Emma Carlin Trail Head

Always a blast. I highly recommend the orange to green loop. It’s about 7 miles. 1.5 hours of bliss. You’ll work for it. It’s a lot like life: lots of twists and turns, uphill, and a few rewards.

Nice trails, looks great for mountain biking as there were a lot of them. Wayfinding was terrible. Several forks where a "do not enter" sign was placed without noting which direction is correct. No signs showing where trails split either. Bring a map and prepare to guess alot. Or you can just hug the exterior trail all the way around which is what we did and it took about 4 hours.

Emma traikes is very know. Dont forget to explore homestead farm house on other side of the road. It gas own parking but it closed during winter. Nature loop is about 2.5 mikes. It has access to Big Hill.

Three different single track loops cover rolling terrain and some technical ascents-descents. Bicyclists ride the loop counterclockwise.
Hikers walk the trails clockwise.
Good size parking lot. Bathrooms, water and picnic tables.

Ample parking for bikers and Ice Age hikers to share. Well marked trails, opposite direction for hiking than biking. Strongly suggest to follow the Ice Age Trail instead to avoid bike traffic.

Great parking if you are hitting the ice age trail. Remember to have a parking sticker or pay when you arrive. $11 non resident fee.

Really cool trail to hike and the scenic overlook is nice too. I recommend the green (hard) trail it loops around and is only 6.4 miles

Quiet trail, mostly forested, with some Sunny meadows. Suitable for hiking with kids. Water tap available at parking lot, not sure if the bathrooms are open right now.

Well maintained trail. Not a lot of climbing (compared to my normal >1,000 feet elevation gain ride I’m used to). Directional markings are clear. Rock gardens occasionally, nice features

Quality trail, a little technical for WI hiking. Rocky and hilly, but good. Not much sun due to extensive tree cover.

I've been riding the Emma Carlin trail system for 26 years. I've rode all over the country and I still thank God every day that Emma is my home trail! Huge shout out to IMBA and all of the volunteers that keep this system in tip top shape! The trail, no doubt, has changed in that time span. But every change makes it grand new again and more awesome! Thanks Wi. For a gem!

These are some of my favorite trails for mountain biking. Lots of challenging climbs, rocky, and rooted sections. I think these are more challenging than the Muir trails.

This is my favorite place to mountain bike in the area. It has fairly technical riding and connects to the John Muir trails if you want to get an almost 30 mile loop but start and end at the more challenging side.

Great hike today. Very well marked trail.

A fun technical trail with different colors for different lengths overall and difficulty.
Orange
Brown
Green

Personally I love this place and use the connector trail a lot to head over to or back to John Muir trails.

Tough but awesome trails.

Great trailhead parking area supporting both Ice Age Trail plus State trails. Onsight toilets.

This is a fee area within a State Park/Recreational area. Rangers were giving out tickets to vehicles that did not have a Park sticker or pay the daily fee.

Its always a good time. Different courses for different levels of experience! Its a great place to take the family. My daughter and I are from Illinois and go as often as we can!

Great biking and hiking trails!

My true happy place. Some of the most challenging, fun, and beautiful mountain bike trails in the southeastern part of Wisconsin. The riding is technical with handmade trails throughout the woods. You are rewarded for your efforts with fast descents and nice views of the surrounding area. These trails are connected to the John Muir trail network to make up the Southern Kettle Moraine Forest mountain bike trail system. They are very comparable to each other but Emma Carlin is smaller, less crowded, and more technical.