List of Wisconsin state parks

Map of State Parks of Wisconsin
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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. Wisconsin currently has 50 state park units, covering more than Template:Convert in state parks and state recreation areas. Each unit was created by an act of the Wisconsin Legislature and is maintained by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation. The Division of Forestry manages a further Template:Convert in Wisconsin's state forests.

Several Wisconsin state parks contain resources that have been recognized on a national level. Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area, Devil's Lake State Park, and Interstate State Park are units of the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve, while the Wyalusing Hardwood Forest in Wyalusing State Park is a National Natural Landmark. Two Wisconsin state parks contain National Historic Landmarks, both of which are Native American archaeological sites: Aztalan and Copper Culture. 15 state parks contain a total of 23 separate listings on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). These are the two previously mentioned National Historic Landmarks, plus Lake Farms Archaeological District at Capital Springs State Recreation Area, Copper Falls State Park, six individual buildings at Heritage Hill State Historical Park (Baird Law Office, Cotton House, Fort Howard Hospital, Fort Howard Officers' Quarters, Fort Howard Ward Building, and Tank Cottage), High Cliff Mounds at High Cliff State Park, the Seth Peterson Cottage in Mirror Lake State Park, the Raddatz Rockshelter at Natural Bridge State Park, Stonefield partially within Nelson Dewey State Park, Eagle Bluff Lighthouse in Peninsula State Park, the Roche-a-Cri Petroglyphs in Roche-a-Cri State Park, the shot tower in Tower Hill State Park, Whitefish Dunes-Bay View Site in Whitefish Dunes State Park, Wyalusing State Park Mounds Archaeological District in Wyalusing State Park, and four listings in Rock Island State Park: the Pottawatomie Lighthouse, Rock Island Historic District, Thordarson Estate Historic District, and a water tower.

History

Wisconsin became the first state to have a state park in 1878<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> when it formed "The State Park". The park consisted of Template:Convert in northern Wisconsin (most of present-day Vilas County).<ref name="StateParkHistory">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The state owned Template:Convert, which was less than 10% of the total area.<ref name="StateParkHistory" /> There were few residents in the area. Lumber barons were powerful in the area, and they purchased two-thirds of the state's land at $8 per acre.<ref name="StateParkHistory" /> This defeated the purpose of the parks for it didn't save the land from the ax.<ref name="StateParkHistory" />

In 1895, the state legislature created an act which authorized the state governor to examine some land in Polk County at the Dalles of the St. Croix River to become a state park.<ref name="StateParkHistory" /> In 1899, the legislature approved the purchase of Interstate State Park and it was established on September 20, 1900.<ref name="StateParkHistory" /> Architect John Nolen was hired in 1907 to draft a feasibility plan for a Wisconsin State Parks System and State Parks for Wisconsin was released later that year.<ref name="StateParkHistory" /> The report was the guideline used to set up the state park system. It recommended the creation of four state parks: Dells of the Wisconsin River, Devil's Lake, Door County's Fish Creek (now Peninsula State Park) and the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers (now Wyalusing State Park). Three became state parks, and the fourth became Dells Natural Area in 2005.<ref name="StateParkHistory" /> A State Conservation Commission was formed in 1915 by combining the State Park Board, the State Board of Forestry, the Fisheries Commission, and the state Game Warden Department.<ref name="StateParkHistory" />

