Five state parks and forests to visit in Wisconsin
Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit. Photo by Caroline Crowley.
By Alison Stecker
Scattered throughout Wisconsin are 52 state parks, eight southern forests and recreation areas and 41 state trails that extend for 1,980 miles. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources State Park System protects Wisconsin’s natural wonders while making Wisconsin a desirable destination for tourists. Each property provides diverse recreational opportunities for Wisconsin natives and visitors to enjoy.
“There is a hidden gem in every property and every property has something special,” said DNR Recreation Partnership Section Chief Missy VanLanduyt. “Whether it’s going to one of our properties at a different time of day, day of the week or different season, we always encourage people to get out and make memories.”
Wisconsin’s state parks, forests and recreational areas see more than 20 million visits each year. All properties are open year-round, so whether it’s frigid cold or blazing hot, here are the top five nature playgrounds you can visit in Wisconsin.
- Devil’s Lake State Park
Devil’s Lake is the most popular state park in Wisconsin, amassing around 3 million visitors each year, said VanLanduyt. People are very drawn to the park’s natural features and recreational opportunities, including hiking, rock climbing and hiking.
“What makes the property unique is its good diversity in recreation, diversity coupled with the views of the lake and opportunities on land and water,” said VanLanduyt.
Devil’s Lake has east, west and south blocks. Those who hike east and west will see incredible views of the Baraboo Hills, which draw people in for camping and weekend getaways. The beach and water are also perfect for those interested in picnicking or just hanging out, VanLanduyt said.
“There are visitors every day to all of our properties. Definitely less in the winter, but all of our properties have all-year-round recreation,” said VanLanduyt. “Some even have higher visitation in the winter.”
Winter camping is at Devil’s Lake throughout the entire season at the Quartzite Campground, which has no-flush restrooms and a winterized water tap for visitors. Other winter activities include ice fishing and snowshoeing.
- Blue Mound State Park
Blue Mound State Park is located at the highest point in southern Wisconsin, 20 miles west of Madison near the Driftless Area.
“Located 500’ above the countryside, the park is known for its panoramic views of the surrounding countryside,” said Natural Resources Property Supervisor Kevin Swenson.
Blue Mound has two 40 feet observation towers on the mound overlooking the driftless area and the Baraboo Bluffs. The vertical elevations of the mound also provide visitors with challenging hiking and mountain biking, Swenson said.
“It’s the destination in the summer for mountain biking and the destination in the winter for cross-country skiing,” VanLanduyt said.
Blue Mound is also the only state park to have a pool, which is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend. As the Wisconsin weather transitions to the winter, the hiking trails turn into 9 miles of cross-country skiing trails and the 15 miles of mountain bike trails convert to Fat Tire Mountain Biking and snowshoeing.
“The colorful autumn after the explosion of color from the oaks and maple trees, and the snow begins to fall, the park transforms into a winter paradise,” Swenson said. “The elevation of the mound provides the park with more snow each year than the surrounding countryside. This makes it an excellent location for some of the best winter activities around.”
- Governor Dodge State Park
Governor Dodge is one of the largest state parks in Wisconsin, with over 5,000 acres of valleys, bluffs and steep hills.
“There is a lot of acreages that are spread out,” said VanLanduyt. “It’s not a very compact park.”
Located in the Driftless Area, Governor Dodges offers a ton of camping, trails, hiking, fishing, kayaking, hunting and cross-country skiing opportunities. It is also one of the only parks with a waterfall.
“One of the big draws is Stephen’s Falls,” VanLanduyt said. “We don’t have a lot of waterfalls in the south and there are accessible trails overlooking it.”
Governor Dodge is also a popular equestrian destination. With close to 30 miles of equestrian trails and a brand new horse campground that opened in May, the property offers some of the best horseback riding to locals and visitors.
“There are a lot of different terrains to traverse. The trails are challenging but not crazy difficult,” said Jean Warrior, the president of Friends of Governor Dodge Equestrians. “There is enough up and down so it’s good conditioning for the horses, and it’s not crazy hard where beginner riders would feel uncomfortable. It’s really a very nice riding destination for people and horses with plenty of shade.”
Riders have the option to explore three types of trails: a 6.7-mile long interior trail, a 15.3-mile long outer horse trail and a 2.5-mile long upland trail.
“A lot of us enjoy the sections of trail that have views of the lakes,” Warrior said. “I particularly like the section of the driftless trail after you cross over the Twin Valley Lake dan. You can wave at the people out in their boats and the southern loop of the driftless trail goes through some really beautiful old forests.”
Warrior believes Governor Dodge is such a popular spot for horseback riders because there are so many other activities to do as well.
“One of the reasons the horse campground has been so popular is that you can’t ride your horse all day every day,” she said. “When you’re camping, it’s great to be at a place that has so many other recreational opportunities.
- Kohler-Andrae State Park
Kohler-Andrae State Park is one of the last natural preserves located alongside Lake Michigan. It’s located less than an hour north of Milwaukee in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and its long shoreline differentiates itself from the other state parks.
“The park is known for its sandy two-mile long beach along Lake Michigan, unique sand dunes and towering white pine trees reminiscent of points further north,” said Park Manager Edward Muzik.
The two-mile long trail is called the Dune Cordwalk, which takes visitors through the sand dunes, wetlands and large white pines located in the 141-site campground, Muzik said.
“A lot of species of plants are [also] protected and the cordwalk takes you through all of them while protecting them,” VanLanduyt added.
According to Muzik, visitors can also enjoy this property year-round. Although ice conditions on the boardwalk and park roads may prohibit hiking in the winter, the park has short cross-country ski trails and snowshoe trails.
- Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit
Although it’s not a state park, Kettle Moraine State Forest is one of the most popular natural resources in Wisconsin, according to VanLanduyt. It is most notable for the glacial moraine that travels through the forest. The forest covers more than 22,000 acres of kettle lakes, prairies and glacial hills and there are more than 100 miles of trails.
“I have many favorite areas of the Forest, and the Scuppernong Springs Nature Trail is one of those. It’s a shorter trail, but the south end has numerous springs that create the headwaters for the Scuppernong River,” said Deputy Superintendent of the Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit Brian Lemke. “The spring pools are shallow and you can see the sediment moving around as the water is emerging from the ground.”
According to Lemke, the property has 336 campsites located within three family campgrounds, two group camps and a campground for visitors camping with horses. There are approximately 60 miles of horse and snowmobile trails, self self-guided nature trails, 127 miles of hiking trails and 54 miles of mountain biking trails.
“The Forest is able to provide recreation to many types of groups; whether they are looking for trails, wildlife/bird viewing, glacial features, historic cabins and interpretive areas and many miles of trails,” said Lemke. “We also provide hunters and anglers with a place to recreate.”
The Southern Unit is also known for being a fully contained natural state area.
“We also have about a dozen State Natural Areas within the forest that provide critical habitat for several rare species of plants and animals,” Lemke said.
Interested in visiting any of these properties? Check out the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website for more information regarding admission tickets.