TRAVEL GUIDE

Wisconsin Travel and Hartford Balloon Rally

Hartford is a city in Washington and Dodge counties in Wisconsin. This city is expanding quickly, and has recently taken in Pike Lake within its city boundaries, including Pike Lake State Park. One of the more popular attractions is the Hartford Balloon Rally, held every year in the summer; it is a great place to visit for Wisconsin travel.

The Hartford Balloon Rally is held in August, with balloons launched during the day, with fireworks at night.

Pike Lake

Pike Lake State Park is within Hartford and a great place to stop on your Wisconsin travels. Pike Lake State Park is part of the Kettle Moraine State Forest . Pike Lake State Park offers nine trails for Wisconsin travelers. All the trails have a different topography and level of difficulty. The Black Forest Nature Trail is self-guided 0.8 miles in length. The Astronomy Trail is 0.5 miles long, taking the hiker on tour of the solar system. The Hike to Powder Hill is 0.5 miles from the Nature Trail. Powder Hill is the second highest point in southeastern Wisconsin. In 2001, a 60 foot observation tower was built near the peak, giving spectacular views of the area and great photos of your Wisconsin travel adventure. The Ice Age Trail continues through the forest and state. The Boardwalk Trail is located along the lakeshore near the north picnic area. It is 0.5 miles in length and accessible to people with disabilities. There is also an observation deck along the lakeshore for more great pictures of your Wisconsin travels. Picnics, swimming, and camping are common activities done here to escape everyday life. There are 32 campsites for Wisconsin travelers. 24 campsites are in the woods, and 8 are in the open, with many facilities to make your stay here more comfortable.

Part of a Larger Park

Pike Lake State Park is actually part of a larger park - the Kettle Moraine Forest. Kettle Moraine Forest has two parts - the Northern Unit and the Southern Unit. Depending on what you are looking to do and where you are visiting Wisconsin, this park is a great escape for travelers to relax on over 50,000 acres. In the Southern Unit, you will find Old World Wisconsin, America's largest outdoor museum on rural life. This is a very interesting stop in the park and you can really feel the old way of life in Wisconsin, before modern inventions made life more convenient.

Directions

To get to Hartford to see the balloon festival from Milwaukee, take the I-94 west via exit 1A toward Madison. Then merge on the US-45 north by taking exit 305B toward Fond du Lac. Take the US-41 north toward Fond du Lac. Merge onto the WI-60 on exit 64B toward Slinger/Hartford. The total time to get there should be about 45 minutes, depending on traffic flow and how fast you drive.

Although the Balloon Rally only happens once a year, there is a lot to do in and around Hartford all year long!