The Pine Line Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail is a very short 1-mile long footpath between the Pine Line multi-use bike trail and Highway 13 in Taylor County Wisconsin. This segment does not connect directly to other segments; it is separated via connecting road routes from the East Lake Segment to the east and the Mondeaux Esker Segment to the West. A primitive campground is available first-come-first-serve to long distance hikers on the IAT near the midpoint of the Pine Line Segment. Parking and restrooms are available nearby at Chelsea Lake County Park and a wayside on Highway 13.
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The Pine Segment is one of those last little segments that I had to clean up to complete my hikes on the Ice Age Trail in Taylor County. It is a very brief walk and I hiked it out-and-back from Fawn Road. The west trailhead was a bit difficult to see as it was covered in overgrown grass. Then the trail threads a very narrow route with one side railed in by an electric fence. The condition of the trail is under-hiked. The trail route is nearly invisible in some overgrown areas, but is well blazed with yellow diamonds (not rectangles) on trees and posts.
Further into the woods along this route the trail opens up and becomes a bit more exciting with turns and bends and very easy rollers. A stand of tall hemlocks creates an opening where a Boy Scout Troop has installed a campsite with a fire ring and a few benches. This site is nearby a wetland which is likely to be bug infested in the summer and it is also near Highway 13 which is loud with traffic, but it is a well located site for long distance hikers. If you can muster 4 more miles you might enjoy the undesignated dispersed site on the shore of East Lake better. But, I know that feeling when you have had a long day of backpacking and you arrive at decent-enough designated campsite … you’ll probably just want to drop your bag there on the Pine Line Segment and accept the highway noise.
Chelsea Lake County Park is a very nice park just down the bike trail and across the road. There is a nice lake with a dock, a big picnic shelter, vault toiles, and a working water pump. It’s a great scene for a picnic. And, being that this is Taylor County, it would not likely upset anyone if one or two backpackers decided to pitch a tent in the park. It’s nice to have the big picnic shelter nearby when storms are rolling through, so make a mental note that there are worthy structures to take cover in there.
It has been a great pleasure for me to hike the Ice Age Trail in Taylor County. I’m almost a little sad that I ended my Taylor County exploration on the sad and short Pine Line Segment, but it was an easy one to finish on a Sunday before heading home.
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| Ice Age Trail Pine Line Segment |
Ice Age Trail Pine Line Segment
COUNTYTAYLOR
COMMUNITIES
WESTBORO
TOTAL MILES
.9-MILE POINT-TO-POINT
DIFFICULTY
MODERATE
LOWEST ELEVATION
1530 AMSL
HIGHEST ELEVATION
1620 AMSL
NEXT IAT SEGMENT EASTBOUND
EAST LAKE SEGMENT
NEXT IAT SEGMENT WESTBOUND
MONDEAUX ESKER SEGMENT
CAMPING
Dispersed Campsite near midpoint of trail
Directions and Trail Map
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If viewing on a mobile device, open the trail map above to load into Google Maps App by touching the expand rectangle in the upper right corner.
Address for your GPS: 5245 Fawn Ave Westboro, WI 54490
| coordinates: 45.308644, -90.303904 |
| From Milwaukee | 3.5 Hours |
| From Madison | 3 Hours |
| From Green Bay | 2.5 Hours |
| From Wausau | 1 Hours |
| From Minneapolis | 3 Hours |
| From Chicago | 5 Hours |
Photos
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Chelsea Lake County Park near the Ice Age Trail |
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| Chelsea Lake County Park near the Ice Age Trail |
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| Restrooms at Chelsea Lake County Park near the Ice Age Trail |
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Making our way from Fawn Road to the Pine Line |
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West Trailhead for the Pine Line Segment at Highway 13 |
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The Pine Line Multiuse Bike Trail |
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| The West trailhead for the IAT Pine Line Segment |
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The Pine Line Segment begins along an electric fence |
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The West Trailhead for the IAT Pine Line Segment |
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Campsite on the Pine Line Segment |
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| Ice Age Trail Pine Line Segment |
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Standing at the east trailhead for the Pine Line Segment on Highway 13
Looking towards the Wayside |