alliance at Hartman Creek State Park for a morning hike and/or an afternoon Intro to Winter Camping workshop. Make new friends, warm your hands at a post-hike bonfire, and enjoy homemade, locally-sourced treats from female-owned Gypsy Moon Catering. Registration (non-refundable) fee required for the hike and the workshop.

10:00 am – 1:00 pm Snowshoe Hike (lunch included after the hike)

*2-mile guided snowshoe hike along the Hartman Creek Segment. Snowshoes will be available for attendees to use if needed.

1:00 – 4:00 pm Introduction to Winter Camping Workshop* (lunch included before the workshop)

*Join the Ice Age Trail Alliance and instructor Chris McCart for this introduction to winter camping. Chris is new to Wisconsin but an old-timer in outdoor adventure education! She started a new job as an Assistant Professor of Interpretation at the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point this year. Previously, she coordinated the Outdoor Education Program at Black Hills State University, where she taught a variety of outdoor leadership courses, including backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, fly fishing, LNT Outdoor Ethics, rock climbing, orienteering, cross country skiing, and winter camping. Chris loves introducing folks to outdoor pursuits and helping them achieve their goals, whether that is dabbling or diving in! Attendees will learn about gear and what to pack (including demos and hands on activities), risk assessment, and lots of time for Q&A.

Register for either the hike or the workshop, or both. Registration fee is non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, we will consider it a donation to the Alliance.

$20.00 Snowshoe Hike Attendee
Free Girls under 18: Snowshoe Hike
$20.00 Intro to Winter Camping Workshop Attendee
$10.00 Girls Under 18: Intro to Winter Camping Workshop
$30.00 Snowshoe Hike AND Intro to Winter Camping Workshop Attendee
$10.00 Girls Under 18: Snowshoe Hike AND Intro to Winter Camping Workshop

We love dogs, but we ask that you not bring them to Trailtessa events.

Thank you Trailtessa partners:

Winter Hikes and More this December!

Posted on December 9, 2021

Winter beauty on the John Muir Park Segment. Photo by Alyssa Kohls.

Our volunteer chapters are hosting winter hikes and snowshoeing excursions all month long!

Revel in the restful quiet of a snow-covered landscape. Feel the crunch of snow under foot, or snowshoe. Take advantage of leaf-off season to admire expansive landscapes of glacial features.

Hike under the full moon on the winter solstice, go for a festive jaunt with Santa, explore your favorite Segments of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail transformed into a winter wonderland.

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