For those of you who have been following our journey (thank you!), you may remember that initially the goal was 47 state parks in 365 days. Well...we did visit 47 parks, but one of the ones that we originally counted, Belmont Mount State Park, isn't actually a state park. :) It was a nice place to visit, (with an old, not in use viewing tower we climbed anyways). However, I decided not to include this park in our count as it is not technically a state park.
So it's Thanksgiving today, (yes, I'm behind on my blogging, every time I open my laptop there are demands from G to watch Paw Patrol), and I decided it's the perfect day to be thankful for the opportunity that we had to actually embark on this goal to "Traverse the Dairyland". Thankful for my husband, who willingly embarked on the journey and maintained an extraordinarily positive attitude the entire time, even when we were being consumed alive by mosquitoes, breaking camp at 11pm to drive home two hours, or convincing G to leave the beach yet again, (the exit strategy typically involved promises of ice cream, a treat for Mom and Dad, too!). And also thankful that we had the time and resources to be able to just decide on a whim to spend the summer traveling across the state.
But for every challenging part of the journey, there were some really awesome parts. Spending every weekend outside, hiking to overlooks on top of the Bluffs of the Mississippi, trekking to see waterfalls crashing through gorges, and walking around coastlines of islands in the Great Lakes. It truly was amazing. As were our picnics (I have a great Italian pressed sandwich recipe if you want it).
In the end, we visited 46 parks in 160 days, completing a hike, visit to the ranger office, and a selfie in each park. The question that we receive a lot of the time from friends and family is "So, what is your favorite park?", which is a tough one to answer. Don't get me wrong, we do have a few outstanding favorites, but everyone is looking for a different experience. With that in mind, we have complete some rankings below for your information.
Favorite Parks Overall
1. Rock Island State Park
2. Devil's Lake State Park
3. Pattison State Park
4. Copper Falls State Park
5. Interstate State Park
6. Big Bay State Park
7. Willow River State Park
8. Perrot State Park
9. Wyalusing State Park
10. Nelson Dewey State Park
Best Views
1. Pattison State Park
2. Willow River State Park
3. Perrot State Park
4. Mill Bluff State Park
5. Wyalusing State Park
Best Parks for Kids
1. Kohler Andrae State Park
2. Mirror Lake State Park
3. Governor Dodge State Park
4. Blue Mounds State Park
5. Devil's Lake State Park
6. Rib Mountain State Park
Best Beaches
1. Rock Island State Park
2. Big Bay State Park
3. Kohler Andrae State Park
4. Harrington Beach State Park
5. Governor Dodge State Park
6. Devils' Lake State Park
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Heritage Hill State Park #46
Did we plan out our last state park visit? No, definitely not. In fact, we didn't know whether we would count Heritage Hill State Historical Park as a state park, but once we discovered that it was on the DNR website, it was a go. The park has four main areas interpreting the life and times of pioneers, early fur traders and settlers. The Fox-Wisconsin Riverway linked the Northwest Territory and the settled East.
We had visited this park once before, and it's a great place for school groups to visit to learn about history. It's also a nice place for weddings, with a trellis and sitting area set-up with an outstanding view of the Fox Valley. If you were to visit on a warm, summer weekend, you would encounter employees in period dress explaining what it was like to live in period times in various settings and occupations. As we were here on a brisk October weekend, we didn't enjoy that as part of our visit. However, the large number of Halloween decorations delighted G endlessly.
There really aren't hiking trails at this park, it's a living history museum in an outside setting. We traversed around to the different buildings, tagging along with some school groups as they viewed the old farmstead and animals there. We saw two goats playing "king of the hill" on an elevated plank. As we were in Green Bay, we also swung by Lambeau Field, really a "no brainer. As you may have guessed, Grant wasn't a fan of the statues around the Lambeau Leap photo op, but he was a trooper nonetheless.
