July Pack Event #2 - Hiking - Pack 30 Waukesha

July Pack Event #2 - Hiking

posted Jul 19, 2015, 12:36 PM by Matt Wagner

Pack 30 will be hosting a hike at Minooka Park on Sunday, July 26th at 3:00pm as an alternative July event. We will meet at 3:00pm at the green trail head at the south side of the Entrance Parking lot (near the pond). We will discuss the Outdoor Code, and Leave No Trace guidelines for 15 minutes, then start on the trail.

Although the hike states it will take two hours, I believe we could do it in less time, depending on our hikers abilities.

Please bring:

Appropriate hiking shoes and wear socks (no sandals/flip-flops).
A filled water bottle.
A snack (granola bar, trail mix, fruit).
A scouting shirt (camp T-shirts are good, uniform is not necessary)
Umbrella/Rain Poncho/rain jacket just in case there is rain.

Please RSVP to Matt Wagner (matt.wagner at pack30waukesha dot org).

If there is lightning/thunderstorms, we will not hike, but if it's a light rain, we will.

Scouts participating will receive credit toward their ranks:

Tiger - Tigers in the Wild #2 (if you carry your own gear), #3a, 3b, 3c,

Wolf - Paws on the Path #2, #3, #4, #5, #6 (if you record what you see),

Bear - Fur, Feathers & Ferns #4 (if you record what you saw),

Webelos - Webelos Walabout #4 (if you prepared a snack), #5 (if you have the code and LNT memorized), #6,

Webelos II - Outdoorsman Pin #5, #9.

This hike is part of the Potawatomi Area Council Trail Trekker program (see attached for other area hikes that are part of the program). Below is an excerpt from the Trail Trekker document on the Minooka Park hike.

Trail Trekker Minooka Park Hike

Administration

Mikooka Park is part of the Waukesha County Park System. The phone is 262-548-7801. Additional information is at http://www.waukeshacounty.gov

Hike Statistics

The Green Trail. 3 miles. Estimated hiking time is 2 hours.

Hike Description

The Green Trail. Park in the lot to the right of the park admission booth. Cross the grass to the south to the trail marker by the service road. The first post is for both the Green and Red Trails. Follow the Green Trail through the meadow around the perimeter of the field. At the end of the family picnic area, the Red Trail crosses the service road and continues into a magnificent oak grove. The Green Trail turns right and runs parallel to the service road along the bridle path. The trail crosses the road and then continues into the woods. Follow it through the hardwoods into another meadow. Continue to follow the trail markers. It is an easy amble back to the parking lot.

Access/Directions and Hours of Operation

The park is 2 miles southeast of Waukesha on Sunset Drive near its intersection with Racine Avenue. The park is open from sunrise to 10 PM daily, year round.

Historical & Natural Features

Minooka Park is the largest park in the Waukesha County Park System with a total of 580 acres. Minooka Park is made up of portions of area farms purchased in 1955. The largest parcel had been owned by the Hart family and had been a Waukesha County farm site since 1945. Over the ensuing years, another owner of the property used the grounds as a resort, with guests coming from Chicago and Milwaukee. They were attracted to the region because a spring that flowed from a pool across Racine Avenue

supposedly had medicinal properties.

After the site was purchased by the county, it was named Minooka Park by Jane Ann Kusler, an eight-year-old who won a “name the park” contest. The name means “maple forest” or “good earth,” depending on which Native American dialect is selected for the translation.