Tired of the usual Dells crowds? Slip six minutes down the road from Bonanza, duck into Mirror Lake’s pine-scented gorge, and let your family—or your camera-hungry crew—discover a trio of 1930s stone shelters chiseled by WPA hands. The hike is kid-sized (just two miles round-trip), Instagram-gold (sunlit arches, mossy blocks), and stroller-friendly for the first half-mile.
Key Takeaways
Before you dive into the full guide, skim these fast facts to see why this mini-adventure deserves a top slot on your Dells itinerary. They outline distance, terrain, photo ops, and seasonal quirks so you can decide in seconds whether the trail matches your crew’s mood and gear.
– Easy hike: 2 miles round-trip with only 150 feet of climb; most families finish in 90 minutes
– First 0.5 mile is flat boardwalk—safe for strollers and wide tires
– Three stone shelters built in the 1930s by WPA crews are the main sights
– Great photo spots: sunlit arches, mossy walls, and a cliff-edge overlook
– Cell signal fades inside the gorge; download or print a map before you start
– Touch with care: sandstone flakes easily, so no climbing or carving
– Seasons change the trail: spring is slick, summer is warm, fall colors pop Oct 1–15, winter welcomes snowshoes
– Parking lot is 6 minutes from Bonanza Camping Resort, making a quick outing easy.
Each bullet becomes a mini-mission once you step onto the path—so screenshot or print this list, hand it to the kids, and let them tick items off as they go. Turning the walk into a scavenger hunt keeps young hikers busy and adds a playful layer to your family photo album.
Quick Trail Snapshot: Distance, Difficulty, and Cell Signal
Mirror Lake Trail’s Fern Dell Gorge segment stretches a gentle mile out and another mile back, with about 150 feet of total climb. Civilian Conservation Corps stonework greets you at the parking lot, and a boardwalk keeps shoes dry through the first low marsh. Families usually finish the loop in 90 minutes—even with snack stops, photo breaks, and junior-ranger questions.
Cell bars fade as cliffs tighten around the water-carved gorge, so download the park’s PDF map before leaving camp. Expect three bars of coverage at the kiosk, two in the first half-mile, and none in the sandstone narrows. GPS still tracks, but texts rarely send, making printed waypoints or an offline phone map your best backup.
A Mini Time Machine in Stone
During the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration and its sister program, the Civilian Conservation Corps, hired thousands of Wisconsinites to shape public lands for future generations. Crew members hauled native Cambrian sandstone, split it with hand drills, and stacked it into shelters that blended with the forest—an approach now dubbed WPA Rustic architecture. You can still see the trademark hammer-dressed blocks and chisel-grooved mortar joints mentioned in the DNR cultural archive.
The state later wrapped these structures inside Mirror Lake State Park, founded in 1962 and now spanning more than 2,000 acres of quiet water, steep rock, and fir-filtered light according to park records. Today’s walk is less a workout than a history lesson you can touch, with each shelter acting as a stone time capsule that has outlived nine decades of snow, floods, and curious hikers. The style’s “harmony with nature” credo, defined by WPA Rustic guidelines, remains obvious in doorways angled to dodge winter winds and roofs capped with living moss.
Finding the Shelters: Turn-By-Turn From Bonanza
Leave Bonanza Camping Resort’s gate, turn left on County Highway H, then right on Fern Dell Road; the first parking lot appears on your left after 3.5 miles. A stone wall—another New Deal relic—frames the kiosk, and brown posts with yellow arrows mark the main tread. Slip past the boardwalk and watch layers of Cambrian sandstone stack like rainbow-layer cake beside the creek.
At 0.7 miles, a small post bears a carved stone-hammer icon. Step a few yards down the spur and Shelter #1 appears: a low arch streaked with emerald moss. Shoot from inside looking out for a natural frame; ISO 800, f/5.6 pulls in shadow detail without blowing the sky.
