mukwonago river unit of the kettle moraine state forest - mukwonago, wi
This local hike was recently recommended by Marie, a website subscriber, so I thank her for the recommendation. It's a good one! You may have heard of Rainbow Springs. Decades ago, it was built as the Rainbow Springs Country Club, a 756 room hotel and convention center, along with a golf club, and 18-hole golf course. Construction began in the 1960's, but by 1973, it was mired in debt and never opened. Eventually, through a series of events, in 2012 the 970 acres became the property of the Wisconsin DNR, and were made available to the public for multiple recreational uses.
The forest resides both in Waukesha and Walworth counties. The golf course was open to the public for the first couple years the DNR managed the property, but has since been closed, and the course is now abloom with wildflowers like goldenrod, milkweed, and asters, to name just a few.
The trees on the property have grown in stature over the years, and the lakes are as pristine as ever. Standing on the sandy shore of the lake, you can see clear through to the bottom, watching as fish swim by. Locals enjoy walking their dogs on the paved trails here, and taking them for a swim in the lake. I plan to go back this fall, as I imagine the autumn colors surrounding the lake will be incredible.
The day I visited there were two kayakers enjoying the watershed. And I met a gentleman on his way out from a swim. The property is open to the public for hiking, wildlife viewing, hunting (in season), fishing, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. Proper hunting and fishing licenses are required.
The original paved drives into the resort property serve as walking trails, with other more wild spurs going off around the lake and into the woods. I didn't have a chance to check those out as daylight was fading, but there's plenty to explore here.
The resort and club house are both gone, taken by fire over the years. Some remnants may remain on the property, but I did not see them myself this time out. If you're curious, you can take a deep dive into the history of the resort by visiting a collective page about it on Facebook, or searching for it on YouTube. There's plenty of interesting tidbits on the web about it.
I'm just grateful that the land was preserved as a natural resource. In that case, we all benefit.
Open daily, year-round, from 6am - 11pm.
There are no restrooms on-site.
Dogs are welcome.
Presently, there is no admission fee or park sticker required.
Location: County Trunk Hwy Lo, Mukwonago, WI (Waukesha and Walworth County)
For more information click here and here.
The forest resides both in Waukesha and Walworth counties. The golf course was open to the public for the first couple years the DNR managed the property, but has since been closed, and the course is now abloom with wildflowers like goldenrod, milkweed, and asters, to name just a few.
The trees on the property have grown in stature over the years, and the lakes are as pristine as ever. Standing on the sandy shore of the lake, you can see clear through to the bottom, watching as fish swim by. Locals enjoy walking their dogs on the paved trails here, and taking them for a swim in the lake. I plan to go back this fall, as I imagine the autumn colors surrounding the lake will be incredible.
The day I visited there were two kayakers enjoying the watershed. And I met a gentleman on his way out from a swim. The property is open to the public for hiking, wildlife viewing, hunting (in season), fishing, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. Proper hunting and fishing licenses are required.
The original paved drives into the resort property serve as walking trails, with other more wild spurs going off around the lake and into the woods. I didn't have a chance to check those out as daylight was fading, but there's plenty to explore here.
The resort and club house are both gone, taken by fire over the years. Some remnants may remain on the property, but I did not see them myself this time out. If you're curious, you can take a deep dive into the history of the resort by visiting a collective page about it on Facebook, or searching for it on YouTube. There's plenty of interesting tidbits on the web about it.
I'm just grateful that the land was preserved as a natural resource. In that case, we all benefit.
Open daily, year-round, from 6am - 11pm.
There are no restrooms on-site.
Dogs are welcome.
Presently, there is no admission fee or park sticker required.
Location: County Trunk Hwy Lo, Mukwonago, WI (Waukesha and Walworth County)
For more information click here and here.
All photos, blog posts, and content are copyright (c) 2014-2024 Kimberly Mackowski, unless otherwise noted. |
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