I don't know if it was this park or something else, but this last visit was somewhat anti-climactic. G and I high fived to mark the end of our journey, but it seemed to be not quite enough, yet I didn't have an alternate plan that I could envision for that day. I definitely felt a sense of accomplishment, but it didn't feel like an "ending". Either way, we are done. Next stop, unknown.
We had visited this park once before, and it's a great place for school groups to visit to learn about history. It's also a nice place for weddings, with a trellis and sitting area set-up with an outstanding view of the Fox Valley. If you were to visit on a warm, summer weekend, you would encounter employees in period dress explaining what it was like to live in period times in various settings and occupations. As we were here on a brisk October weekend, we didn't enjoy that as part of our visit. However, the large number of Halloween decorations delighted G endlessly.
There really aren't hiking trails at this park, it's a living history museum in an outside setting. We traversed around to the different buildings, tagging along with some school groups as they viewed the old farmstead and animals there. We saw two goats playing "king of the hill" on an elevated plank. As we were in Green Bay, we also swung by Lambeau Field, really a "no brainer. As you may have guessed, Grant wasn't a fan of the statues around the Lambeau Leap photo op, but he was a trooper nonetheless.
I don't know if it was this park or something else, but this last visit was somewhat anti-climactic. G and I high fived to mark the end of our journey, but it seemed to be not quite enough, yet I didn't have an alternate plan that I could envision for that day. I definitely felt a sense of accomplishment, but it didn't feel like an "ending". Either way, we are done. Next stop, unknown.
Kinnickinnic State Park #45
We visited Kinnickinnic State Park on the same warm, humid day that we visited Willow River State Park. They are just a 15 minute drive from each other, so it made sense to combine the two on our trip. The park is located at the confluence of the Kinnickinnic and St. Croix rivers, making it an ideal place for fishing, boating, and camping. The park offers 6.5 miles of hiking trails, winding through a variety of landscapes, including hills, prairies, and wetlands. There is a sandy swimming area on the St. Croix river, and multitudes of people enjoy water sports on the busy St. Croix waterway.
The park is also a busy place in the winter, with trails available for cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and skate skiing. There is also a sledding hill! The park was established in 1972 when three families donated their land, a total of 45 acres, to the state, the park has grown to approximately 1,200 acres today.
We hiked the brown trail and the orange trail. The view from the overlook on the brown trail was beautiful, very much like the views from all of the other state parks along the Mississippi River. There was a "natural" playground that led to some consternation from G, as he only has knowledge of those man made playgrounds. The valley of the Kinnickinnic River, a cold water trout stream, is a rare sanctuary and somewhere I would definitely like to plan to return to in the future. It's a haven for other birds and wildlife as well, more than 140 species of birds frequent the valley during migrating season.
The park is also a busy place in the winter, with trails available for cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and skate skiing. There is also a sledding hill! The park was established in 1972 when three families donated their land, a total of 45 acres, to the state, the park has grown to approximately 1,200 acres today.
We hiked the brown trail and the orange trail. The view from the overlook on the brown trail was beautiful, very much like the views from all of the other state parks along the Mississippi River. There was a "natural" playground that led to some consternation from G, as he only has knowledge of those man made playgrounds. The valley of the Kinnickinnic River, a cold water trout stream, is a rare sanctuary and somewhere I would definitely like to plan to return to in the future. It's a haven for other birds and wildlife as well, more than 140 species of birds frequent the valley during migrating season.
Willow River State Park #44
We visited Willow River State Park on a warm, humid day in October. The weather was definitely not "fall" like, but the colors were still gorgeous. Willow River State Park is 2950 acres, and has 10 miles of hiking trails, with many used in the winter, when the Nature Center doubles as a warming house for people enjoying cross country skiing and snow shoeing.
