Backpacking Weekend - Kettle Moraine North / IAT - April 2026

OVERVIEW Join us for a weekend of spring backpacking in the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. Overall distance for the weekend will be either 11.6 or 13.2 miles on the Milwaukee River IAT Segment while staying two nights at the backpacking shelters. (Please read the event description completely before signing up.)

DETAILED ITINERARY
FRIDAY APRIL 24, 2026
Our meeting time is set for 6:00pm at the Mauthe Lake entrance station parking lot. This will allow us enough time to shuttle vehicles to the Shelter 1 lot, return to the Mauthe lot and hike in to Shelter 2 as a group before dark. You're welcome to arrive earlier and hike in to the shelter on your own and set up if your schedule permits. However, plan to be back out at the lot to shuttle vehicles with us at 6:00. If you are arriving after the set meeting time, you'll need to hike in to the shelter on your own.

Please drop a comment about a week prior to the event regarding your estimated arrival time and if you are carpooling with someone. This will allow me to confirm that we have enough people/vehicles arriving at or before 6 to meet our shuttling needs or to adjust if necessary.

The Mauthe Lake entrance station parking lot is located off of County Highway GGG just beyond the entrance station booth immediately off to the right side. (Google map & address below under LINKS). This lot does require a parking sticker or pass, a self-registration station is located by the information board behind the entrance booth. The entrance station is also the water source for Shelter 2 with a well box and spigot located to the south side of the booth. Keep in mind there is no potable water source on trail Saturday prior to our arrival at Shelter 1. The trail to Shelter 2 leaves the Mauthe Lake entrance station lot to the south just beyond the turn loop that allows incoming traffic to turn back towards the exit. From the parking area, follow the IAT (Ice Age Trail) for 1.0 miles south. At that point a short spur to the shelter splits off to the right passing the outhouse on the way in to the shelter.

The shelters areas are often picked clean of firewood so I'll drop some firewood ahead of time so we can have a nice warm fire to gather around.

SATURDAY APRIL 25, 2026
In the morning we'll likely get the fire going again, hopefully less to warm ourselves up and more so to warm up some breakfast. There will be plenty of daylight for the miles we have so we don't have to rush to get on the trail. Once everyone is done with breakfast and packed up, we'll take the spur back up the hill to the south to rejoin the IAT. From there we're on the IAT all the way until just before Shelter 1 when another spur will take us along the ridge to the shelter. The published distance from Shelter 2 to Shelter 1 is 7.7 miles, we can stop as needed and maybe do a bit of a break for lunch. Shelter 1 has more room to spread out our tents and has water nearby. There is a well with hand pump located to the east, down the hill from the shelter. We will also be close to the vehicles that we shuttle the previous evening.

I'll either drop some firewood near the shelter ahead of time or possibly plan to leave wood in a vehicle in the parking lot so we can enjoy another evening around the fire.

SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2026
In the morning we'll likely have a brief fire again as we have breakfast and pack up.

The primary goal for the day is to hike the remainder of the Milwaukee River IAT Segment; we can do that in one of two ways.
Option 1: Hike out 0.25 miles to the Shelter 1 parking lot. From there we shuttle vehicles to our ending point at the Sunburst Ski Hill parking lot. We'll return to the Shelter 1 parking lot and start hiking from there. The remainder of the Milwaukee River segment is 2.1 miles. Then we'll cross under Highway 45 and hike an additional 0.6 miles of the Kewaskum Segment to get to the Sunburst lot. This option would total 2.9 miles for the day.
Option 2: Hike out 0.25 miles to the Shelter 1 parking lot. From the lot we'll hike an out and back on the IAT. We'll finish out the remaining 2.1 miles of the Milwaukee River Segment and then turn back toward the Shelter 1 parking lot. This option would total 4.45 miles for the day.

Regardless of the option we choose, we'll finish by shuttling everyone back to their vehicles. Following that, we have the option of meeting back up for some lunch somewhere nearby in Kewaskum

GENERAL INFORMATION The shelters have a pit toilet/outhouse but don't count on there being any toilet paper. You’re welcome to sleep inside the shelter; it will cozily accommodate 10 people between the benches and floor. However, with the warmer weather folks tend to choose setting up a tent near the shelter. For that reason, I won't plan on bringing a tarp to cover the shelter door as I do for winter trips. (If you do sleep in the shelter, earplugs are a good option! Between snoring, folks rustling, sleep mats squeaking, etc., there can be quite a bit of noise!)

Participation for this trip will be limited to 10 persons based on the DNR shelter (site) occupancy limit. The parking area for Shelter 2 at the Mauthe Lake entrance station requires a parking sticker but the parking area for Shelter 1 does not. Parking stickers/permits can be purchased there at the self-registration station at the Mauthe Lake entrance station.

A Yes/Attending RSVP signifies that you have read and understand the Meetup Terms of Service agreement including the Waiver of Liability contained within Section 6 and understand that participation is solely at your own risk. Furthermore, I do not have any backpacking, safety or first aid related training. Paying for this event is not hiring a guide; it is simply sharing costs between participants.

TEMPS - Avg High: 57F, Avg Low: 37F
DAYLIGHT - Sunrise: 5:54am, Sunset: 7:46pm

COSTS / FEES
Your participation fee of $35 covers:
Shelter Reservations - $49.95 ($21.00/Night & $7.95 Reservation Fee)
Firewood - $117.00 (Budgeting for 18 bundles @ $6.50ea)
Meetup Fee - $3.00 (Toward group operating expenses)

Your participation does not cover:
Personal gear, food or transportation
WI State Park vehicle admission sticker or daily pass

RSVPs will close 24 hours prior to the posted event start time.
Participant payments are due within 48 hours of signing up and 24 hours prior to the event!

Payments can be made thru either:

• Venmo - @Randall-Ostracon-Schultz
• PayPal - backpackwithrandall@gmail.com

Please include the event title in your payment description!
Refunds will be granted if requested a minimum of 10 days prior to the event start.

LINKS
KMSF-NU Map
KMSF-NU IAT Distance Chart:

Mauthe Lake Campground - Address
N1490 County Road GGG
Campbellsport, WI 53010

Google Map - Mauthe Lake Entrance Station Parking / Shelter 2 Parking
Google Map - Shelter 1 Parking Lot

2023 IATA Atlas Maps
87f - Milwaukee River Segment (north and middle parts)
86f - Milwaukee River Segment (southern part) & Kewaskum Segment

CONTACT INFO
Please feel free to contact me directly through the Meetup messenger with any questions or use the event comment section.