From an alligator and Bigfoot, to the birthplace of the ice cream sundae, discover the unexpected along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail
Mammoth Hike Challenge makes it fun to explore the Trail and visit Trail Communities
Cross Plains, Wis. (Sept. 15, 2026)— Some of Wisconsin’s most memorable attractions aren’t found along the highway. They’re waiting alongside the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.
This October, the Ice Age Trail Alliance invites people to trade the windshield for the Ice Age Trail during the annual Mammoth Hike Challenge. Participants have the entire month to explore the Ice Age Trail, enjoy spectacular fall scenery, and discover unexpected places and attractions found along the 1,200-mile footpath.
Since the Challenge began in 2020, nearly 50,000 people have registered to spend October exploring Wisconsin on foot, on the Ice Age Trail. This year, participants are challenged to hike, walk, run, backpack or otherwise accrue 46 miles on the Trail and visit 3 Ice Age Trail Communities during the month.
Everyone who completes the Challenge earns a certificate and limited-edition Mammoth Hike Challenge patch—and the opportunity to experience Wisconsin in a whole new way.
“The Mammoth Hike Challenge is a great reason to get outside and explore Wisconsin,” said Melissa Pierick, Director of Marketing and Community Relations. “The scenery is incredible, especially in October.”
“The most fun part of spending time on the Trail is discovering everything else along the way,” she says. “From small towns you’ve never visited before, to historical and local attractions, to the totally unexpected things you would never see from behind the windshield.”
“Trailside Attractions” Include Giant Animals, Historical Locations, and Natural Wonders
“You’ve heard of a roadside-attraction trip,” says Pierick. “The Challenge is a trailside-attraction trip.”
Ice Age Trail hikers might encounter “Hilda the Hiker” in Chippewa County, a giant beaver in Cumberland, or Mr. Ugg in Rib Lake. Depending on where they hike, they’ll also see an oversized duck, a giant bluegill, and even a bikini-wearing alligator along the Trail. That’s in addition to two not-so woolly mammoths, plane crash wreckage, a waving mannequin, and something known as the Hillbilly Hilton.
Hikers will also pass by the location of a “verified class-A” Bigfoot sighting as well as a spot where some of Sputnik crashed.
And that’s just the weird stuff.
The Ice Age Trail is also full of places where Wisconsin history comes alive, like the state’s only verified Underground Railroad stop in Milton, an Indian Agency House in Portage, the birthplace of the Ice Cream Sundae in Two Rivers, and the area where John Muir grew up in Marquette County.
The Trail passes brewery ruins, logging camp ruins, the former winter headquarters of the Ringling Brothers Circus, and the world’s only Pulp Wood Stacker.
There are unique natural wonders, too. From Turtle Rock and the Stone Elephant to 1.6-billion-year-old rocks, and the “Wisconsin Rock” (not to mention all the glacial landforms–eskers, drumlins, kames, and kettles, etc.–you’ll hike on top of or alongside of on the Ice Age Trail.)
Participants in the Mammoth Hike Challenge can choose to visit any of the 29 officially designated Ice Age Trail Communities located along the Trail, from St. Croix Falls to Sturgeon Bay. New Trail Communities for 2026 are Montello, Iola-Scandinavia, and Cumberland-Barronett.
Many small businesses within the Trail Communities offer Challenge participants “Trail Magic”, an incentive to patronize the business. Trail Magic ranges from buy-one-get-ones to special drinks and food items, discounts on purchases, and more.
Whitewater and Palmyra are both official Ice Age Trail Communities. Five Palmyra business and three businesses in Whitewater are participating in the Challenge by offering Trail Magic, which is fun.
The Challenge is free and open to people of all ages and abilities. Participants can complete their miles solo, or combine them with friends, family members or coworkers. “The Challenge is a GREAT group activity,” says Pierick. “Even if you don’t hike together, you can all work toward achieving the same goal!”
Bonus miles are available to make the Challenge achievable for everyone. They pair with hiking miles and are earned by attending Challenge events, becoming an Alliance member, visiting an extra Trail Community, volunteering on the Trail, and more.
“The goal is to have fun,” says Pierick. “And to experience and enjoy the amazing Trail we are so lucky to have in Wisconsin.”
For details about, and to register for, the Mammoth Hike Challenge, visit IceAgeTrail.org/Mammoth-Hike-Challenge.
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About the Ice Age National Scenic Trail
The Ice Age National Scenic Trail is a 1,200-mile footpath contained entirely within Wisconsin. It traverses the state from St. Croix Falls in the west, to Sturgeon Bay in the east, going as far south as Janesville. One of 11 National Scenic Trails, the Ice Age Trail highlights the landscapes that were carved out by ancient glaciers, which happen to be some of the most beautiful areas in the state. Approximately 78% of Wisconsin residents live within 30 miles of the Ice Age Trail.
About the Ice Age Trail Alliance
The Ice Age Trail Alliance is the nonprofit, member- and volunteer-based organization which works in partnership with the National Park Service, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and local communities to conserve, create, maintain and promote the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. The Alliance consists of 19 volunteer chapters, spanning the length of the Trail. For more information, visit IceAgeTrail.org.