The park is open year round, and in the summer there are 154 camp sites one can reserve, along with group sites. The most popular sites are in close proximity to Little Falls Lake. Unfortunately, we weren't able to see the lake this year, as it was drawn down for repairs to the dam. There is also a great nature center that has a "touch table" that has feathers, rocks, bones and antlers, as well as a displays and a small sales counter that features Golden Guides, t-shirts, books and other nature items for young and old.
We hiked the Willow Falls Hill Trail, the shortest way to get to Willow Falls, but also the steepest (although by now, we are no strangers to steep climbs, even with a 35 pound kid on my back). Willow Falls is the main attraction of the park, a cascade of water down a steep 200 foot gorge. When we visited, there were several other people hiking, but most notably, about 10 photographers set-up at the base of the falls to catch the action. Unfortunately, by this park, G started to say he didn't want to visit any more parks. Not bad! We were at park #44, he held out for a long time! You will see pictorial proof of his sentiment in just a few.
There is a bridge that traverses over the base of the falls, and leads to a staircase at the top of the bluffs of the gorge. The view from the top of these stairs was outstanding, one of the best we have seen (I know I've said this before, but it's true this time, really.) I think it was the fall colors, they just enhance any scene and that we weren't expecting the option of a view when we were hiking down into the gorge, it was a surprise! Definitely, a park we would like to return to and camp in sometime next summer.
The park is open year round, and in the summer there are 154 camp sites one can reserve, along with group sites. The most popular sites are in close proximity to Little Falls Lake. Unfortunately, we weren't able to see the lake this year, as it was drawn down for repairs to the dam. There is also a great nature center that has a "touch table" that has feathers, rocks, bones and antlers, as well as a displays and a small sales counter that features Golden Guides, t-shirts, books and other nature items for young and old.
We hiked the Willow Falls Hill Trail, the shortest way to get to Willow Falls, but also the steepest (although by now, we are no strangers to steep climbs, even with a 35 pound kid on my back). Willow Falls is the main attraction of the park, a cascade of water down a steep 200 foot gorge. When we visited, there were several other people hiking, but most notably, about 10 photographers set-up at the base of the falls to catch the action. Unfortunately, by this park, G started to say he didn't want to visit any more parks. Not bad! We were at park #44, he held out for a long time! You will see pictorial proof of his sentiment in just a few.
There is a bridge that traverses over the base of the falls, and leads to a staircase at the top of the bluffs of the gorge. The view from the top of these stairs was outstanding, one of the best we have seen (I know I've said this before, but it's true this time, really.) I think it was the fall colors, they just enhance any scene and that we weren't expecting the option of a view when we were hiking down into the gorge, it was a surprise! Definitely, a park we would like to return to and camp in sometime next summer.
Interstate State Park #43
We were all really excited to visit Interstate State Park, at least I was, as it is the oldest state park in the system, and also one of the most popular. The linear park runs along the dark basalt cliffs known as the Dalles of the St. Croix, which rise 200 feet above the river. There are Wisconsin and Minnesota components of Interstate State Park, with the Wisconsin region of the park measuring 1,330 acres, and the Minnesota region measuring 298 acres. Interstate State Park is within the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve.
The park and the St. Croix Falls area have been a tourist attraction since the 1800s when visitors arrive by steamboat and rail. French traders arrived in the area in the 1700s and about a hundred years later, the Dalles was the site of a huge log jam of 150 million board feet. It is said it took 200 men more than 6 weeks to clear the jam. Riverboat tours are also offered on the Minnesota side of the park, providing geologic and historical information about the area.
There are more than 9 miles of hiking trails at the park, with 12.5 miles of winter recreation trails available for cross country skiing, snowshoeing and hiking. The park also has a swimming beach and an 82 site campground with two areas for group camps that can accommodate up to 60 people each. We took the Pothole Trail, which included spectacular views of the gorge, as well as potholes, which are formed from swirling water from the melting glaciers thousands of years ago.
