The hiking, X-country skiing and mountain biking trails all start and end at the Trailhead parking lot.  This lot is located just east of the Visitor Center parking lot and is marked with a “Trailhead Parking Lot” sign.  Find the bulletin board in that lot and follow the colored arrow that corresponds to the color of the trail you want to hike or bike. Colored coded posts along the way make sure you are on the right trail.  Below is a brief description of each trail.  The trails are a series of concentric loops.  “You are Here” signs should be posted at each junction. All mileage is measured from the Trailhead lot. 

TRAILS NORTH OF HWY 142
You may hike, ski or bike (non-motorized bikes) on these northern trails. Bike riders 16 years of age and older need a trail pass. Dogs are allowed on a leash 8' or less.  When trails are snow covered, dogs are only allowed on the service roads and the portion of the Red Trail north of Hwy BB (ask for “A Guide for You and Your Dog” for rules). Ski trails are not groomed.  When ski tracks are present, please do not walk on them.

GRAY TRAIL (1.7 miles/one hour) is relatively flat with no steep grades.  Crossing Hwy 142, the trail passes a nice pond to the west before heading through a semi-wooded area.  At the turnaround point, the trail turns south through a heavily wooded area then turns east again to complete the loop and re-join the initial trail section leading back to the parking lot.

YELLOW TRAIL (4.4 miles/2 hours) is a generally level to moderately rolling trail traversing a nice mixture of grassland, woodland, and wetland. This is a good trail for birding.  The trail crosses a paved road at the north and south ends of the loop. The raised ridge portion of the trail was built as the entrance road to the planned Bong Air Force Base.  The trail exits on the west side of the ridge via stairs.

ORANGE TRAIL (6.4 miles/3 hours) this trail crosses Hwy BB twice as well as a county road at its northern end.  At the first crossing, a pit toilet, hand pump and picnic tables offer a shaded rest stop in a hardwood forest.  This trail provides benches that overlook wetlands and it winds through grassland punctuated with scattered brush.  There are wooded areas as well.  This trail gets very wet in the spring.

RED TRAIL  (8.3 miles/ 4 hours) the park's longest trail touches on many vegetative types.  On its far north end, the trail gives a nice overview of what much of the park’s topography looked like before the landscape was altered by the Air Force. After the trail leaves the west junction of the Red/Orange loops, it passes through some nice wetland areas before turning east toward the parking lot.  The northern-most portion is the best place in the park to spot bluebirds.

TRAILS SOUTH of HWY 142
You may only hike or ski on these southern trails, no bikes are allowed. Dogs are allowed on a leash 8' or less.  When trails are snow covered, dogs are only allowed on the service roads and the portion of the Red Trail north of Hwy BB (ask for “A Guide for You and Your Dog” for rules).  Ski trails are not groomed.  When ski tracks are present, please do not walk on them.

GREEN TRAIL (1.8 miles/one hour) is entirely north of Wolf Lake.  A boardwalk between two small ponds is at the start of the trail, a good place to look for waterfowl.  This trail travels through a beautiful restored prairie and a small wood lot with good spring wildflowers.  One of the finest overviews of Wolf Lake exists on the return part of the loop, just past the turnoff for the Blue Trail.

BLUE TRAIL (4.2 miles/2 hours) is one of the nicest trails, it takes you through prairie and woodland, past wetlands and around Wolf Lake.  The trail crosses the dam (near Hwy 75) that impounds Wolf Lake.  Look here for recent beaver activity.  The trail just south of the dam dips rather steeply towards the south shore of the lake.  This is an incredible place for spring wildflowers.  The trail enters grassland after leaving the shore, skirting several small ponds before crossing the paved access road to the beach.  Restrooms, water and a playground are available at the beach.

SELF-GUIDED NATURE TRAILS
Dogs and bicycles are prohibited on these trails.  The interpretive signs offer good introductory information before hiking other park trails.

VISITOR CENTER NATURE TRAIL (0.7 mile/30 minutes) is a limestone-surfaced trail.  The trail is almost completely in the open except for a small woodlot near Wolf Lake.  A boardwalk overlooks beautiful Wolf Lake.

VISTA NATURE TRAIL (1 mile/one hour) is closed in winter. This trail is not heavily used due to its isolation from the rest of the park.  Enjoy its peacefulness.  To access the trail, park at the Vista parking lot off Hwy B. The trail enters a beautiful hardwood forest, and dips slightly to the west past a small pond.  This is an excellent birding area for woodland species, especially in May.  The trail ends at a shelter, where pit toilets and a hand pump are located.

---

Additional Information:
To access the trails, you will need a State Park admission sticker. You may purchase that when you arrive.  Cost for cars with Wisconsin plates is $7/day or $25/year; for cars without Wisconsin plates the cost is $10/day or $35/year.  If you arrive when the office is closed you must self-register for an admission sticker or be subject to a fine.

What do you do if I arrive and the office is closed?            
You must self register.

Directions to self register:  There is a labeled self-registration box located next to the ice machine at the Entrance Station.  Lift the lid and there are arrows on the lid indicating which envelope to use for camping/vehicle admission stickers or trail passes or hunting.   The registration and envelope are all one form.  Please fill out the registration legibly and completely.  There is a fee schedule located on the wall of the building (just above the lid), place the correct amount (we take checks or cash) in the envelope.  Remove the top copy and place it on your vehicle dash (for camping and vehicle admission) or on your person (for trail or hunting passes).  Peel off the strip, fold it over and seal the envelope.  Put it in the slot in the yellow post.  If you want an annual sticker or annual trail pass, make sure we can read your name and address and put the correct amount in the envelope. We will mail the sticker to you.  If you do not self-register, you will be subject to a fine. 

Is it safe to use the park during the hunting season?
It is your decision but there has never been an injury of a non-hunter in the park due to hunting.  No rifles or handguns are allowed for hunting, only shotguns which lowers the chance of injury.  However, if you are still uncomfortable there are several things you can do.  Wearing blaze orange will make you more visible.  You may ride before 9:00am or after 2:00pm.  There is a portion of the horse trail on the eastern end of the park that is in the “No Hunting” area.