Hartman Creek State Park 2025 07

Note: The majority of photos I took on this trip were corrupted. I will try to fix them and update this post at a different time. The following photo does work.

So following our recent trip to Wausau we wanted to visit a trail highlighted in a Wisconsin hiking trails book we purchased. The trail we picked was the Emmons Creek Barrens State Natural Area section of the Ice Age Trail. Unfortunately we followed the directions in the book to get to the trail.

Key Features

• Multiple Spring-Fed Lakes: The park boasts several clear, spring-fed lakes, including Hartman Lake, Allen Lake, Marl Lake, Pope Lake, Manomin Lake, and Knight Lake. These provide excellent opportunities for water activities.
• Sandy Swimming Beach: Hartman Lake features a 300-foot sandy beach with a designated swimming area, perfect for cooling off and relaxing, especially in the summer.
• Extensive Hiking Trails: With over 10 miles of hiking trails, including a segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, visitors can explore diverse landscapes of pine plantations, hardwood forests, open fields, and glacial features.
• Mountain Biking Trails: The park offers over 15 miles of unpaved single-track mountain biking trails, ranging in difficulty from easy to very difficult, making it a popular spot for cyclists.
• Boating, Canoeing, and Kayaking: The crystal-clear waters of the lakes are ideal for paddling. Public boat launches are available, and rentals for kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards are often available at the concession stand.
• Fishing Opportunities: The lakes and streams are teeming with fish like largemouth bass, perch, bluegill, and various trout species. There are dedicated fishing spots, including accessible fishing piers.
• Camping Facilities: Hartman Creek State Park offers both family campgrounds (over 100 sites) and group campsites, providing a great base for extended stays and exploring the park and surrounding Chain O’ Lakes area.
• Hellestad House: This restored Norwegian log cabin from the 1840s offers a glimpse into the region’s history, providing a cultural and historical element to the park experience.
• Picnic Areas and Shelters: Several picnic areas with tables, benches, and grills are scattered throughout the park, including at Allen Lake, Hartman Lake, and the secluded Whispering Pines area. Some shelters are also available for reservation.
• Winter Activities: The park remains active year-round, offering groomed cross-country ski trails, snowshoeing trails, and opportunities for fat-tire biking and ice fishing during the snowy months.

Review

As you might have noticed the title of this post is about Hartman Creek State Park. We did eventually get to Emmons Creek but most of the Ice Age Trail we traveled was in Hartman Creek. In the book we found the recommendation for this section of the Ice Age Trail which led us to Hartman Creek.

Hartman Creek is the better known state land. We have even hiked and swam at Hartman Creek in the past as a family. So I understand that the book would send the reader to Hartman Creek first. And if we had more time that day we would have completed the full lollipop loop listed in the book.

However our youngest daughter came with us on the hike. And she needed to be back home in the early afternoon. So after a hour of hiking we had to turn around after just getting into the Emmons Creek area.

But I am getting a head of myself. Arriving at Hartman Creek we stopped at the rangers station to acquire a map per the instructions in the trail book. My wife likes to get stickers for our vehicles when we stop at major state and national parks.

Getting a look at the map I got a little idea of the hike ahead. However one of the key reasons that we wanted to hike here seemed a little far away. We continued on to the trail head anyway.

Parking near the groups sites on 6th Ave we hiked to the Ice Age Trail crossing near by. We started south toward Emmons Creek.

The wooded trail twisted back and forth as we walked south. Other hiking and mountain bike trails crisscrossed the trail as we moved south.

The trail traversed the sandy hills that are common in this area of the state. We hiked up and down as we followed the trail south. Though it was more down than up.

The environment changed back and forth between forests and open grassland.

We could hear birds flitting through the trees around us but never could we see them through the dense forest. And they we conspicuously absent in the open fields.

Ground squirrels ran through the undergrowth as we passed.

Eventually we got to Emmons Creek, but time was quickly ticking away. We ventured into the park and walked up and down the valley to a small sign labeling and pointing out the local fauna.

Its at this point we decided to turn back. I checked later and we had traveled about a mile and three quarters in an hour and a half. Not a fast pace for us but with this being a new trail and it being hot out we did make a few stops for water.

I think the trip back was a little quicker. However we started to find ticks on us on the return trip. Two on my wife and one on myself. So our pace was hastened to avoid further exposure to the vermin.

Overall our hike was enjoyable, even if there was a lack of creek on our trip the Hartman Creek. These state parks are named for creeks that travel through them. However the segments of the trail we hiked traversed between the two parallel creeks.

As with other segments of the Ice Age Trail, the trail was well groomed. There are a signs indicating that this segment was maintained by volunteers.

After returning to our car, I looked at the parks on Google Maps. I found that we could quickly find the trail head for the Emmons Creek Park. So on our way home we drove past the trail head on our way home.

We are definitely planning another trip to Emmons Creek. We are curious to hike the lollipop loop and water is usually a much better place to take pictures of wildlife.

Let me know if you’ve been to either Hartman Creek or Emmons Creek in the comments. And once again thank you for reading.