Day Hiking Trails: Great trails surround Wis.'s Adams County

Sunday, January 6, 2019

Great trails surround Wis.'s Adams County

Outcropping at Rocky Arbor Nature Park

Adams County sits at the center of outdoors activity in the Wisconsin’s Central Sands region.

Portage County, home to the Buena Vista Grasslands, sits to the northeast. The Ice Age National Scenic Trail runs through Waushara and Marquette counties to the east. Columbia County with the Wisconsin Dells tourist area is directly south. Sauk County to the southwest is home to Rocky Arbor State Park. Juneau County, on the other side of the Wisconsin River, boasts Buckhorn State Park. Wood County and the Wisconsin Rapids metro area is to the northwest.

Each of these counties offer a number of exceptional day hiking opportunities that easily can be reached from Adams County. Among them are:
• Chapel Gorge Trail (Columbia County)
• Buena Vista Grasslands Trail (Portage County)
• Castle Rock Trail (Juneau County)
• Ice Age Trail: Greenwood State Wildlife Refuge segment (Waushara County)
• Ice Age Trail: John Muir County Park segment (Marquette County)
• Rocky Arbor Nature Trail (Sauk County)
• First and Second Loops (Wood County)

Meet the Author

My name is Rob Bignell. I'm a long-time hiker, journalist and editor. My son Kieran and I have been hiking together for the past decade. Before Kieran, I taught middle school students in New Mexico and Wisconsin, served as an infantryman in the Army National Guard, and worked in newspapers. I've won several journalism awards, from editorial writing to sports reporting. In 2001, The Prescott Journal, which I served as managing editor of, was named Wisconsin’s Weekly Newspaper of the Year. Currently I own and operate an online editing business, Inventing Reality Editing Service. After spending several years in Southern California, my son and I now live in Wisconsin on the scenic Red Cedar River.