Ice Age Trail: Kettle Moraine Northern Unit Shelters

Kettle Moraine State Forest, Northern Unit, Wisconsin DNR (near Campbellsport)

In the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, the DNR says about 31 miles of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail run “the length of the forest.” The course “follows sinuous eskers and tumbled moraines descending into bogs and deep kettles,” in the DNR’s words.

Overnight hikers sleep only at five reservable trailside shelters along the way, the first of them built in the late 1950s.

The hike

The Ice Age Trail Alliance’s history of the shelters says Milwaukee attorney Ray Zillmer, who founded the group that became the Alliance, paid for the first one in 1958, and a second, now Shelter #3, followed in 1960. More were built in the late 1960s and 1971. The Alliance says the shelters are 20 to 21 feet wide with no doors, and that Shelters #6 and #3 have stone foundations and wider benches. Shelter #6, the original, sits on the Zillmer trail system rather than the Ice Age Trail.

Two guides describe short trips between the shelters. Erica Zazo’s three-day hut-to-hut route for RootsRated, published by Deuter, starts at the Butler Lake Recreation Area, climbs the Parnell Esker ridgeline, and reaches a fork about 2 miles in. Dundee Shelter #3 sits 0.7 mile off the main trail; she describes thick log walls, hinged windows, double-wide benches, and ceiling hooks. Day two returns to the junction and heads south about 6.1 miles to New Fane Shelter #2 near Mauthe Lake, which she describes on a ridge above a valley that drops about 50 feet. Day three is about 8 miles back to Butler Lake. She says the shelters average five to six miles apart.

Matt Johnson’s point-to-point route for The Outbound runs 16.8 miles from the Milwaukee River trailhead on Highway 28 to the Butler Lake trailhead, with Shelter #2 visible from the trail after about 4.5 miles. He notes a small creek about half a mile past it, water and toilets at the Mauthe Lake campground, Forest Lake, and a hand pump at Butler Lake, and suggests an extension toward Parnell Tower and Shelter #4. He calls the trail well marked and the route “A great experience for newcomers and fall exploration.”

The DNR lists access points at Greenbush, New Fane (by a short connector), the Wade House (a 1.7-mile connector), and the Parnell Tower and Butler Lake areas, where the Ice Age Trail shares tread with local loops. Zazo recommends crampons in winter, when the trail gets icy.

For the trail’s other set of shelters, see the Kettle Moraine Southern Unit. Farther north on the Ice Age Trail, the Harrison Hills have first-come lakeside sites.

Tips

Reserve early. The Alliance says weekend shelters from April through October are often booked months ahead.
Plan one night per shelter. A second or third night must be at a different site.
Fill water at trailheads, since sources disagree on water near the shelters.
Leash dogs (8 feet or shorter, per the DNR).
Bring traction in winter; the shelters are open year-round.

Camping

The DNR allows overnight camping only at the designated shelter sites, and “Reservations are required for all backpack sites,” online or at 1-888-947-2757. Each site takes one party of up to 10 people per night, for one night; you may book a second and third night at different sites. Each site has a roofed shelter, fire ring, and pit toilet, and the sites can’t be reached by vehicle. The DNR’s statewide page says tents may be set up outside the shelter, and the Alliance says tents must be within 100 feet of it. Carry out all trash.

Inside Intel: Erica Zazo gives New Fane Shelter #2 her warmest description, for its ridge-top view over the valley at sunrise, and notes few other hikers on the stretch leading to it. She also likes Dundee Shelter #3’s log walls and wide benches. The Alliance quotes mixed user reviews: one found the benches too narrow for sleeping, and another said a shelter kept them from getting “wetter and more hypothermic” in a storm.

Trail facts

Distance: About 31 miles through the forest (DNR); 33-mile backpacking segment (Ice Age Trail Alliance)
Route type: Point-to-point; out-and-back and loop options
Difficulty: Moderate to difficult
Campsites: Five reservable shelters on the trail, about 5 to 6 miles apart (per one guide)
Water: Sources conflict; plan to fill at trailheads such as Butler Lake and New Fane
Permits: Reservation required for every shelter night
Fires: Fire ring at each shelter
Dogs: Allowed on most trails, 8-foot leash
Trailheads: Butler Lake, New Fane, Greenbush, Highway 28 (Milwaukee River), and others
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

A doorless shelter on a cold night:

The Kettle Moraine shelters have roofs and three walls but no doors, and they stay open all winter. These are the sleeping bags reviewers trust when the wind finds its way in.

See the picks →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.