Ice Caves of Central Wisconsin - Devil's Lake State Park Area Visitor's Guide

March 2, 2019
Derrick Mayoleth
Backyard Adventures, Winter, Winter Adventures

Over the last few years, of ice caves, frozen waterfalls and ice floes around Wisconsin as just skyrocketed. Of course the most popular ice formations in Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Superior in Bayfield. Still, here in central Wisconsin we’ve got some pretty cool ice as well. And hey, and we’ll take any excuse to get outdoors during the winter months.

Fern Dell

Locally the most popular location to check out cool ice formations is at Mirror Lake State Park’s Fern Dell Gorge. In 2016 the park along with the Friends group put in a new parking lot near the gorge and now leads multiple winter ice tours. Thing is, you need to register in advance and the tours fill up in days if not hours. We’ve put together a bit more information along with photos and video featuring Fern Dells ice formations right here.

Nearby SNAs

Blue Ice at Parfrey's Glen SNA. — Blue Ice at Parfrey’s Glen SNA.

A couple nearby state natural areas can produce some nice ice floes as well. If you’re looking for ice, be sure to check out Parfrey’s Glen State Natural Area just east of Devil’s Lake. Pine Hollow State Natural area is also known for its ice floes, but it’s a bit more off-the-beaten path.

Wild Cat Mountain

Wild Cat Mountain State Park a pretty awesome ice fall that forms in a deep notch in a sandstone cliff. The. Ice Cave Trail is a fairly easy, family friendly hike and just under a mile long. At the end of the trail, you can walk right up to this photogenic frozen fall. Click here for Wildcat State Park information.

Kickapoo Valley Reserve

Some of the most impressive ice caves can be found right near Wildcat Mountain State Park at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. The Kickapoo Valley Reserve is an 8,600-acre tract of public land located between the villages of La Farge and Ontario in southwestern Wisconsin. It’s a little tricky to get out to the ice caves on your own, but each year they host guided tours as well as an annual Winter Festival. You can get more information here.

KVR Ice Cave Photos

Derrick Mayoleth

For nearly 2 decades the Skillet Creek blog has focused on 3 main goals; To inspire you to visit and explore the Devil’s Lake region, to help you get the most your visit by sharing tips, events, and other helpful information. Lastly to advocate for our environment & wildlife and talk about how we can keep our natural areas amazing now and into the future! That last goal can sometimes cause controversy, but it’s the only way we can accomplish the first two. – Derrick Mayoleth, Owner.