Ice Age Trail: Loew Lake Segment

Dogs Leashed

Features Fall Colors · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

There is parking available on the south end of the trail on the right side of Highway K as you are going north.

There is also a parking lot on Emerald Drive that you can use to connect with the trail via a side trail. It is located about a mile south of the northern end of the trail.

The trail is well maintained and footing is generally great. There are some areas of rocks on the trail toward the northern end of the trail may be slippery and obscured by leaves in the fall

This is a moderately trafficked trail that travels through a nice variety of ecosystems. There is a great deal of exposure on this trail while traveling through prairies, so on a hot or rainy day this might not be the best choice.

The southern end of this trail starts where the Monches segment ends at the busy intersection of County Highways Q and K. The first section of the trail starts in a pine forest, a rarity in southeastern Wisconsin. You then plunge down and run alongside a wide and still section of the Oconomowoc River.

After a short incline, you run along the perimeter of a prairie and then through a short stretch of more pines. The trail then joins with Emerald Drive, a quiet scenic highway. Take a right at the junction and follow the road for about 0.5 miles. The trail starts again on the right side of the road where a brief climb leads you to more prairies and a view of Holy Hill.

The wildflowers here in the late summer are truly spectacular. You are taken through the woods for a while, and then travel along Emerald Drive for a second time for about 0.2 miles. The rest of the trail mostly travels through rolling prairies.

There are a few junctions with other trails at this point-keep an eye out for the yellow IAT blaze and you'll be fine. After switchbacking up a forested hill, this section ends on Emerald Drive about a mile from where the Holy Hill segment begins.