Portage is along the National Ice Age Trail, one of eight congressionally designated National Scenic Trails located throughout the U.S. The trail meanders through 31 Wisconsin counties along the terminal moraine left by a glacier more than 10,000 years ago.

The Portage Canal Segment of the National Ice Age Trail is a 6.2-mile out-and-back trail that runs along the Portage Canal with a stretch through downtown Portage. The west end of the trail segment features the refurbished canal lock and the new Columbia County Administration buildings and a reconstructed Wisconsin/DeWitt Street intersection.

Along the trail toward the east, the canal was recently dredged and a new trail constructed with lighting and interpretive signs. The Historic Indian Agency House is a popular attraction found on the eastern edge of the trail segment.

To enjoy the trail: From the west, Park in the Portage Library parking lot at 253 W. Edgewater Street. Access the trail from the corner of W. Edgewater Street and Lock Street, just west of the library; from downtown, park at Market Square, 200 E. Cook Street, and access trail just south near the Adams Street bridge; from the east, access the gravel trail parking lot just off Highway 33, across the highway from Meigs Transport. A brown National Ice Age Trail sign stands at this east access point.