List of Wisconsin state parks and recreation areas

Park Name	County or Counties	Size<ref>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."</ref>		Year established<ref name="StateParkHistory" />	Water Body(s)	Remarks
		acres	ha
Amnicon Falls State Park	Douglas	Template:Convert	1961	Amnicon River	Contains a series of waterfalls and a historic covered bridge.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Aztalan State Park	Jefferson	Template:Convert	1947	Crawfish River	Interprets a partially reconstructed Mississippian culture village that flourished 1000–1300 CE. The site is a National Historic Landmark.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Belmont Mound State Park	Lafayette			1961	None	Features a Template:Convert observation tower atop a Template:Convert hill. Operated by the Belmont Lions Club.
Big Bay State Park	Ashland	Template:Convert	1963	Lake Superior	Includes a Template:Convert beach on Madeline Island, largest of the Apostle Islands.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Big Foot Beach State Park	Walworth	Template:Convert	1949	Geneva Lake	Offers camping and fishing adjacent to a Template:Convert beach.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Blue Mound State Park	Dane	Template:Convert	1959	Ryan Creek	Contains observation towers atop the highest point in southern Wisconsin and the state park system's only swimming pool.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Brunet Island State Park	Chippewa	Template:Convert	1936	Chippewa and Fisher Rivers	Preserves a Template:Convert island and backwater channels popular with canoeists.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Buckhorn State Park	Juneau	Template:Convert	1971	Castle Rock Lake	Protects a scenic peninsula on a reservoir formed at the confluence of the Wisconsin and Yellow Rivers.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Campbellsport Drumlins State Park	Fond du Lac	Template:Convert	1971	None	A unit of the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve.<ref name="Bewer">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp<ref name="Hunting and Trapping">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Capital Springs State Recreation Area	Dane	Template:Convert	2000	Lake Waubesa	Encompasses park properties just south of Madison unified in the centennial year of the state park system. A Native American archaeological site is on the NRHP.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area	Chippewa	Template:Convert	1971	Numerous kettle lakes	Interprets varied glacial landforms. The park is a unit of the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Copper Culture State Park	Oconto	Template:Convert	1959	Oconto River	Interprets a burial ground used by the Old Copper Culture from 3000 to 2000 BCE.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> The site is a National Historic Landmark.
Copper Falls State Park	Ashland	Template:Convert	1929	Bad River	Contains Template:Convert of the Bad River, including a Template:Convert gorge with several waterfalls.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> The park is listed on the NRHP.
Council Grounds State Park	Lincoln	Template:Convert	1938	Wisconsin River	Lies on a riverbank where Native Americans were said to have once held councils.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Cross Plains State Park	Dane	Template:Convert	1971	None	A unit of the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Consists of land owned by Dane County, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the National Park Service, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Devil's Lake State Park	Sauk	Template:Convert	1911	Devil's Lake	Protects a Template:Convert endorheic lake in the Baraboo Range, hemmed in by moraines and Template:Convert quartzite bluffs.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> The park is a unit of the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve.
Fischer Creek State Recreation Area	Manitowoc	Template:Convert	1991	Lake Michigan	Preserves a mile of shoreline flanking the mouth of Fischer Creek. Managed by the Manitowoc County Park System.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Governor Dodge State Park	Iowa	Template:Convert	1948	Two man-made lakes	Preserves Driftless Area topography in memory of Henry Dodge, settler and first governor of the Wisconsin Territory.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Governor Nelson State Park	Dane	Template:Convert	1975	Lake Mendota	Contains a Template:Convert beach, restored prairie, and ancient Indian mounds.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Governor Thompson State Park	Marinette	Template:Convert	2000	Peshtigo River, Woods Lake	In development around a series of lakes and streams.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Grand Traverse Island State Park	Door	Template:Convert	1970	Lake Michigan	Protects Template:Convert of land on Detroit Island.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Hunting & Trapping Map Grand Traverse Island State Park, Wisconsin DNR PUB PR-2090, Rev. 9/11/2014</ref> There is currently a movement for this and surrounding lands to be established as a national lakeshore.<ref>Grand Traverse Islands National Lakeshore Campaign, Friends of the Grand Traverse Islands, accessed February 27, 2016)</ref>
