Lapham Peak Trails
Kettle Moraine State Forest, Lapham Peak Unit, Wisconsin Trail Guide

Trail Facts

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Synopsis

Trail Review

LOCATION

W329 N846 County C
Delafield, WI 53018

TRAILS

Grooming: Classic & skate. Multiple loop trail system.
Night Skiing: a 4 kilometer loop is lit for night skiing, Monday through Saturday, from 4pm to 10pm.
Snowshoe Trails: Yes. Two trails: the Prairie Trail loop (7.2 km), and a 9km section of the Ice Age Trail are located inside the Lapham Peak Unit.

TRAIL NOTES

Lapham Peak features 27.8 kilometers of groomed cross-country ski trails in an overlapping, stacked-loop system. This is the most-visited cross-country ski trail in southern Wisconsin. The trails meander through a beautiful moraine landscape of rolling hills, hardwood and conifer forests, and scenic meadows.

Several factors contribute to the parks popularity. First, location; Lapham Peak is located just 26 miles from downtown Milwaukee, 50 miles from downtown Madison, and 114 miles from downtown Chicago. Next, you have a well layed-out trail system in a beautiful setting with a pleasant variety of terrain and scenery. And finally, you have a dedicated and talented non-profit organization - the Friends of Lapham Peak - that has developed, and continues to develop and maintain, the wonderful trails and facilities located here (in conjunction with the Wisconsin DNR).

The difficulty of the trails varies considerably. Three trails are suitable for novices: Man-made Snow (1.5k), Meadow Trail (3.2k), and the Kame Terrace Trail (3.2k). Both the intermediate-level Kettle View Trail (9.3k) and the advanced-level Moraine Ridge Trail (10.6k) are excellent trails to train for the Birkie or your next loppet.

All the trails are groomed several times a week for classic and skate with Ginzu and Yellowstone Track grooming equipment. Most of the skating lanes are wide enough for two people to ski abreast without ever coming into contact with the classic tracks.

Lapham Peak is the only Wisconsin DNR property that has snowmaking for cross-country ski trails. The snowmaking covers a 1.5 km loop named the ‘Man-Made Snow Trail’. In addition, a 4 kilometer loop is lit for night skiing, Monday through Saturday, from 4pm to 10pm.

The bicycle and ski shop, ´Wheel and Sprocket´ in nearby Delafield provides on-site equipment rentals on Tuesdays and Fridays from 4pm to 9pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 5pm.

The Prairie Trail and a 9 kilometer section of the Ice Age Trail are open to snowshoers and hikers in winter. The Prairie Trail offers a 7.2 km, winding loop-route through several scenic areas of Lapham Peak including: the Schoeninger Savannah, Timms Woods, and Evans Prairie.

There are two paved parking lots, restrooms and drinking water. The Evergreen parking lot has a heated warming shelter and is the main cross-country ski trailhead for the Man-Made Snow Trail, Meadow Trail, Kettle View Trail, and the Moraine Ridge Trail. The snowshoe trails are also accessed from this trailhead. The Homestead Parking Lot is the trailhead for the Kame Terrace Trail, with access to the Kettle View Trail and the Moraine Ridge Trail.

Lapham Peak plays host to: three local high school cross-country ski teams, ´The Lapham Loppet´, an annual 11k race held on the third Saturday in January, and a weekly race series in January and February for middle school, high school and masters skiers. Several candlelight ski events are also held here each winter.

LAND OWNERSHIP

The entire trail lies within the Kettle Moraine State Forest, Lapham Peak Unit, WI DNR

PARTNERSHIP / TRAIL MANAGEMENT

Friends of Lapham Peak

FEES

Wisconsin DNR Vehicle Admission Sticker Required
WI License Plate Daily: $8
WI License Plate Annual: $28
Out-of-State Daily: $11
Out-of-State Annual: $38

Wisconsin State Trail Pass also required (16 or older)
Daily: $5
Annual: $25

FACILITIES

Parking, warming building (heated), water, restrooms
On-Site Equipment Rentals: Yes; Mon - Fri: 4pm-9pm; Sat-Sun: 9am-5pm.

IN THE AREA

Motels, food, gas, retail sporting goods, equipment rentals (Delafield, Waukesha)

DIRECTIONS

On Highway 94 between Madison and Milwaukee, take the Delafield Exit and drive south on County Highway C for 0.9 miles to the park entrance of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, Lapham Peak Unit.

TRAIL INFORMATION

Website: Kettle Moraine State Forest - Lapham Peak Unit
Phone: 262.646.4421 Trail info-line (Kettle Moraine State Forest, Lapham Peak Unit)