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

Winter Solstice Hike – Springfield Hill Segment

Join the fun on Thursday, December 21, 2023 to celebrate the Winter Solstice on the Ice Age Trail! 

Details

Dress for the weather. Headlamps and/or flashlights will be needed. There are no bathroom facilities available at the Springfield Hill Segment.

After the hike, enjoy FREE hot cocoa provided by the Dane County Chapter of the Ice Age Trail Alliance. All are welcome, including well-behaved and leashed dogs.

Springfield Hill Segment
This segment, a short loop that can be hiked in either direction, highlights the 198-acre Springfield Hill Natural Resource Area. This property consists of steep wooded valleys, glacial kettle ponds, and open meadow. The stunning prairie changes with the seasons and demonstrates what’s possible through extensive and ongoing restoration efforts. The Trail’s route provides outstanding views from atop Springfield Hill, one of the highest points in the area.

Photo by Joe Ulmer. 

Beware of Icy Hiking Conditions!

Ice Age National Scenic Trail, Ice Age Trail Alliance, Icy Winter Hiking

Icy trail conditions like these along the popular Straight Lake Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail call for winter traction devices! Photo by Dave Caliebe.

Don’t put summer fun in jeopardy by taking an otherwise preventable fall on an icy trail.

Many favorite, well-loved, and well-used segments of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail become extremely icy during the late winter and early spring.

Snowy trails, packed down by many feet, turn to ice and become even more dangerous as balmy daytime temperatures lead to thawing and evening temperatures dip back into freezing range.

To be prepared for potentially hazardous hiking, the use of ice cleats and hiking poles (with rubber tip removed) is strongly recommended for safe spring hiking (which in some areas extends well into “Muddy March” and even mid-April). Continue reading