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| Ice Age Trail Loew Lake Segment |
The Loew Lake Segment of the Ice Age Trail is a 4.8 mile linear footpath in the woodsy lake country on the county line of Waukesha and Washington Counties. It follows the Oconomowoc River north towards Loew Lake. Loew lake is a unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest.
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| Ice Age Trail Loew Lake Segment |
I hiked this trail on a hot and humid July morning with my uncle. It had been raining and storming almost daily for several months and the bugs and mosquitoes were predictably nasty. But aside from that we had perfect weather - a cool and sunny Sunday morning.
The trail begins near the intersections of Highways Q and K. There is a large parking lot at this trailhead which serves the Monches Segment to the south and the Loew Lake Segment to the north.
The trail begins winding on a single track through young and open forest alongside a still and mucky section of the Oconomowoc River. A brief hill leads up to a restored prairie and then releases onto Emerald Drive at a town cemetery. The trial follows Emerald Drive a short distance around an S curve and then begins as footpath again through a intermittent prairies and woods on hilly terrain.
After another short road connection we were back in the woods - denser woods with more biting bugs. This area is the Loew Lake Unit where the trail finishes out.
The combination of terrain, sunny prairies, and woods made for an enjoyable hike. We noticed many trail runners and no other hikers. It seems that the trail runners have claimed this segment. Compared to the rocky and wet trail at Monches the Loew Lake trail bed is clean and easy to walk or run on.
There is parking and a portable toilet at the Loew Lake Unit parking lot off Emerald Drive. The next segment north is The Holy Hill Segment within a short road connection from the Loew Lake Unit on Donegal Road.
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| Ice Age Trail Loew Lake Segment |
Overview: Ice Age National Scenic Trail - Loew Lake Segment
COUNTYWASHINGTON COUNTY
COMMUNITIES
MONCHES, ERIN
TOTAL MILES
4.8-MILE POINT-TO-POINT
DIFFICULTY
MODERATE
LOWEST ELEVATION
930 AMSL
HIGHEST ELEVATION
1130 AMSL
TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN
680 FT
TOTAL ELEVATION LOST
-510 FT
NEXT IAT SEGMENT EASTBOUND
HOLY HILL SEGMENT
NEXT IAT SEGMENT WESTBOUND
MONCHES SEGMENT
Directions and Trail Map
Click Map Image to load the full interactive map.
Address for your GPS: 6282 CR-Q, Hartford, WI 53027
| coordinates: 43.195030, -88.345505 |
| From Milwaukee | 40 Minutes |
| From Madison | 1.25 Hours |
| From Green Bay | 2 Hours |
| From Wausau | 2.5 Hours |
| From Minneapolis | 4.5 Hours |
| From Chicago | 2.25 Hours |
Photos
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| Ice Age Trail Loew Lake Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail Loew Lake Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail Loew Lake Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail Loew Lake Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail Loew Lake Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail Loew Lake Segment |