Lapham Peak: The Tower in the Kettle Moraine

About an hour northwest of Milwaukee in Delafield, inside Kettle Moraine State Forest. The CCC-era stone observation tower is the draw — climb the creaking staircase and the green quilt of prairie rolls to the north, the Milwaukee River glints in the distance, and on clear days a slim line of city skyline catches the sun.

The boardwalk around the pond below: reeds, dragonflies, ducklings in V-formation. Trails thread through prairie grasses and oaks, bright in late spring with violets and shooting stars. Late May through early June for the prairie in full bloom. Fall for copper and ember. The tower wind will make you grateful for a jacket.

Parking in the main lot off County C. Easy to moderate difficulty, great for a half-day. Sturdy shoes, water, light jacket for the tower wind. The quiet up top is the real payoff — just wind through pine and the sense that the hill is breathing with you.