Back on the main trail, breeze past a trickling cascade and a sitting log that doubles as a snack bench. Another fork arrives at the one-mile mark—veer right and climb twelve rough-cut steps to Shelter #2, its entrance facing southeast to blunt northwest gales. Ten more minutes of easy grade reach the cliff-edge overlook and Shelter #3, the crown jewel during fall color. Head home the way you came, letting kids lead the map if you packed one, and you’ll be back at the car before lunch.
Rock-Solid Etiquette to Keep History Intact
Sandstone looks hardy, but it flakes under skin oils, chalk, and even gentle climbing. Resist the urge to scramble over roofs or trace names on walls; a single footprint can loosen a capstone that New Deal masons set by hand. If you spot fresh graffiti or a newly loosened block, snap a photo and report it to rangers at the park office instead of trying to “fix” it yourself.
Wildlife loves leftovers, so pack out every crumb. Chipmunks burrowing into mortar joints may be cute, but their claws widen cracks that water then freezes apart. Following Leave No Trace guidelines—traveling on durable surfaces, disposing of waste properly, and respecting other visitors—lets the shelters stand another century.
Season-by-Season Planner for a Smooth Trip
Spring paints stone steps with a slick moss gloss; trekking poles add cheap insurance, and waterproof shoes beat soggy socks. Early wildflowers slip through pine needles, and trickling snowmelt turns the gorge into a natural sound machine. Bring a light jacket, because the shady walls keep temperatures cooler than the forecast suggests.
Summer humidity inside the gorge often feels five to ten degrees warmer than the rest of the park, so freeze water bottles at Bonanza’s freezer station the night before and enjoy slow-melting slush as you walk. Fall steals the show: October 1–15 usually hits peak color, and the overlook near Shelter #3 turns into a fiery amphitheater that rivals any postcard. Arrive by 8 a.m. on weekends to snag parking without stress. Winter brings a groomed snowshoe loop; micro-spikes help on windswept sandstone where snow thins, and the park’s stillness makes each stone arch echo like a cathedral.
Pick Your Adventure—Five Ways to Enjoy the Trail
History-loving families can print a junior “Stone Hunt” checklist: find the CCC wall, spot a WPA emblem, count chisel grooves, and compare animal tracks in the mud. Kids burn energy while decoding clues, and parents snag teachable moments without lecture fatigue. A small prize—like first choice of s’mores toppings—keeps motivation high until the parking lot appears.
Adventure-seeking couples chasing Instagram gold should arrive at sunrise for banner-ad soft light. Pair the hike with an afternoon kayak rental on Mirror Lake’s glassy water or a BigFoot Zipline run twelve minutes away. A cheeky caption—“Depression-era craftsmanship meets Midwest moss”—hits both history and humor.
Retiree nature walkers might prefer mid-week strolls, Tuesday to Thursday before ten. Benches wait at 0.3 and 0.9 miles, and the first half-mile stays wide enough for most rugged strollers and trekking poles. Shaded pines keep midday sun polite even in July.
RV travelers and digital nomads can slot the outing between Zoom calls: hike 8–10 a.m., return to Bonanza’s strong Wi-Fi by 10:30, shower and log on at noon. Verizon and AT&T show two to three bars at the trailhead but drop near zero inside the gorge, so set a vacation responder for those two hours.
School or scout coordinators planning group hikes should book a ranger talk at least 30 days out. The WPA shelters hit U.S. history and architecture badge requirements, and the recommended ratio is one adult for every six hikers under fourteen. Teachers can weave a compass lesson into the trek by having students confirm each shelter’s wind-avoiding orientation.
Basecamp Perks Back at Bonanza
The campground’s close-up location means you can leave the RV plugged in, switch off the air conditioner, and keep vents running while you roam. On return, coin-op machines in the laundry shed shake grit from socks and tripod feet, saving tent zippers from abrasive sandstone. Evening s’mores or a plunge in the heated pool cap the day, and free Wi-Fi makes sharing pictures a breeze.
