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Things to do in Cross Plains, WI: the Ice Age Trail, Black Earth Creek and Trout Days

Cross Plains is a village about 12 miles west of Madison where the flat, glaciated land around the city meets the hills of the Driftless Area. The Ice Age National Scenic Trail runs right through downtown, and Black Earth Creek, a Class 1 trout stream, defines the village. Checked with the Village of Cross Plains, the Ice Age Trail Alliance, the National Park Service, the Wisconsin DNR and Dane County Parks in November 2026.

Checked against official sources · Updated November 2, 2026

The Ice Age Trail

  • Ice Age Trail Alliance headquarters, 2110 Main St.: the nonprofit that builds and cares for the trail is based right on it, downtown. Visitors are welcome weekdays 9 to 5.
  • Cross Plains Interpretive Site, 8075 Old Sauk Pass Rd.: 161 National Park Service acres with loop trails and a segment of the Ice Age Trail. It's free and foot travel only, dogs must be leashed, and there are no restrooms.
  • Segments to hike: the Ice Age Trail Alliance lists the 12.7-mile Cross Plains Segment (prairie, bluff outcrops and big bur oaks), the 4.8-mile Table Bluff loop (views across the Driftless hills, oak woods and savanna), and shorter Springfield Hill and Indian Lake segments. Bikes aren't allowed on the Ice Age Trail.
  • See our hiking guide for more.

Parks

  • Cross Plains State Park: a DNR property protecting glacial landforms, including a gorge carved by glacial meltwater. It's open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. year-round, with no vehicle sticker needed. With the National Park Service land, Dane County parks and the Ice Age Trail Alliance, it makes up the Glacial Passage Area around the village.
  • Indian Lake County Park: 791 acres west of town off Highway 19, with lake trails, groomed ski trails, a sledding hill and warming cabin, a 38-acre off-leash dog area, and a hilltop chapel built in 1857.
  • Festge County Park: wooded trails and an overlook high above the Black Earth Creek valley.
  • In the village: 13 parks plus 160 acres of conservancy land for hiking and cross-country skiing, an outdoor pool, a skate park and a winter rink. Baer Park has a ball diamond and basketball court.

Black Earth Creek

  • Trout fishing: Black Earth Creek is a Class 1 trout stream whose trout aren't stocked. The DNR's Black Earth Creek Fishery Area lines both banks from west of Middleton to east of Black Earth, with access from Highway 14, County KP and town roads. No camping or fires.
  • H.M. Zander Community Nature Park, 1847 Bourbon Rd.: 9.5 acres on a restored, re-meandered stretch of the creek, with two accessible fishing stations, a paved path and two bridges.
  • Before you keep fish: in 2022 the state advised eating no more than one meal a week of brown trout from Black Earth Creek because of PFOS, so check the DNR's current fish consumption advisories.

Events and the library

  • Cross Plains Trout Days: the village's annual spring celebration, hosted by the chamber and Lions Club, with garage sales, live music, food trucks, a rubber duck "KenDucky Derby" on Black Earth Creek, fishing demos, an art fair, a 5K run and walk from Glacial Valley Park, and an Ice Age Trail scavenger hike. The 2026 event was in early May.
  • Summer Concert Series: the village's summer music series in the parks.
  • Rosemary Garfoot Public Library, 2107 Julius St.: open Monday to Thursday 9 to 7, Friday 9 to 5 and Saturday 10 to 2.
  • See our events calendar for more.

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Sources

Rules and dates can change. Check the official source before you rely on them, and suggest a correction if something is out of date.