New Lapham Lodge adds to Kettle Moraine forest's appeal in Waukesha County and beyond

Yahoo

17-05-2025

Lapham Lodge's grand opening event on May 17 tilted toward presentation and dignitaries, including Gov. Tony Evers, but the true reality of the moment was seen through the eyes of its users.
In a chilly, but altogether normal, spring day, many among the estimated 600 guests and officials at the Lapham Peak of the Kettle Moraine State Forest shared a common refrain in their views: that the new $2.9 million lodge was overdue and very welcome after years of hopes and eventual planning made it a reality.
Compared to the old shelter, the new Lapham Lodge "will be amazing," said John Oimoen, an avid cross country skier and hiker who celebrated the facility's completion. "Having quick access out onto the (ski) loop, into the trails, and handling a decent size weekend crowd will just be more helpful."
Oimoen, who lauds Lapham Peak as "just a great place to be outside," wasn't alone in his assessment of Lapham Lodge.
About thirty years ago, when Bradley Wells of Wauwatosa began coming to the Lapham Peak Unit to ski, the amenities were decisively more primitive, even predating the Evergreen Picnic Shelter and Lodge.
"We just had a little shed with a porta-potty," Well said, "so expanding from that and (today) having a nice place for you to go in and change, get ready to ski and kind of hang out where people gather ... in a bigger space with nicer bathrooms, yeah, it's going to be nice."
The Evergreen shelter was also poorly positioned for cross-country skiers, who in their ski boots had to traverse a busy parking lot to reach the trail access, he added.
His wife, Sara Wells, concurred, calling the new lodge "a wonderful addition" that also satisfies their warm-weather habit of hiking and running on the trails. "A lot of people use the park, and it will be nice to have a place to gather," she said.
If there was any concern about the new lodge, it's about how popular it might become, given the plan to allow private events to be held inside the building.
"This is going to be awesome, but I don't know how they are going to handle events and stuff," said Paul Barbour of Oconomowoc, an avid cross-country skier who has witnessed the seasonal demand as a participant. "In winter, they shouldn't be able to have events, because it should be for the skiers."
Following the ceremonial ribbon cutting, those who addressed the appreciative crowd inside the facility had as much to say about how Lapham Lodge came to be as they did the value of the facility to users. In fact, many of the volunteers who raised funds for the facility are themselves avid users, locally and statewide.
That includes Gov. Evers, who regularly hikes at Governor Nelson State Park in Dane County and who said volunteer efforts in Waukesha County's piece of the state park system served an important purpose.
"A lot of people have already said this, but the last two years have reflected record high attendance at Lapham, so the addition of this lodge is essential meet the growing needs of our park attendees," Evers said. "At the state level, Wisconsin boasts more than an $11 billion outdoor recreation industry. It's a big deal, folks."
Officials noted that the completed lodge will be donated to the state of Wisconsin, making it an integral park of that park system.
The speakers also included various representatives of the Friends of Lapham Peak, the 300-member volunteer group which spearheaded the idea of the lodge from the beginning.
Will Edwards, a member of the group's fundraising committee, pointed to the long list of group members, donors and building professionals who turned the concept into a brick-and-mortar facility.
"It takes a lot of people to build a building like this," Edwards said.
Lapham Peak, an 1,100-acre piece of the broader Kettle Moraine State Forest, annually draws roughly 674,000 skiers, hikers and other park visitors, many from distances well outside Waukesha County, according to Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The Evergreen trailhead provides access to trails, including a 1.5-mile loop with man-made snow in the winter.
The site's year-round draw is why enthusiasts and supporters relentlessly argued for a new lodge over the years.
Construction of the 5,000-square-foot lodge began in April 2024, but the project stretches much further back, growing from plans that finally surfaced in 2021. That's when the Friends of Lapham Peak, a nonprofit volunteer group focused on the Kettle Moraine unit, began working with the DNR to draw up the concept for a larger lodge.
Built near the much smaller and rudimentary Evergreen Picnic Shelter and Lodge, off the east side of Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive (Highway C) in the town of Delafield, Lapham Lodge is primarily intended for trail users, whether they're mountain bikers, backpack-clad hikers or cross-country skiers.
Restrooms are accompanied by changing rooms. It has a gas fireplace for winter warmth and air conditioning for summer guests.
However, from the start, planners envisioned a facility that could also serve as a rental spot for events: a multipurpose room with a kitchenette, a bench-equipped covered patio overlooking the trailhead, creating a setting ideal for weddings, baby showers and other family events.
While the state has supported Lapham Peak as part of its parks budget, the central Waukesha County unit owes its finer outdoor amenities to the Friends of Lapham Peak, incorporated in 1989.
In the past two decades, the volunteer group has raised more than $1.2 million for snowmaking and other improvements at the Lapham Peak Unit. Among them are a costly snow groomer and a storage building, plus annual operations costs including electrical utility bills.
The lodge is the group's biggest effort. "It's a big deal," group spokesman and volunteer Charlie Ritter has repeatedly said.
As previously reported, volunteers had already raised about $700,000 by the time the Friends group secured a $1.3 million grant from the American Rescue Plan's Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation program, part of the U.S. Economic Development Administration's $240 million program.
Contact reporter Jim Riccioli at [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Park users, officials, including Evers, celebrate Lapham Lodge opening