Hungry hikers can hop the hourly summer shuttle looping past downtown Wisconsin Dells eateries—just sign up at the office before heading to the park. No need to unhook the trailer or fight Parkway traffic. Coffee by the campfire in the morning, craft beer flights by night—Bonanza brackets your time-travel hike with modern comfort.
The WPA shelters prove how lasting memories are carved from simple stone and a little curiosity—exactly the kind of memory-making magic Bonanza Camping Resort was built for. When your crew steps off the trail, the heated pool, Wi-Fi for instant photo uploads, and crackling campfire rings are waiting just six minutes away. Ready to turn that “someday” hike into tomorrow’s highlight? Reserve your campsite or cabin at Bonanza now, and let our north-woods basecamp keep the hot showers, shuttle rides, and s’mores supplies on standby while you explore history in living color. Spots fill fast on peak weekends, so book today and make the Dells—and those 1930s stone arches—part of your next great adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How far is the hike to the WPA rock shelters and how long will it take?
A: The Fern Dell Gorge segment of Mirror Lake Trail is roughly two miles round-trip and rises only about 150 vertical feet, so most visitors—kids, photo buffs, and retirees alike—finish in 90 minutes even with snack and selfie stops.
Q: Is the trail kid-friendly and stroller-friendly?
A: Yes; the first half-mile is wide, smooth, and served by a boardwalk that even rugged strollers can handle, after which the path narrows and climbs gentle stone steps that adventurous kids usually treat as part of the fun.
Q: How hard is the hike for someone who just wants a pleasant walk?
A: Rated easy, the route stays shaded, gains only gradual elevation, and offers benches at about 0.3 and 0.9 miles, making it comfortable for walkers who prefer frequent breaks.
Q: What exactly makes these stone shelters historically important?
A: Built in the 1930s by Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps crews, the shelters showcase “WPA Rustic” architecture—hand-split Cambrian sandstone blocks fitted to blend with the forest—so each arch is both a Great Depression job-creation relic and a living example of early conservation design.
Q: Will my phone work inside the gorge?
A: Expect three bars of service at the parking lot, two in the first half-mile, and little to none once the sandstone walls tighten, so download the park’s PDF map or an offline map before you lock the car.
Q: When is the best time for crowd-free photos and good light?
A: Sunrise to about 9 a.m. on weekdays delivers the softest beams through pine canopies and the quietest shelter visits, while October’s first two weeks paint the overlook near Shelter #3 in peak fall color.
Q: Can I combine this hike with other outdoor activities in the area?
A: Absolutely; many visitors walk the shelters at dawn, then rent kayaks on Mirror Lake’s calm water or zipline in the Dells later the same day, all within a 15-minute drive.
Q: Are group ranger talks or educational programs available for schools and scouts?
A: Yes; Mirror Lake State Park offers ranger-led history walks that satisfy U.S. history and architecture badge requirements, but leaders should book at least 30 days in advance and plan on one adult for every six youth under fourteen.
Q: Are the shelters or trail accessible for wheelchairs?
A: The first half-mile, including the boardwalk, is relatively smooth and flat, but the final approach to each shelter involves uneven stone steps and narrow dirt tread, so full wheelchair access is not currently available.
Q: Are there restrooms or water fountains along the trail?
A: The only facilities are vault toilets and a water spigot at the parking lot; there are no restrooms or fountains once you enter the gorge, so fill bottles and make any necessary stops before you start walking.
Q: What etiquette should I follow to protect the stonework?
A: Skip climbing on the roofs, avoid touching or chalking the walls, pack out every crumb, and report any fresh graffiti or loose blocks to park staff so the shelters can survive another century.
Q: How close is the trailhead to Bonanza Camping Resort?
A: The parking lot sits about six minutes away by car—leave Bonanza, turn left on County H, then right on Fern Dell Road, and the lot appears to your left after 3.5 miles.