Kettle Moraine State Forest – Lapham Peak Unit

Love Lapham Peak for a variety of reasons. First off, it’s gorgeous any time of year. Climb the tower — 70 steps — for the best view… you can see three counties, maybe four from it. Beautiful trees, inland lakes and the church steeples of Holy Hill are all visible. Second, the number of trail options are great. From a short, easy trail to a 8 mile workout, you will enjoy the variety of trees (partial to the Oaks) and the interesting topography. This is the Kettle Moraine, so you will find pockets (kettles) and hills or ridges (moraines). The park is expansive, so other than seeing the most people around the tower, you can really find some solitude. Third, I am a big fan of Increase Lapham who the park is named after. If you love geology, nature, weather and Wisconsin history, you should know about Lapham. Fourth, I love hiking the Ice Age Trail and it runs through this park. Well marked and a beautiful trail!
I have only gone cross country skiing a couple of times in my life, the trails at Lapham Peak look brutal… with names like Gut Buster and Asthma Hill, I can only imagine how much «fun» it could be to ski them.
Note: There is a park fee. Annual pass is the way to go!

Lapham Peak, sometimes known colloquially as «Government Hill» is the location of the highest point in Waukesha County. (At 1,230 feet in height, is doesn’t appear on Wisconsin’s list of highest points of elevation.)
Besides picnicking, the park is very popular with recreation enthusiasts, including several miles of hiking trails. If you’re observant, there are plenty of species of wildlife and birds along the trails. You’ll also find several prairie restoration areas and a butterfly garden.
A 45 foot observation gives you a panoramic view of Waukesha County and you can see Washington County’s high point, Holy Hill, from the top of the tower.
The Prairie Path Trail is 4.8 miles in length, west of County Highway C, open to hikers, bikers and horses. (In Wales, not far from here, you can connect with the Glacial Drumlin State Trail.)
The Hausmann Nature Center is a popular destination for field trips and has publicity of its own, including a PDF brochure you can download. (It’s part of Milwaukee Public Schools.)
Lapham Peak isn’t free, however. State permits are required for vehicles and to use the hiking trails.
The park is named for Increase A. Lapham, one of Wisconsin’s first scientists. Lapham was self-​educated, a brilliant man who started his career at 13 years of age as a laborer in the construction of canals. His skills in art raised him from common laborer to engineer and surveyor. He was hired by Byron Kilbourn to build a canal to connect the Milwaukee River to the Rock River, thereby opening Lake Michigan to the Gulf of Mexico via canal, Rock and Mississippi Rivers. With the coming of the railroads, only one mile of the canal was ever built. Milwaukee’s Commerce Street was built over the filled canal.
Lapham wrote over 80 articles, pamphlets and books, including a catalog of Native American effigy mounds in Wisconsin, the first serious work done on the archaeological wonders. He saw the deforestation of Wisconsin and called for better forest management. His observations of weather patterns convinced him that weather could be predicted by collecting and mapping weather data. This led to the formation of the National Weather Bureau which became today’s National Weather Service. Lapham is buried in Milwaukee’s Forest Home Cemetery. He also has a street named for him in Milwaukee.
It seems appropriate to name a state park after a prominent citizen who was a scientist and not a politician.

Great place to hike with dogs or family. We came here w/​our pup and thought it was a great park — clean, people cleaned up after their dogs, easy to navigate, etc. Be aware of ticks this year! Seems worse than usual — we pulled a couple off our dog & found them on us too. Regardless, we look forward to coming back a lot this summer!

One of my favorite parks to walk and run with my dog. Haven’t ever seen a dog mess so good to know I’m not the only one cleaning up after my dog. I get the annual pass every year

Beautiful park! Trails for just about any type of hiker– love it! Great lodge available for get togethers

The Kettle Moraine State Forest /​Lapham Peak is one of the best parks in the 5-​county area! Take the short drive out west on Highway 18 and turn right on C. In a few miles, you’ll see the park on your right.
They have tons of cool hiking and XC skiing trails. Climb the tower and don’t forget to bring your camera for a ton of fantastic views. This is an awesome state park — go explore and be amazed at the beauty of the Kettle Moraine.

We will drive up from Chicago year round for hiking, mountain biking and cross country skiing. I know there are a couple trail marathons and ultra hosted. This park is a great day trip.
We’ll typically stop off at the LaGrange Co. Store before and afterwards, to rent gear if needed, grab some great beer and food (these guys are vegetarian friendly!).
If you’re locked in the city and need an escape with fresh air with lots to do this is your place.

Never knew this existed so close to the MKE.
Great trails for fall hiking… and seems like an awesome place to ski!
We are lucky here to be so close to the Kettle Moraine — a gift from mother nature.

Wisconsin got hit by some serious glacier action back in the day, and the Kettle Moraine State Forest features this glacial geology. The Lapham Peak Unit is one of five parks (units) within the forest, and its main claim to fame is Lapham Peak. It provides gorgeous views of the nearby lakes and forest, and on clear days, you can see quite a bit. There is an observation tower at the top. The peak itself is named for a man who played a significant role in working with weather in the region and eventually founded the U.S. Weather Bureau, and there’s an interesting plaque about him near the tower.
The unit also provides numerous trails for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing. It is also a stop on the Ice Age Trail. There are picnic tables and some shelters available too.
The Hausmann Nature Center is also worth a visit. It was originally home that was intentionally designed and built to eventually be donated to the park by the Hausmann family. It has nice views over the park, and the volunteers there are so friendly. The exhibits include information on the glaciers, artifacts that have been found on the land, including items like arrow heads, and animals in the area. There is a nice kids area with activities for them to do.
Wisconsin state parks are pricier ones of the ones I’ve visited — if you’re a local buying a year parking pass, it’s definitely worth it, but I was pretty surprised that a day pass was $ 10 for non residents and $ 7 for residents. They also have some other pass and licensing requirements for different activities, so you will want to get all the info on that before or when you go.

This is a great state park. The ski trails are well-​groomed and range from moderate to very difficult. Even the green loop has some challenges. It’s also great for hiking or running in the summer… although you may find yourself walking on the uphills! This is a wonderful place to escape into nature and enjoy the solitude of the woods. If you drive up the hill to Homestead Hollow Parking, you can get into the forest quicker — that’s also the access to the purple loop, which is a really enjoyable ski trail.

I came here to go go cross-​country skiing — my 2^nd time out. I parked in the Evergreen area. The lodge was pretty nice and spacious. The trail was great — a couple of spots you could feel like you were out in the woods. I was by myself and appreciated that I was surrounded by lots of nice people that were fun to chat with. I wish the trails had more signs, but other than that I think its a great place to ski.

Love Lapham Peak. Really beautiful views, hiking, and running.
Great group of people to run with whether novice or really in to it there.

This is a great place to run, hike, cross-​country ski, ride horses or mountain bike. You can bring dogs on leash on certain trails. Mountain bike trails are on the west side of Hwy C; its one big loop that rides through the rolling field. It is a great place for riders new to mountain biking. For hiking or cross-​country skiing (skis available to rent through Wheel and Sprocket ski chalet in park on certain days during ski season), there are a few different loops available.
Inside the park, there is also a lookout tower that is worth the climb! On a good day you can see Holy Hill in the distance.
This is a state park; so the trails require a trail pass and the parking lot requires a parking pass. Each of these are available for daily or annual rates.