This park has an awesome nature center, with displays, a gift shop, a theater showing an informative movie on the ice age trail, and a nice deck with views of the park. By far, one of the nicest nature centers we have encountered in the system. We visited this park on a Friday afternoon in October and surprisingly to us, it was busy.
Also, when we stopped at the ranger station for information, the person checking in after us was providing the names of people at their campsite, typical for state park check-ins. However, what wasn't typical was the fact that this camper provided the name of Paul Molitor (and hesitated when he said it! As if it was perhaps secret-like). Pete and I thought long and hard about whether we should take a drive through the campground to see if we could spot "the" Paul Molitor, (he did end his career in Minnesota), but decided that would be too much, even for us. All in all, a nice park, some of the best views of the state, and some place we would definitely return. Next stop, Willow River State Park!
The park and the St. Croix Falls area have been a tourist attraction since the 1800s when visitors arrive by steamboat and rail. French traders arrived in the area in the 1700s and about a hundred years later, the Dalles was the site of a huge log jam of 150 million board feet. It is said it took 200 men more than 6 weeks to clear the jam. Riverboat tours are also offered on the Minnesota side of the park, providing geologic and historical information about the area.
There are more than 9 miles of hiking trails at the park, with 12.5 miles of winter recreation trails available for cross country skiing, snowshoeing and hiking. The park also has a swimming beach and an 82 site campground with two areas for group camps that can accommodate up to 60 people each. We took the Pothole Trail, which included spectacular views of the gorge, as well as potholes, which are formed from swirling water from the melting glaciers thousands of years ago.
This park has an awesome nature center, with displays, a gift shop, a theater showing an informative movie on the ice age trail, and a nice deck with views of the park. By far, one of the nicest nature centers we have encountered in the system. We visited this park on a Friday afternoon in October and surprisingly to us, it was busy.
Also, when we stopped at the ranger station for information, the person checking in after us was providing the names of people at their campsite, typical for state park check-ins. However, what wasn't typical was the fact that this camper provided the name of Paul Molitor (and hesitated when he said it! As if it was perhaps secret-like). Pete and I thought long and hard about whether we should take a drive through the campground to see if we could spot "the" Paul Molitor, (he did end his career in Minnesota), but decided that would be too much, even for us. All in all, a nice park, some of the best views of the state, and some place we would definitely return. Next stop, Willow River State Park!
Mill Bluff State Park and Straight Lake State Park #41 and #42
Mill Bluff State Park was just beautiful on the day we visited in October, best month of the year! At this point, G still enthusiastically says, "Let's do this", when we ask him if he wants to visit another state park, so it's all systems go. (Of course, as with all things "toddler" this will change in no time, and wait until you see the photos!) Mill Bluff State Park was practically deserted on a Friday in October, there were two other cars in the parking area, but we didn't encounter another soul.
This park is part of the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve, and protects several sandstone bluffs that formed as sea stacks approximately 12,000 years ago. The highest bluff, Mill Bluff, is 120 feet high, and offers views of the runway at nearby Volk Field, as well as the other bluffs in the park (and the interstate if you really wanted to get a good view of that feature) :) It seemed to be a nice, moderate to small sized park with 21 campsites and a clear 2.5 acre spring fed pond and beach that is undoubtedly highly used in the summer time.
For some reason, Mill Bluff just seemed perfect to me on this day. It was sunny, the colors were beautiful, and we were able to really take the time to absorb the beauty of central Wisconsin. Perhaps I'm waxing poetic as we come to the end of our journey, but it seemed the perfect place to be at that time. At the top of the bluff, after climbing a picturesque stone staircase, we found a tree that had a chain link fence right through it! We lingered as much as we could, exploring the concrete and wood picnic shelter with a massive stone fireplace at the base of Mill Bluff, but soon had to leave. Next stop this same day was one of the newest parks to the system, Straight Lake State Park.
