Discover New Glarus: Hiking Trails and Swiss History

New Glarus combines hiking trails with a distinctive history: immigrants from the canton of Glarus in Switzerland founded New Glarus, Wisconsin, in 1845. The Swiss Historical Village Museum brings these immigrants’ lives to life; at the same time, trails in New Glarus Woods State Park offer a very different focus for your stay. Before looking for a vacation rental or vacation home, you can consider whether nature, history, or local traditions should shape your trip.

Hiking Trails and Trail Connection

New Glarus Woods State Park offers eight miles of hiking trails. These include the 0.1-mile Chattermark Trail loop and the 4.2-mile Havenridge nature trail. Their different lengths give you specific trail options for planning your day: the Chattermark Trail is described as a short loop, while Havenridge, with its own stated length, offers a different scale. The eight-mile figure refers to the park’s hiking trails overall.

Cyclists also have a named connection point: the New Glarus Spur in New Glarus Woods State Park passes through the Walk-to-Campground and connects with the 24-mile Sugar River State Trail. The stated distance makes this trail a distinct option when planning an active stay. If you’re deciding between hiking and cycling, you can consider the specific trails and their lengths as different focal points.

Swiss History and Local Traditions

The Swiss Historical Village Museum recreates the lives of the immigrants from the canton of Glarus who founded New Glarus in 1845. The museum includes 14 buildings, some of them original structures from the community of New Glarus. Bringing together a recreation of immigrant life and historic buildings offers several tangible ways to explore the subject: you can learn about the town’s founding and also consider the buildings as part of the interpretation.

Self-guided tours of the museum are available at any time. Guided tours led by docents are also offered on some weekdays. This provides two different ways to visit: you can explore on your own or, on the relevant weekdays, choose a guided tour. If you’re especially interested in the immigrants’ history, you can make these offerings a focus when planning your trip.

Another tradition is the Wilhelm Tell pageant, which New Glarus residents have staged over Labor Day weekend since 1938. The Chalet of the Golden Fleece, located in the same community, is also listed as an outstanding authentic Swiss chalet in both the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places. It is one of only three such chalets in Wisconsin. Personal tours are available at any time by contacting the site by email or phone.

Beer Culture

New Glarus Brewing Company offers tastings of craft-brewed beers available only in Wisconsin. Alongside the hiking trails, museum history, and Wilhelm Tell pageant, this adds another facet to the town. Looking for a vacation rental or vacation home in New Glarus is one way to plan a stay around the interests that matter to you.

If you’d like to browse more pages about local communities, you can also find Browntown and Brodhead here.

For the broader travel overview: Green County.