Ice Age Trail: Stroll Along the Bark River in Hartland
March 23, 2025 | Topics: Stories
By Kris Gould
What could be more enjoyable than taking a walk alongside a babbling stream? That is exactly what you will experience when you hike the Ice Age Trail through Hartland, the first official Ice Age Trail Community. Starting from Nixon Park in downtown Hartland, if you follow the Ice Age Trail north to Centennial Park, you will almost always be following the path of the Bark River along a peaceful, tree-lined trail.
This section of the trail also passes by two other parks – Bark River Park and Hartbrook Park. Each of these four community parks offer picnic tables where you can take a break from your hike and enjoy the natural surroundings. They have restrooms and in most cases water fountains. If you are hiking with kids, there are also playgrounds.
Another feature of the downtown Hartland section of the trail is a garden and educational display on Ice Age geology at the Hartland Public Library. This stretch of the trail is a must visit!
But that’s not all the Hartland section of the Ice Age Trail has to offer. Just south of downtown are three Conservationists’ Hall of Fame commemorative sites. First is the John Wesley Powell Roadside Wetland which offers a view of the Bark River and the surrounding marsh from Cottonwood Avenue. The Aldo Leopold Overlook features trails, ponds and a view from a 45 foot glacial hill. The overlook can be accessed from the Maple Wayside. Further south, at the Cottonwood Wayside, is the Hartland Marsh. This is another wonderful hiking spot with a spur trail that loops through woods and marsh including an area known as the John Muir Overlook. The marsh is a prime location for spotting birds like the Sandhill Cranes pictured below, as well as ducks, herons and songbirds.
Since the Hartland Marsh trail passes over fragile marshland, there are several boardwalks. One section of boardwalk was recently replaced thanks to the support of the community. However other sections are still in need of repair, so be cautious! If you are able to donate towards the repair of the boardwalk, you can do that at the Ice Age Trail Back the Boardwalk website.
Hartland became the very first official Ice Age Trail Community in 2017, and the city continues to celebrate and support the trail. If you’d like to hike in the Hartland area with other Ice Age Trail enthusiasts, checkout the Hartland Walking Club on Facebook. They offer free guided hikes on the Ice Age Trail and have a Wee Walkers program for kids.
Related stories:
Ice Age Trail: Points of Historical Interest in Waukesha County
Hiking Hartland Marsh and the Ice Age Trail
Celebrating the Ice Age Trail in Southeastern Wisconsin!
Autumn Splendor on the Ice Age Trail – Milwaukee River Segment!
Kris Gould is a writer and conservation photographer based in Wisconsin.