Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive

For a fabulous Fall excursion, enjoy the beautiful Fall colors of southeast Wisconsin along the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive. Follow the green acorn signs to mark every turn along this 115-mile scenic drive traversing six Wisconsin counties beginning at Whitewater Lake in southeastern Walworth County and ending at the northern end near Elkhart Lake, WI, the most scenic route to Blue Harbor Resort from Illinois!

You'll want to allow a day or two for sight seeing along this Fall foliage road trip. There are plenty of opportunities for shopping and dining throughout your drive as well as several historic sites to visit including Wade House in Greenbush, Holy Hill in Washington County, Cushing Memorial park in Delafield, and Old World Wisconsin in Eagle. 

Break up the drive with a pit stop for fresh Wisconsin air. You'll find locations for camping, trails for hiking and biking including the Ice Age Trail, and plenty of water for fishing or swimming.  

Know before you go! The Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive will be a color show come Fall, but if you want to see the best Fall colors, check Travel Wisconsin's Fall Color Report to hit peak Fall colors for your scenic drive.

KETTLE MORAINE STATE FOREST - NORTHERN UNIT

• Kettle Moraine State Forest - Northern Unit
• Kettle Moraine Red Oaks State Natural Area
• Johnson Hill Kame State Natural Area
• Spruce Lake Bog State Natural Area
• Butler Lake and Flynn's Spring State Natural Area
• Dundee Kame, (also known as Dundee Mountain and White Kame)
• Crooked Lake Wetlands State Natural Area
• Kettle Hole Woods State Natural Area
• Haskell-Noyes Memorial Woods State Natural Area
• Spring Lake State Natural Area
• Milwaukee River and Swamp State Natural Area
• Kewaskum Maple-Oak Woods State Natural Area
• Milwaukee River Floodplain State Natural Area

KETTLE MORAINE STATE FOREST UNITS

• Pike Lake
• Loew Lake
• Lapham Peak

KETTLE MORAINE STATE FOREST - SOUTHERN UNIT

• Kettle Moraine State Forest - Southern Unit
• Clifford F. Messinger Dry Prairie and Savanna Preserve (16 separate units)
• Ottawa Lake Fen State Natural Area
• Kettle Moraine Low Prairie State Natural Area
• Scuppernong Prairie State Natural Area
• Eagle Oak Opening State Natural Area
• Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area
• Bluff Creek State Natural Area

Explore Wisconsin State Natural Areas

Start right from Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan, WI and head to the Kettle Moraine State Forest Headquarters - Northern Unit to pick up a Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive map! From there head north for a scenic day-trip looping back towards Blue Harbor Resort just north of Greenbush, WI for about one hour and forty-five minutes of leaf peeping if you don't make any stops along the way.

View the Map & Driving Directions

Start just over the border from Illinois at the Southernmost intersection of State Park Road and Kettle Moraine Drive southeast of Whitewater, WI and take the Kettle Moraine Scenic three-hour drive to Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan, WI.

Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive Driving Directions

While you can generally drive through Wisconsin State Parks without a vehicle admission sticker, we know you'll want to stop to explore the natural wonders of southeastern Wisconsin at some point along the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive. You might as well plan to get a Wisconsin State Park System admission sticker in advance!

Annual stickers are available from the date of purchase through December 31st of the same year and can be purchased online or at individual properties via drive-up window service, electronic sales kiosks, or self-registration stations (make sure you have cash!). 

PURCHASE

Still have questions about Wisconsin State Park Vehicle Admission Stickers? Check here.

If you are planning to make a stop along the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive for biking, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, or in-line skating on certain trails, know that a state trail pass will be required for all people age 16 or older. A state trail pass is not required for walking or hiking. 

Annual state trail passes are available from the date of purchase through December 31st of the same year and can be purchased at individual properties via drive-up window service, electronic sales kiosks, or self-registration stations (make sure you have cash!). 

Still have questions about Wisconsin State Park State Trail Passes? Check here.

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/kmscenicdrive

Map Overview & Route

*Please check local listings for any construction or road closures along the route before departure.