List of Wisconsin state parks
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A Wisconsin state park is an area of land in the U.S. state of Wisconsin preserved by the state for its natural, historic, or other resources. The state park system in Wisconsin includes both state parks and state recreation areas, as well as some but not all of the state forests. Wisconsin currently has 66 state park units, covering more than 60,570 acres (245 km²) in state parks and state recreation areas, and 471,329 acres (1,907 km²) in state forests. Each unit was created by an act of the Wisconsin Legislature and is maintained by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Contents |
[edit] List of Wisconsin state park system units
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
| Park name | County or counties | Area in acres (km²)[1] | Year founded |
Body of water | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amnicon Falls State Park [1] | Douglas | 825 acres (3.3 km²) | 1961 | Amnicon River | Features a series of waterfalls and a historic covered bridge. | |
| Aztalan State Park [2] | Jefferson | 172 acres (0.7 km²) | 1952 | None | The site of an ancient Native American settlement that flourished during the 10th to 13th centuries. | |
| Belmont Mound State Park | Lafayette | 1961 | Operated by the Belmont Lions Club, this park has a 64-foot (19.5 m) observation tower atop a 400-foot (120 m) hill. | |||
| Big Bay State Park [3] | Ashland | 2,418 acres (9.78 km²) | 1963 | Lake Superior | On Madeline Island, largest of the Apostle Islands. | |
| Big Foot Beach State Park [4] | Walworth | 272 acres (1.1 km²) | 1949 | Geneva Lake | Provides expansive picnic and camping grounds near a long, narrow beach. | |
| Black River State Forest [5] | Jackson | 67,070 acres (271.4 km²) | 1957 | Black River | ||
| Blue Mound State Park [6] | Dane | 1,153 acres (4.67 km²) | 1959 | None | ||
| Browntown-Cadiz Springs State Recreation Area [7] | Green | 644 acres (2.6 km²) | 1980 | Beckman and Zander Lakes | ||
| Brule River State Forest [8] | Douglas | 40,882 acres (165.4 km²) | 1907 | Bois Brule River, Lake Superior | ||
| Brunet Island State Park [9] | Chippewa | 1,225 acres (4.95 km²) | 1936 | Chippewa and Fisher Rivers | Features a 169-acre (0.7 km²) island and backwater channels popular with canoeists. | |
| Buckhorn State Park [10] | Juneau | 6,990 acres (28.2 km²) | 1971 | Castle Rock Lake | ||
| Capital Springs State Park and Recreation Area [11] | Dane | 3,000 acres (12 km²) | 2000 | Lake Waubesa | Established near Madison in the centennial year of the state park system. | |
| Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area [12] | Chippewa | 3,272 acres (13.2 km²) | 1971 | Numerous kettle lakes | A modern visitor center interprets the area's exemplary glacial geology. | |
| Copper Culture State Park [13] | Oconto | 42 acres (0.16 km²) | 1959 | Oconto River | Interprets a burial ground used by the Old Copper Culture between 5,000 and 6,000 years ago. | |
| Copper Falls State Park [14] | Ashland | 3,068 acres (12.4 km²) | 1929 | Bad River | ||
| Council Grounds State Park | Lincoln | 509 acres (2.05 km²) | 1938 | Wisconsin River | ||
| Devil's Lake State Park [15] | Sauk | 10,200 acres (41.2 km²) | 1911 | Devil's Lake | Features high bluffs surrounding the lake, with several picturesque hiking trails of varying difficulty. | |
| Fischer Creek State Recreation Area [16] | Manitowoc | 124 acres (0.5 km²) | 1991 | Lake Michigan | ||
| Flambeau River State Forest [17] | Sawyer and Price | 90,147 acres (364 km²) | 1930 | Flambeau River | ||
