Otten Preserve in Kewaskum

The 125-acre Roman and Mercedes Otten Preserve is owned and maintained by the Ice Age Trail Alliance. The Kewaskum Segment of the Ice Age Trail begins at the parking lot on Ridge Road, runs through the Otten Preserve, then continues past Sunburst Ski Area until it connects with the Milwaukee River Segment of the trail.

 

For long-distance hikers, there is a dispersed camping site about 1/2-mile up the hill from the trailhead/parking. For day-hikers, an additional 2.5 miles of trails create a pair of loops in the preserve.

 

The main segment route features forests fragmented by upland fields with spectacular views of the preserve and surrounding landscapes. From the hilltops, hikers can look for Kewaskum and Campbellsport to the north and the Dundee Kame and Kettle Moraine State Forest to the northeast. The eastern edge of the preserve abuts the top of the Sunburst ski runs, affording views of the slopes.

 

Otten is a magnet for birds, including meadowlarks, bobolinks, turkeys and several birds of prey. In spring, the woods are filled with a gorgeous display of trillium and jack-in-the-pulpit, and in late summer, there are many patches of gooseberry and raspberry.

 

Story link:

Celebrating the Ice Age Trail in Southeastern Wisconsin!

 

 

Gallery (click to enlarge)