Straight Lake State Park is just in development, there really isn't a sign or trails or anything set-up yet, just a lot of construction vehicles, which to G, was better than a state park at this point in our journey. When this park is developed, it will be awesome. We hiked a little bit around the lake, took some pictures with the diggers, and headed to our next stop, Interstate State Park!
This park is part of the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve, and protects several sandstone bluffs that formed as sea stacks approximately 12,000 years ago. The highest bluff, Mill Bluff, is 120 feet high, and offers views of the runway at nearby Volk Field, as well as the other bluffs in the park (and the interstate if you really wanted to get a good view of that feature) :) It seemed to be a nice, moderate to small sized park with 21 campsites and a clear 2.5 acre spring fed pond and beach that is undoubtedly highly used in the summer time.
For some reason, Mill Bluff just seemed perfect to me on this day. It was sunny, the colors were beautiful, and we were able to really take the time to absorb the beauty of central Wisconsin. Perhaps I'm waxing poetic as we come to the end of our journey, but it seemed the perfect place to be at that time. At the top of the bluff, after climbing a picturesque stone staircase, we found a tree that had a chain link fence right through it! We lingered as much as we could, exploring the concrete and wood picnic shelter with a massive stone fireplace at the base of Mill Bluff, but soon had to leave. Next stop this same day was one of the newest parks to the system, Straight Lake State Park.
Straight Lake State Park is just in development, there really isn't a sign or trails or anything set-up yet, just a lot of construction vehicles, which to G, was better than a state park at this point in our journey. When this park is developed, it will be awesome. We hiked a little bit around the lake, took some pictures with the diggers, and headed to our next stop, Interstate State Park!
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Natural Bridge State Park and Rocky Arbor State Park #39 and #40
We visited Natural Bridge State Park and Rocky Arbor State Park in the same beautiful fall day. We were lucky enough to have my Mom along to enjoy the parks with us, and help make things interesting (and coach G along when his feet started dragging).
Natural Bridge State Park is a nice, little day use park. It is 530 acres with the largest natural bridge found in Wisconsin. Directly beneath the arch is the Raddatz Rockshelter once used by Paleo Indians, almost 11,000 years ago, and now listed on the Natural Register of Historic Places. We had visited this park before and were looking forward to enjoying it again. There is really only one trail to take at this park, and it winds right by the arch, so you can get a good view of it from almost all sides. This is a great side trip to take if you are looking for a nice walk through the woods to an interesting landmark. It should be noted at this park that we saw a caterpillar in the parking lot which Grandma picked up for G to look at up close, which isn't typically in her Grandma repertoire (nevermind she had gloves on). Thanks Grandma!
After Natural Bridge we headed to Rocky Arbor State Park. This park does have camping available, almost 90 sites, and is well utilized during the summer, due to its close proximity to Wisconsin Dells. The park actually isn't open during the off season, September through May, so we parked at the gated entrance and hiked into the park. The park itself is 244 acres and has just a one mile guided nature trail, which we hiked. There is also a nice playground area and picnic tables with grills nearby. It was a beautiful time of year to visit, cool with the colors just starting to change. Next stop, Straight Lake State Park!
Natural Bridge State Park is a nice, little day use park. It is 530 acres with the largest natural bridge found in Wisconsin. Directly beneath the arch is the Raddatz Rockshelter once used by Paleo Indians, almost 11,000 years ago, and now listed on the Natural Register of Historic Places. We had visited this park before and were looking forward to enjoying it again. There is really only one trail to take at this park, and it winds right by the arch, so you can get a good view of it from almost all sides. This is a great side trip to take if you are looking for a nice walk through the woods to an interesting landmark. It should be noted at this park that we saw a caterpillar in the parking lot which Grandma picked up for G to look at up close, which isn't typically in her Grandma repertoire (nevermind she had gloves on). Thanks Grandma!
After Natural Bridge we headed to Rocky Arbor State Park. This park does have camping available, almost 90 sites, and is well utilized during the summer, due to its close proximity to Wisconsin Dells. The park actually isn't open during the off season, September through May, so we parked at the gated entrance and hiked into the park. The park itself is 244 acres and has just a one mile guided nature trail, which we hiked. There is also a nice playground area and picnic tables with grills nearby. It was a beautiful time of year to visit, cool with the colors just starting to change. Next stop, Straight Lake State Park!
Wildcat Mountain State Park #38
We stopped at Wildcat State Park on the way back from visiting Perrot and Merrick State Parks. It was just a few days after the area experienced some very heavy rains, which made our hike extra challenging. At this park, you can drive to the top of the "mountain" (really, there aren't mountains in Wisconsin, doesn't mean there aren't great views and steep climbs though!), and see the view from there. We did take advantage of this option, and noticed a lot of great camping spots with spectacular views. We then drove back down to start the hike up.
So....the hike up was one of the toughest hikes, if not the toughest hike we have had this summer and fall. The compounding factor was the rain I mentioned previously (that's my attempt at foreshadowing), which must have also created the ideal environment for the mosquitos to really get in one more party before the cold weather arrived.
We took the Hemlock Nature Trail, which starts next to the Kickapoo River, and winds its way up Mount Pisgah, an elevation of 1,220 feet above sea level. The first part of the trail was fairly muddy, enough that we were sliding around on the way, not a big deal, unless you actually want to keep a brisk pace, which we did.
This trail was pretty much straight up, with a lot of switchbacks. If you were so audacious as to stop your backbreaking pace to catch your breath (me), or pick up bows and arrows aka sticks (G), the mosquitos descended with a cacophony unlike anything I've ever heard, and I have lived in Wisconsin my entire life. However, it was so worth it! The view was spectacular and most likely due to the less than ideal trail conditions, we saw only a few other people during our hike.
Wildcat Mountain State Park has several horse trail loops totaling 15 miles and offers 24 campsites for equestrians available. Canoeing and fishing are popular on the Kickapoo River, and snow shoeing and cross country skiing are available in the winter. Wildcat Mountain received its name when in the 1800s a group of farmers were upset because their sheep were being killed by a bobcat, or wildcat. They formed a hunting party and the wildcat was shot near the top of the mountain, and the hill was from that point on, known as Wildcat Mountain. It is a nice park, with a lot of option for activities in any season. Next stop, Natural Bridge State Park!
So....the hike up was one of the toughest hikes, if not the toughest hike we have had this summer and fall. The compounding factor was the rain I mentioned previously (that's my attempt at foreshadowing), which must have also created the ideal environment for the mosquitos to really get in one more party before the cold weather arrived.
We took the Hemlock Nature Trail, which starts next to the Kickapoo River, and winds its way up Mount Pisgah, an elevation of 1,220 feet above sea level. The first part of the trail was fairly muddy, enough that we were sliding around on the way, not a big deal, unless you actually want to keep a brisk pace, which we did.
This trail was pretty much straight up, with a lot of switchbacks. If you were so audacious as to stop your backbreaking pace to catch your breath (me), or pick up bows and arrows aka sticks (G), the mosquitos descended with a cacophony unlike anything I've ever heard, and I have lived in Wisconsin my entire life. However, it was so worth it! The view was spectacular and most likely due to the less than ideal trail conditions, we saw only a few other people during our hike.
Wildcat Mountain State Park has several horse trail loops totaling 15 miles and offers 24 campsites for equestrians available. Canoeing and fishing are popular on the Kickapoo River, and snow shoeing and cross country skiing are available in the winter. Wildcat Mountain received its name when in the 1800s a group of farmers were upset because their sheep were being killed by a bobcat, or wildcat. They formed a hunting party and the wildcat was shot near the top of the mountain, and the hill was from that point on, known as Wildcat Mountain. It is a nice park, with a lot of option for activities in any season. Next stop, Natural Bridge State Park!
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