| Governor Dodge State Park [18] | Iowa | 5,270 acres (21.33 km²) | 1948 | Two manmade lakes | Provides numerous outdoor recreation opportunities surrounded by Driftless Area topography. | |
| Governor Knowles State Forest [19] | Burnett and Polk | 19,753 acres (79.9 km²) | 1970 | St. Croix River | Managed as a wilderness buffer for the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway. | |
| Governor Nelson State Park | Dane | 422 acres (1.7 km²) | 1975 | Lake Mendota | ||
| Governor Thompson State Park [20] | Marinette | 2,600 acres (10.5 km²) | 2000 | Caldron Falls Reservoir | Still in development. | |
| Harrington Beach State Park [21] | Ozaukee | 637 acres (2.57 km²) | 1992 | Lake Michigan | ||
| Hartman Creek State Park [22] | Waupaca | 1,417 acres (5.73 km²) | 1966 | Several lakes | ||
| Havenwoods State Forest [23] | Milwaukee | 237 acres (0.95 km²) | 1979 | Lincoln Creek | A green space and environmental education center within Milwaukee city limits. | |
| Heritage Hill State Park [24] | Brown | 48 acres (0.19 km²) | 1972 | Fox River | An outdoor museum of 25 historical structures. | |
| High Cliff State Park [25] | Calumet | 1,147 acres (4.64 km²) | 1956 | Lake Winnebago | ||
| Hoffman Hills State Recreation Area [26] | Dunn | 707 acres (2.86 km²) | 1980 | None | ||
| Interstate State Park [27] | Polk | 1,330 acres (5.38 km²) | 1900 | St. Croix River, Lake O' the Dalles | Wisconsin's first state park, formed in conjunction with an adjacent state park in Minnesota. | |
| Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit [28] | Sheboygan, Fond du Lac, and Washington | 29,268 acres (118 km²) | 1936 | Numerous kettle lakes | ||
| Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit [29] | Waukesha, Walworth, and Jefferson | 22,300 acres (90.2 km²) | 1936 | Numerous kettle lakes | ||
| Kinnickinnic State Park | Pierce | 1,239 acres (5.01 km²) | 1972 | St. Croix and Kinnickinnic Rivers | ||
| Kohler-Andrae State Park [30] | Sheboygan | 988 acres (3.99 km²) | 1927 | Lake Michigan, Black River | ||
| Lake Kegonsa State Park [31] | Dane | 343 acres (1.38 km²) | 1962 | Lake Kegonsa | ||
| Lake Wissota State Park [32] | Chippewa | 1,062 acres (4.29 km²) | 1961 | Lake Wissota | A mix of forest and prairie beside a popular boating lake. | |
| Lakeshore State Park [33] | Milwaukee | 22 acres (0.08 km²) | 1998 | Lake Michigan | An urban green space in development on Milwaukee's lakefront. | |
| Lapham Peak Unit, Kettle Moraine State Forest [34] | Waukesha | 1,006 acres (4.07 km²) | 1985 | None | ||
| Loew Lake Unit, Kettle Moraine State Forest | Washington | 1,090 acres (4.41 km²) | 1987 | Oconomowoc River, Loew Lake | ||
| Merrick State Park | Buffalo | 320 acres (1.29 km²) | 1932 | Mississippi River | Situated on a backwater slough, with many campsites right on the shore. | |
| Mill Bluff State Park [35] | Monroe and Juneau | 1,337 acres (5.41 km²) | 1936 | None | Protects steep sandstone bluffs that formed as islands in a glacial lake. | |
| Mirror Lake State Park [36] | Sauk | 2,179 acres (8.81 km²) | 1962 | Mirror Lake | Wooded shores and steep, narrow sides often give this reservoir a smooth surface. | |
| Natural Bridge State Park | Sauk | 530 acres (2.14 km²) | 1972 | None | Contains the largest natural arch in the state and a rock shelter once used by Paleo-Indians. | |
| Nelson Dewey State Park | Grant | 756 acres (3.05 km²) | 1935 | Mississippi River | These river bluffs were once part of the Stonefield estate of Nelson Dewey, the state's first governor. | |
| New Glarus Woods State Park [37] | Green | 431 acres (1.74 km²) | 1934 | None | ||
