Wisconsin is about being outdoors, from hiking and biking to more adventurous activities, as well as all that the lakes have to offer.
Hiking The Shore Path
One of my favorite walks near Serenity is the Lake Geneva Shore Path, a trail that meanders 21 miles all the way around and along the shore of Lake Geneva. The Shore Path is not only a beautiful way to get out and experience Lake Geneva, but is also a living history record of the area marked by the grand mansions built by the Industrial Magnates and Founders that came to this area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Shore Path is a public walkway maintained by the residents along the shore and it offers close up views of historic estates, stunning homes, landscaped yards and gardens, as well as the natural beauty of Lake Geneva’s clear blue waters. Walk a portion of the path or plan an entire walk around the lake and make it a lifelong memory. Click here to get a map from the Lake Geneva Visitor Center.
Other Places To Hike
Just across Elkhorn Road is a 231 acre preserve called the Kishwaukatoe Nature Conservancy with several miles of trails through lush vegetation, rolling creeks and calm ponds. This is a beautiful place, and one of my go-to daily walks, even in winter. The trailhead is just down the street from Serenity at 251 Elkhorn Road.
Four Seasons Nature Preserve
1875 County Rd H, Lake Geneva 53147
This nature area includes an exercise dog park close to the entrance, pond, shelter, boardwalk, and an overlook tower.
Big Foot Beach State Park
1550 S. Lake Shore Drive, Lake Geneva
Duck Pond Recreation Area
300 Wild Duck Rd., Fontana
Fontana Fen
State Rd 67 & Dewey Avenue, Fontana
Bromley Woods
W5798 Greening Rd., Whitewater
Ice Age Trail – Eagle Trailhead
Take Rte 67 just a short drive north to a town called Eagle and you will be on the southern loop of the Ice Age Trail. From there you will find the trailheads to Brady’s Rocks and the Scuppermong Segment. You’ll find maps at the trailhead, or plan your hike through the National Parks Service.
During the Ice Age, 20,000 years ago, most of Northern North America was covered by colossal ice sheets. The effects of the advancing and retreating of these glaciers can be seen throughout some of the most picturesque parts of the northeastern United States, but nowhere is the glacier’s mark upon the land more impressive than in Wisconsin.
As the ice moved it picked up sand, rocks and boulders and scraped and gouged the land leaving behind Striations, Drumlins and Moraines, and as the ice melted it left impressions and cracks that created our lakes, marshes and bogs. The Ice Age Trail is a 1200 mile long footpath along the entire length of the Moraines that edge Wisconsin’s glacial landscape. You can find 2 trailheads near Eagle, just 30 minutes from Serenity.
Cycling
There is some terrific cycling around Lake Geneva, especially if your thing is mountain biking! Let’s start with cycling around the lake, as there is a great route that avoids the highways.
You can ride right from Serenity all the way around the lake, a little over 20 miles on only rural roads. Maps for this ride and several others can be found on the website for Avant Cycle Cafe, a coffee/bike shop in Lake Geneva where you can get gear and coffee, or rent a bike.
The White River State Trail is an easy “Rails to Trails” project that meanders through farmland, wildlife-filled wetlands, charming towns and over a few old railroad trestle bridges. The trailhead starts in Elkhorn on County Road H (just before Pinecrest Ln, a few minutes from Serenity) and runs for 19 miles. My favorite stop on this trail is at The Pedal and Cup in Springfield. An old train depot turned coffee and ice cream shop. You can rent bikes there as well.
For more adventurous mountain biking, The Adventure Center at Grand Geneva has 8.5 miles of trails ranging from easy to expert, and Lake Geneva Zipline Adventures has more than 12 miles of trails to enjoy (both places charge a day fee), but my absolute favorite place to mountain bike is in the Kettle Moraine State Forest. Consisting of two systems; The Emma Carlin Trail System and the John Muir Trail System, together they make up 30 miles of trails from beginner to whoop-de-doo white knuckle you-better-know-what-yer-doin roller coaster! To get to the John Muir Trails, it’s just a short ride up Hwy 67 to Rt 12, turn left and take that to Highway H and turn right.
Yerkes Observatory
Every trip to Williams Bay really should include a tour of Yerkes Observatory. The birthplace of Astrophysics first opened it’s dome to the night sky in 1897 and it has been attracting people to it’s grounds ever since; from some of the brightest minds who looked to the stars like Edwin Hubble and Carl Sagan, and now, as The Yerkes Future Foundation, it is attracting people from the arts, community life, and recreation. 373 Geneva St., Williams Bay. www.yerkesobservatory.org
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