Ice Age Trail – Skunk and Foster Lakes

Skunk and Foster Lakes Segment of the Ice Age Trail makes for the perfect trail run. Full of hills and water views to make your time on the short segment one to remember.

Location

The Skunk and Foster Lakes Segment is located near Waupaca, Wisconsin. It is conveniently located near the Chain of Lakes, a tourist destination in central Wisconsin. The segment is not far from Hartman Creek State Park, which would make for the perfect camping destination.

The day I ran the segment, I also ran Waupaca River Segment. Both of the segments are located only about an hour and a half away from my home. I had previously hiked a portion of this segment with my daughter. We hiked it in winter, and enjoyed the views of the snow covered lakes. I enjoyed it so much, I had to return to complete the segment.

The Trail

The Skunk and Foster Lakes Segment is 4.4 mile in length. It is mostly trail with a short connector road about 0.8 miles in length. Starting out from the northern end of the segment, the trail runs through the Skunk and Foster Lakes State Natural Area. The natural area contains five glacial pothole lakes. There is a parking lot located here with ample parking for several cars.

The trail starts out off of North Foley Drive and runs parallel with Sannes Creek. The first glacial lake you will approach on the trail is a Skunk Lake. Take the path down past the cat tails to the shore of the lake for some amazing views. One thing about this section is the hills, they will certainly keep you busy from start to finish.

As you leave Skunk Lake, you will find some large Wolf River granite boulders scattered along the trail. The trail loops through the natural area, making for some scenic views. As you climb up and down around the lakes, make sure to watch for tree roots and follow the yellow blazes. Emerging from the trail, you will head out on a short connector route.

The trail section begins again and you will climb up a drumlin. This section of The Ice Age Trail contains the Farmington Drumlins. It is the largest drumlin swarm along the Ice Age Trail. Drumlins are long tear shaped hills of glacial drift. Just when you think the hills are done, they keep coming. I love hills, because hills help build endurance and strength. I know I am a little crazy, but I love to see how much I can push myself.

The trail will cross another road and then hug the edge of a field for a bit before heading into a hardwoods. The trail in this section is quite hilly. I spent a lot of time power hiking versus running. Heading out of the woods to another short connector route, you will find the section terminus at state highway 10.

In Conclusion

One thing about Wisconsin, you never know what to expect for weather. Spring has many extremes warm one day cold the next. The day I returned to finish the trail in spring it snowed! It didn’t stop us from enjoying the beautiful trail though.

I loved this section of trail! Firstly there are hills, lakes and winding single track that are amazing. In addition, it is ideally located in central Wisconsin and has tons of glacial features. In short, It would make for an ideal trail run or add in another section like I did for a longer run and even more fun!