An autumnal section hike of the 4,800-mile North Country Trail brought our writer closer to his ancestry, his home state, and himself. Here's how to hike it yourself.

Share your solitude with wolves and beavers in Wisconsin's Porcupine Lake Wilderness.

See the landscape that the glaciers left behind.

Hit the water—or enjoy some Midwestern hospitality—in this Lake Michigan vacationland.

This gateway to the Apostle Islands is a haven for paddlers.

Your correspondent heads to Door County, WI for an active winter weekend with great local food. by MATT CLAPP

Camp and kayak at one of three remote islands

Earth is the first and best architect. See Ma Nature’s oeuvre of natural arches on these dayhikes.

See this Ice Age highlight reel and camp above kettle lakes.

Get the story behind the Plover River Segment, Ice Age Trail, Wisconsin—and how to see it yourself.

Stunning images from the ice caves off the coast of Wisconsin's Apostle Islands.

This 5-mile loop undulates through glacially tilled terrain under a hardwood canopy of magnificent fall colors in Kettle Moraine State Forest.

This 3.9-mile, figure-8 loop meanders along the shores of glacial lakes under a mixed forest of hardwoods and pine-a perfect trail/off-trail adventure for ambitious young hikers.

Spot bald eagles from the overlooks along this rarely crowded 5.2-mile stretch of the North Country Trail in northern Wisconsin's Marengo Semi-Primitive Area. The route also makes a great snowshoe hike.

Begin this quiet 8.4-mile, out-and-back at a glacier dug lake, then continue through farm and forest where whitetail deer, turkeys, and coyotes roam.

Take a leisurely, 3.6-mile stroll to the more remote northern shore of Wisconsin's Lake Geneva, and discover a quiet, intimate, photogenic retreat.

Skirt the edges of a boggy cauldron in Kettle Moraine State Forest as you loop 4 miles into terrain tilled by supersize glaciers thousands of years ago.

This easy 3-mile loop in Willow River State Park is spiked with cool sights and sounds: rolling bluffs, loud waterfalls, and beautiful lakeshore views.

Go 4.8 miles past the scuff marks and rocky scraps of an ancient glacier that left its long-lasting signature in western Wisconsin.

Grab your boots or hop on your bike to hit one of the Dairyland’s newer trails on this 11.8-mile out-and-back along an old railroad trestle.

Trek over hardwood ridges and glacial formations on this 4.5-miler once covered in mile-thick sheets of ice. Locals call it one of Milwaukee's best.

Explore the hilly side of southeast Wisconsin on this 4.4-mile loop through the pines and hardwoods of Kettle Moraine State Forest.

Pass through a tunnel of greens—pine trees, lush marshes, and carpets of moss—on this 4.9-mile hike to a quiet sun-soaked lake.

Climb an ancient ridge for views of a dramatic unglaciated Wisconsin landscape.

Bring binocs on this 3.9-mile loop in the Richard Bong State Recreation Area; open grassland invites long views of Vern Wolf Lake, its shoreline, and flying falcons.

This 10.6-mile out-and-back in Apostle Island National Lakeshore boasts sandy beaches, sandstone cliffs, and bluff-top views of the Mawikwe Bay sea caves.

Hike a landscape carved by glaciers more than 10,000 years ago on this 32.3-mile section hike that follows the Ice Age Trail through Kettle Moraine State Park.

Paddle a novice-friendly route on the state’s third largest lake.

Your region's go-now guide.

Paddle a novice-friendly route on the state's third largest lake.

This old logging camp and woolly mammoth marching ground provides incredible views.

If you're a fan of eskers, moraines, kettles, and kames, Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine State Forest is the right place for you.