| Newport State Park [38] | Door | 2,373 acres (9.6 km²) | 1964 | Lake Michigan | Wisconsin's only wilderness-designated state park. | |
| Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest [39] | Iron, Vilas and Oneida | 223,283 acres (903 km²) | 1925 | Numerous lakes and streams | ||
| Pattison State Park [40] | Douglas | 1,476 acres (5.97 km²) | 1920 | Black River | Contains Big Manitou Falls, the highest waterfall in the state. | |
| Peninsula State Park [41] | Door | 3,776 acres (15.2 km²) | 1909 | Green Bay | Rocky bluffs and nearly 7 miles of Green Bay shoreline in Door County. | |
| Perrot State Park | Trempealeau | 1,270 acres (5.13 km²) | 1918 | Mississippi and Trempealeau Rivers | 500-foot (150 m) high bluffs bear rare "goat prairie" communities on their southwestern faces. | |
| Peshtigo River State Forest [42] | Marinette and Oconto | 9,200 acres (37.2 km²) | 2001 | Peshtigo River | ||
| Pike Lake Unit, Kettle Moraine State Forest [43] | Washington | 678 acres (2.74 km²) | 1960 | Pike Lake | ||
| Point Beach State Forest [44] | Manitowc | 2,903 acres (11.7 km²) | 1938 | Lake Michigan | ||
| Potawatomi State Park [45] | Door | 1,225 acres (4.95 km²) | 1928 | Sturgeon Bay | ||
| Rib Mountain State Park [46] | Marathon | 1,528 acres (6.18 km²) | 1927 | None | ||
| Richard Bong State Recreation Area [47] | Kenosha | 4,515 acres (18.2 km²) | 1963 | Several small lakes | ||
| Roche-a-Cri State Park [48] | Adams | 604 acres (2.44 km²) | 1948 | None | A 300-foot (90 m) outcropping bears the Roche-a-Cri Petroglyphs. | |
| Rock Island State Park [49] | Door | 912 acres (3.69 km²) | 1965 | Lake Michigan | No vehicles, including bicycles, are permitted on the island, which can be reached via passenger ferry from Washington Island. | |
| Rocky Arbor State Park | Juneau | 225 acres (0.91 km²) | 1932 | Features sandstone outcroppings. | ||
| Straight Lake State Park [50] | Polk | 2,780 acres (11.2 km²) | 2002 | Straight Lake | A new park still in development. | |
| Tower Hill State Park | Iowa | 77 acres (0.31 km²) | 1922 | Wisconsin River | Showcases a restored shot tower. | |
| Whitefish Dunes State Park [51] | Door | 863 acres (3.49 km²) | 1967 | Lake Michigan | Features the highest sand dunes in Wisconsin. | |
| Wildcat Mountain State Park [52] | Vernon | 3,643 acres (14.7 km²) | 1948 | Kickapoo River | ||
| Willow River State Park [53] | St. Croix | 2,891 acres (11.6 km²) | 1967 | Willow River | The river supports a waterfall, a reservoir, and trout fishing. | |
| Wyalusing State Park [54] | Grant | 2,628 acres (10.6 km²) | 1917 | Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers | ||
| Yellowstone Lake State Park [55] | Lafayette | 968 acres (3.91 km²) | 1970 | Yellowstone Lake |
[edit] Gallery
 Trail at Harrington Beach State Park |
 The Lake Michigan beach at Harrington Beach State Park |
 Entrance sign for Kohler Andrae State Park |
 Sand dunes at Kohler Andrae State Park |
 Ranger station at Kohler Andrae State Park |
[edit] See also
- List of Wisconsin state forests
- List of Wisconsin state recreation areas
- List of U.S. national parks
- List of U.S. state parks
[edit] References
- ^ Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Parks and Recreation. "Wisconsin State Park System: 2006 Visitor Information Guide for State Parks, Forests, Recreation Areas & Trails."
[edit] External links
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources page on parks and forests
- Wisconsin DNR Maps State Parks, Forests and Recreation Areas
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