Harrington Beach State Park	Ozaukee	Template:Convert	1966	Lake Michigan	Features a mile-long beach, a white cedar swamp, and a Template:Convert quarry lake.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Hartman Creek State Park	Waupaca and Portage	Template:Convert	1962	Hartman Creek, seven lakes
Heritage Hill State Historical Park	Brown	Template:Convert	1973	Fox River	Comprises an open-air museum of 25 historical structures and over 11,000 artifacts managed by a non-profit organization. Six of the buildings are on the NRHP.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
High Cliff State Park	Calumet	Template:Convert	1954	Lake Winnebago	Straddles the cliff of the Niagara Escarpment on the northeast shore of Wisconsin's largest lake.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> A group of effigy mounds is on the NRHP.
Hoffman Hills State Recreation Area	Dunn	Template:Convert	1980	None	Features trails and a Template:Convert observation tower among hills covered in forest, prairie, and wetlands.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Holzhueter Farm Conservation Park	Jefferson	Template:Convert	2009	None	Under development. Managed by Jefferson County, owned by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Hunting and Trapping" />
Interstate State Park	Polk	Template:Convert	1900	St. Croix River, Lake O' the Dalles	Preserves a basalt river gorge jointly with an adjacent state park in Minnesota. The park is within the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway and the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve and contains the western terminus of the Ice Age Trail.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Kinnickinnic State Park	Pierce	Template:Convert	1972	St. Croix and Kinnickinnic Rivers	Offers boat-in camping and overlooks at the sandy river delta at the mouth of the Kinnickinnic.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Kohler-Andrae State Park	Sheboygan	Template:Convert	1928	Lake Michigan, Black River	Preserves dunes, golden sand beaches, and pine woodland.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Lake Kegonsa State Park	Dane	Template:Convert	1962	Lake Kegonsa	Adjoins a Template:Convert glacial lake in rural Dane County.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Lake Wissota State Park	Chippewa	Template:Convert	1962	Lake Wissota	Features forest, prairie, and a Template:Convert swimming beach on a reservoir of the Chippewa River (Wisconsin).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Lakeshore State Park	Milwaukee	Template:Convert	1998	Lake Michigan	Provides urban green space on Milwaukee's lakefront.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Lizard Mound State Park	Washington	Template:Convert	2022	None	Contains 28 effigy mounds in excellent states of preservation, walking trails and interpretive signage. Originally established as a State Park in 1950, it was taken over by Washington County in 1986. It was deeded back to the state in 2021 and redesignated a State Park in 2022.
Menominee River State Park and Recreation Area	Marinette	Template:Convert	2010	Menominee River	Protects several miles of the Menominee River in conjunction with Michigan's Menominee River State Recreation Area.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Merrick State Park	Buffalo	Template:Convert	1932	Mississippi River	Offers fishing and boating on quiet backwaters of the Mississippi.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Mill Bluff State Park	Monroe and Juneau	Template:Convert	1936	Unnamed swimming pond	Contains unusual steep sandstone bluffs that formed as islands in Glacial Lake Wisconsin.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Mirror Lake State Park	Sauk	Template:Convert	1962	Mirror Lake	Surrounds a reservoir whose wooded shores and Template:Convert cliffs often keep the water mirror-smooth.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Seth Peterson Cottage designed by Frank Lloyd Wright is on the NRHP.
Natural Bridge State Park	Sauk	Template:Convert	1972	None	Contains the largest natural arch in the state and an NRHP-listed rock shelter once used by Paleo-Indians.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Nelson Dewey State Park	Grant	Template:Convert	1935	Mississippi River	Encompasses a Template:Convert river bluff that was once part of the estate of Nelson Dewey, Wisconsin's first governor.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Stonefield estate is on the NRHP.
New Glarus Woods State Park	Green	Template:Convert	1934	Little Sugar River branch	Preserves mature forest and restored prairie.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Newport State Park	Door	Template:Convert	1964	Lake Michigan	Comprises Wisconsin's only wilderness-designated park.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Pattison State Park	Douglas	Template:Convert	1920	Black River	Contains Template:Convert Big Manitou Falls, the highest waterfall in Wisconsin and the fourth-highest east of the Rocky Mountains.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Peninsula State Park	Door	Template:Convert	1909	Green Bay	Contains a golf course, summer theater, group camps, and lighthouse on nearly Template:Convert of shoreline on the Door Peninsula.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> The 1868 Eagle Bluff Lighthouse is on the NRHP.
Perrot State Park	Trempealeau	Template:Convert	1918	Mississippi and Trempealeau Rivers	Features Template:Convert bluffs bearing rare goat prairie communities on their southwestern faces.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Potawatomi State Park	Door	Template:Convert	1928	Sturgeon Bay	Protects steep-to-sheer shoreline on the Door Peninsula.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Rib Mountain State Park	Marathon	Template:Convert	1927	None	Straddles Template:Convert Rib Mountain, one of the highest points in Wisconsin.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Richard Bong State Recreation Area	Kenosha	Template:Convert	1963	Several small lakes	Supports recreational activities, including ATVs, falconry, hunting and sled dog training, and model aircraft on the site of the abortive R.I. Bong Air Force Base.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Roche-a-Cri State Park	Adams	Template:Convert	1948	Little Roche-a-Cri Creek	Contains a Template:Convert outcropping bearing the NRHP-listed Roche-a-Cri Petroglyphs.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Rock Island State Park	Door	Template:Convert	1965	Lake Michigan	Encompasses most of vehicle-free Rock Island, accessed by two ferry rides at the tip of the Door Peninsula. Four listings are on the NRHP, including the 1836 Pottawatomie Lighthouse and inventor Chester Thordarson's 20th-century estate.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Rocky Arbor State Park	Juneau	Template:Convert	1932	Unnamed creek	Preserves sandstone outcroppings similar to the nearby Dells of the Wisconsin River along one of the river's former channels.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Straight Lake State Park	Polk	Template:Convert	2002	Straight Lake	In development around a lake surrounded by mature forest and glacial landforms.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Tower Hill State Park	Iowa	Template:Convert	1922	Wisconsin River	Interprets a reconstructed shot tower where lead shot was manufactured 1832–1860.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> The tower is on the NRHP.
Whitefish Dunes State Park	Door	Template:Convert	1967	Lake Michigan, Clark Lake	Protects dunes that formed across the mouth of a bay. A district of eight habitation sites dating from 100 BCE to 1800 CE are on the NRHP.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Wildcat Mountain State Park	Vernon	Template:Convert	1948	Kickapoo River	Comprises a steep ridge overlooking the Kickapoo Valley.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Willow River State Park	St. Croix	Template:Convert	1967	Willow River	Contains a waterfall in a sandstone gorge and a Template:Convert lake.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Wyalusing State Park	Grant	Template:Convert	1917	Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers	Occupies a Template:Convert bluff overlooking the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> The park's hardwood forest is a National Natural Landmark and a district of prehistoric mounds is on the NRHP.
Yellowstone Lake State Park	Lafayette	Template:Convert	1970	Yellowstone Lake	Surrounds a Template:Convert reservoir built in the lake-poor Driftless Area.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

List of former Wisconsin state parks

Park name	County or counties	Area		Year founded	Year closed	Body of water	Remarks
		acres	ha
Lost Dauphin State Park	Brown	Template:Convert	1947	1974<ref name="1973 Wisconsin">Template:Cite WisDOT map</ref><ref name="1975 Wisconsin">Template:Cite WisDOT map</ref>	Fox River	Surrounded the cabin site of Eleazar Williams, once rumored to be the Lost Dauphin. The state still owns the land (as of 2017), now known as Lost Dauphin Park.
Old Wade House State Park<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Sheboygan	Template:Convert<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1953<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	1992<ref>Template:Cite WisDOT map</ref><ref>Template:Cite WisDOT map</ref>	Mullet River	Now run by the Wisconsin Historical Society as the Wade House Historic Site

See also

• List of Wisconsin state forests

External links

• Wisconsin State Park System
• National Parks in Wisconsin
• State park service in Wisconsin