Lodi Valley Chapter S. COLUMBIA COUNTY During the Wisconsin Glaciation, the Green Bay Lobe covered nearly all of Columbia County. North of the Wisconsin River, the Ice Age Trail in Columbia County includes flat to rolling topography with large open wetlands and forested woodlots. South of the River, the county looks very much like the Driftless Area to the west, except the ridges are rounded and valleys have been widened by glaciation. The Trail passes through the cities of Lodi and Portage, where overnight lodging can be found. The land between the Wisconsin and Fox rivers, where the City of Portage now stands, was an extremely important transportation route for Native Americans, French explorers and fur trappers. It provided an easy canoe portage for travelers between the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan. Europeans first used this portage in 1673. In 1828, the U.S. Department of the Army erected Fort Winnebago on the north bank of the Fox River. Work on a canal to create an all-water route began in 1834. Boats used the canal between the early 1850s until 1951. For more information on chapter activities and/or hiking the Ice Age Trail in this region, contact the volunteer chapter coordinator: Bill Beers www.madison.com/communities/iceagelodi/ Meetings: Third Thursday of month |
©2009 Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation |