Wisconsin outdoors

The 3,000-acre Coulee Experimental State Forest is used for forest watershed research and has many deep gulches and ravines.

• Hunting
• ·Winter Sports
• ·Hiking
• ·Horseback Riding

Along the Wisconsin River near former Native American encampment sites, Council Grounds State Park offers wooded trails, a beach area and an accessible fishing pier.

• Camping
• ·Hiking
• ·Beach
• ·Fishing

Cross Plains State Park, west of Madison, contains an outstanding collection of glacial landforms, a meltwater-carved gorge and expansive terrain views.

• Hiking

This scenic rail trail in Brown and Manitowoc counties passes farmlands, prairies, rivers and wetlands and features two dramatic railroad trestles.

• Biking
• ·Hiking

This 25-mile county-operated trail extends from West Bend into eastern Wisconsin countryside past the glacial Kettle Moraine State Forest landscape.

• Biking
• ·Hiking

Considered the first rail-to-trail in the United States, the Elroy-Sparta State Trail runs 32.5 miles between Sparta and Elroy with three rock tunnels.

• Biking
• ·Camping

Fischer Creek has about a mile of Lake Michigan shoreline with scenic wooded bluffs rising up to 40 feet, grasslands and wetlands.

• Hiking
• ·Picnicking
• ·Wildlife Viewing
• ·Beach

The Flambeau River State Forest provides backcountry hiking, ATV and snowmobile trails, campgrounds and canoeing on the North and South forks of the river.

• Hiking
• ·Winter Sports
• ·Camping
• ·Hunting

From downtown Green Bay, the Fox River State Trail winds along the Fox River for 25 miles on a former rail corridor with a rich history of Native American footpaths.

• Biking
• ·Horseback Riding

The four-mile Friendship State Trail passes through woods and scenic farmland in Calumet County between Forest Junction and Brillion.

• Biking
• ·Hiking

This 52-mile trail stretches through farmlands and glacial topography from Cottage Grove to Waukesha, passing through 10 small towns on an abandoned rail corridor.

• Biking
• ·Camping

This 55-mile-long forest in northwestern Wisconsin parallels the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway across 32,500 wooded acres.

• Camping
• ·Paddling
• ·Hiking
• ·Horseback Riding

On 10,000-acre Lake Mendota within sight of the State Capitol, Governor Nelson is a day use park with a sand beach, boat launch, prairies and over 8 miles of trails.

• Beach
• ·Boating
• ·Picnicking
• ·Playground

With over 2,800 acres of woods, Governor Thompson State Park offers a campground, beach on Woods Lake, trails and 6 miles of Caldron Falls Flowage shoreline.

• Camping
• ·Picnicking
• ·Beach
• ·Hiking

This 24-mile trail travels through prairies and backwaters of the upper Mississippi River valley within the Mississippi Flyway, past two National Wildlife Refuges.

• Hiking
• ·Biking
• ·Winter Sports

Named for baseball legend Hank Aaron, this trail connects American Family Field to the Milwaukee Lake Michigan lakefront and links to famous local landmarks.

• Biking
• ·Hiking

Harrington Beach State Park has more than a mile of Lake Michigan beach plus a cedar and hardwood swamp, restored wetland ponds and a limestone quarry lake.

• Camping
• ·Beach
• ·Picnicking
• ·Hiking

On the Chain O' Lakes, Hartman Creek State Park is a central Wisconsin gem with camping, the historic Hellestad House log cabin and four picnic areas.

• Camping
• ·Boating
• ·Swimming
• ·Horseback Riding

Havenwoods is Wisconsin's only urban state forest, featuring 237 acres of grasslands, woods and wetlands and over 6 miles of trails in the city of Milwaukee.

• Hiking
• ·Biking
• ·Wildlife Viewing

Heritage Hill State Park is a living history outdoor museum in Green Bay featuring 24 structures from Wisconsin's past spanning 1762 to 1905.

• Historic Site

High Cliff is the only state-owned recreation area on Lake Winnebago, named for the limestone cliff of the Niagara Escarpment along the lake's eastern shore.

• Camping
• ·Boating
• ·Picnicking

Hoffman Hills offers 700 acres of wooded hills, wetlands and prairie with trails and a 60-foot observation tower atop one of the highest points in Dunn County.

• Hiking
• ·Winter Sports

Where the St. Croix and Kinnickinnic rivers meet, Kinnickinnic State Park offers a large sandy delta, water-based recreation and 10 miles of hiking trails.

• Hiking
• ·Boating
• ·Picnicking

Kohler-Andrae State Park is home to majestic sand dunes, miles of golden beach and whispering pines along one of the last natural preserves on the Lake Michigan shore.

• Camping
• ·Beach
• ·Hiking
• ·Picnicking

The 22-mile La Crosse River State Trail runs on an abandoned railroad between Sparta and La Crosse with a packed-limestone surface.

• Hiking
• ·Biking
• ·Winter Sports

Lake Kegonsa State Park offers recreation along a 3,200-acre lake with a swimming beach, picnic areas, a boat launch and trails through oak woodlands and prairies.

• Swimming
• ·Beach
• ·Picnicking
• ·Boating

Northeast of Chippewa Falls, Lake Wissota State Park offers secluded campsites, trails and a swimming beach on a 6,300-acre man-made lake.

• Camping
• ·Hiking
• ·Biking
• ·Horseback Riding

In downtown Milwaukee, Lakeshore State Park is an urban oasis with a small beach and accessible paved trails linking to other lakefront parks and the Hank Aaron Trail.

• Beach
• ·Hiking
• ·Biking
• ·Boating

Lizard Mound is one of the most well-preserved Native American effigy mound sites in the nation, with 28 conical and linear mounds.

• Historic Site
• ·Hiking

Lost Dauphin State Park is a small 19-acre gem along the Fox River south of De Pere in Brown County, operated locally by the Town of Lawrence.

• Hiking
• ·Picnicking

Merrick State Park sits on the backwaters of the Mississippi River, with island campsites offering river access for mooring or fishing, 3 miles of hiking trails and two boat landings.

• Camping
• ·Hiking
• ·Fishing
• ·Boating

The 40-mile Military Ridge State Trail connects Dodgeville and Madison along an 1855 military route, passing agricultural lands, woods, wetlands and prairies.

• Biking
• ·Hiking

Part of the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve, Mill Bluff State Park offers picturesque rock formations along with campsites, picnic areas, hiking trails and a swimming pond.

• Camping
• ·Hiking
• ·Swimming
• ·Picnicking

Mirror Lake State Park centers on a calm lake reflecting wooded shoreline with cliffs up to 50 feet high, plus a swimming beach, wetlands, picnic areas and wooded campsites.

• Camping
• ·Cabins
• ·Hiking
• ·Swimming

The Mountain-Bay State Trail is one of Wisconsin's longest rail-trails, running 83 miles between Rib Mountain near Wausau and Green Bay.

• Biking
• ·Hiking

Natural Bridge State Park features a sandstone arch 25 feet high by 35 feet wide created by wind and water erosion, near a rock shelter used by native people 11,000 years ago.

• Hiking
• ·Historic Site

Nelson Dewey State Park overlooks the Mississippi River from a 500-foot bluff, combining history with camping, hiking and picnicking near the Dewey home and Stonefield Historic site.

• Camping
• ·Hiking
• ·Picnicking
• ·Historic Site

New Glarus Woods State Park is a 435-acre park offering camping, hiking, picnicking and snowshoeing, with direct access to the Sugar River State Trail.

• Camping
• ·Hiking
• ·Picnicking
• ·Biking

Newport State Park offers over 2,300 acres of forest on 11 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline with 30 miles of hiking trails, backpack camping and Dark Sky Park designation for stargazing.

• Camping
• ·Backpacking
• ·Hiking

The Newton Blackmour State Trail spans 22 miles on a former rail corridor in Outagamie County, passing through New London, Shiocton, Black Creek and Seymour.

• Biking
• ·Hiking

This county-operated trail meanders more than 89 miles through the Nicolet National Forest in northeastern Wisconsin on a former railroad corridor.

• Biking
• ·Hiking

The Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest spans over 236,000 acres with more than 900 lakes, offering remote boat-in campsites, developed campgrounds, beaches, boat launches and trails.

• Camping
• ·Boating
• ·Swimming
• ·Beach

The paved 20-mile Old Abe State Trail connects Lake Wissota and Brunet Island state parks along an abandoned railroad grade following the Chippewa River shoreline.

• Biking
• ·Hiking
• ·Horseback Riding
• ·Wildlife Viewing

Pattison State Park features the highest waterfall in Wisconsin, 165-foot Big Manitou Falls, across 1,400 acres with a lake, beach, nature center, camping and scenic hiking trails.

• Camping
• ·Hiking
• ·Swimming
• ·Beach

Perrot State Park is nestled among 500-foot bluffs where the Trempealeau and Mississippi rivers meet, offering river-view hiking trails, a marked canoe trail and access to the Great River State Trail.

• Camping
• ·Hiking
• ·Paddling
• ·Biking

Point Beach State Forest features 3,000 acres and 6 miles of sandy Lake Michigan beach, with family campsites, group cabins and the historic Rawley Point Lighthouse.

• Camping
• ·Cabins
• ·Beach
• ·Swimming

Potawatomi State Park on Sturgeon Bay in southern Door County has 1,200 acres of rolling upland terrain bordered by steep slopes and rugged limestone cliffs.

• Camping
• ·Hiking
• ·Picnicking

This 14.5-mile rail trail shadows the steep walls of the Red Cedar Valley from Menomonie to the Chippewa River State Trail, passing prairies, marshland, forests and sandstone bluffs.

• Biking
• ·Hiking
• ·Winter Sports

Rib Mountain State Park sits atop one of the oldest geological formations on earth, a day-use property with picnicking, hiking trails, an amphitheater and views of the Wausau area.

• Hiking
• ·Picnicking
• ·Winter Sports

Richard Bong State Recreation Area, named for the World War II air ace, protects open space on a site once designated to be a jet fighter base.

• Camping
• ·Hiking
• ·Picnicking
• ·Hunting

Roche-A-Cri State Park protects a 300-foot rock outcropping and Native American petroglyphs and pictographs, offering camping, picnicking, fishing and a stairway to the top of the mound.

• Camping
• ·Hiking
• ·Fishing
• ·Picnicking

Reached by ferry, this primitive Lake Michigan island allows no vehicles and features the Pottawatomie Lighthouse, walk-in campsites, hiking trails and a swimming beach.

• Camping
• ·Hiking
• ·Swimming
• ·Beach

Rocky Arbor State Park, 1.5 miles from Wisconsin Dells, offers seclusion with wooded campsites, hiking trails and picnic and playground areas among pine trees and sandstone bluffs.

• Camping
• ·Hiking
• ·Picnicking
• ·Playground

This 2,000-acre park offers lake views and glacial features along its trails, with ten walk-in campsites, carry-in boat launches and a premier segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

• Camping
• ·Hiking
• ·Boating
• ·Picnicking

The Sugar River State Trail follows an abandoned railroad line 24 miles from New Glarus to Brodhead, crossing fourteen trestle bridges past farmlands, woods and remnant prairies.

• Biking
• ·Hiking

Tower Hill State Park outside Spring Green shows how lead shot was made in the mid-1800s, with bluff hiking trails, river views, a canoe landing and a small campground.

• Camping
• ·Hiking
• ·Paddling
• ·Picnicking

One of the longest rail trails in the state at 74 miles, the Tuscobia State Trail runs from Park Falls to near Rice Lake through the Flambeau River State Forest and the Blue Hills.

• Biking
• ·Hiking

Whitefish Dunes State Park protects a fragile dune environment on the eastern Door County Peninsula, a day-use park with Lake Michigan trails, a nature center and a beach.

• Hiking
• ·Beach
• ·Picnicking
• ·Nature Trails

This 34-mile rail trail skirts the western edge of Horicon Marsh, a National Wildlife Refuge home to over 250 migrant bird species, running from Clyman Junction to Fond du Lac.

• Biking
• ·Hiking
• ·Wildlife Viewing

Located on a ridge above the Kickapoo River, Wildcat Mountain State Park offers twenty-one miles of hiking, nature and equestrian trails, camping and an overlook of the Kickapoo Valley.

• Camping
• ·Hiking
• ·Horseback Riding
• ·Paddling

Willow River State Park features views of Willow Falls and the Willow River Gorge across 2,800 acres with prairie remnants, scenic hiking trails, campgrounds and a nature center.

• Camping
• ·Hiking
• ·Paddling
• ·Fishing

Named for the four counties it traverses, the Wiouwash State Trail follows a former rail corridor in two sections, 19 miles in Shawano County and 22 miles from Hortonville to Oshkosh.

• Biking
• ·Hiking

Wyalusing State Park sits 500 feet above the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers, one of Wisconsin's oldest state parks with campsites, hiking trails, a canoe trail and Native American burial mounds.

• Camping
• ·Hiking
• ·Paddling
• ·Wildlife Viewing

The 450-acre Yellowstone Lake State Park is a year-round recreation area in southwestern Wisconsin offering camping, swimming, fishing, boating, hiking, biking and picnicking.

• Camping
• ·Swimming
• ·Fishing
• ·Boating

This 21.5-mile former railroad corridor between Minocqua and Tomahawk follows Bearskin Creek through Wisconsin's Northwoods on a compacted granite surface.

• Hiking
• ·Biking
• ·Winter Sports

The Cattail State Trail runs 18 miles on a former rail corridor between Amery and Almena in northwestern Wisconsin through forests, farmlands, prairies and hills.

• Biking
• ·Hiking
• ·Wildlife Viewing

This 287-acre property in Grant County consists of upland hardwoods and steep bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River.

This linear forest in northeast Wisconsin borders the Peshtigo River, with fly-fishing, the Midwest's longest continuous whitewater rapids and flowage boating.

• Fishing
• ·Paddling
• ·Boating
• ·Camping

The Great Sauk State Trail parallels the Wisconsin River through Prairie du Sac and Sauk City, with 10.5 paved miles through the Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area.

• Biking

Encircling Stevens Point, this 31-mile trail meanders along the Wisconsin and Plover rivers through forests, wetlands, prairies, boardwalks and quiet neighborhoods.

• Hiking
• ·Biking
• ·Wildlife Viewing

This 4-mile county-operated trail connects Hillsboro and Union Center, crossing wooded and agricultural lands, winding streams and the Baraboo River.

• Biking

The Lower Wisconsin is the longest free-flowing stretch of river in the Midwest, extending 92 miles from Prairie du Sac to the Mississippi River with abundant sand bars popular for boat-in camping.

• Camping
• ·Boating
• ·Paddling
• ·Fishing

This county-operated rail trail passes farms, prairies and wetlands across two sections totaling 21 miles in Green Lake, Winnebago and Fond du Lac counties.

• Biking
• ·Hiking

Menominee River State Recreation Area straddles the scenic Menominee River for several miles in northeast Wisconsin, offering canoeing among towering pines, rock outcrops and falls.

• Camping
• ·Hiking
• ·Fishing
• ·Hunting

This gently rolling trail in southwest Wisconsin connects Platteville and Belmont, traveling along streams and open countryside past two large mounds rising above farm fields.

• Biking
• ·Hiking

This 8-mile trail passes through the forests and farms of Oconto County between Oconto and Stiles Junction, paralleling the Oconto River.

• Biking
• ·Hiking
• ·Paddling

Running 10 miles through the Bonner Branch valley, this county-operated trail links Belmont with the Cheese Country Trail in Calamine along an old railroad corridor.

• Biking
• ·Hiking
• ·Horseback Riding

Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area occupies a former army ammunition plant, once the largest munitions factory in the world during World War II, now managed for recreation and conservation.

• Historic Site
• ·Wildlife Viewing

This 8-mile county-operated trail links with the Gandy Dancer State Trail south of Superior in Douglas County, crossing Clear Creek and the Pokegama River.

• Biking
• ·Hiking

Built on a former railroad corridor, this 14-mile trail runs from Amery toward Dresser through maple and oak forests, wetlands, prairies and farmlands past seven picturesque lakes.

• Biking
• ·Hiking

This 29-mile rail trail travels through scenic glacial terrain and farm country from Plover in Portage County to near Manawa in Waupaca County.

• Biking
• ·Hiking
• ·Horseback Riding

This 19-mile trail follows a former rail corridor between Elkhorn and Dover, passing bridges, scenic vistas, quaint towns, farmlands and wetlands near Lake Geneva.

• Biking
• ·Hiking
• ·Horseback Riding

The Wild Rivers State Trail stretches 104 miles through Douglas, Washburn and Barron counties, crossing numerous rivers including the federally designated Namakagon River.

• Biking
• ·Hiking
• ·Wildlife Viewing

The Wolf River State Trail runs 33 miles on a former rail corridor from White Lake to Crandon, skirting the Wolf River and the Nicolet National Forest.

• Biking
• ·Hiking
• ·Camping
• ·Hunting