State Park
-
Video of Mill Bluff State Park – Camp Douglas, Wisconsin
-
Video of Governor Dodge State Park – Dodgeville, Wisconsin
Governor Dodge State Park is Wisconsin’s second largest park with an area of 5,270 acres. It is named after Henry Dodge, the first Territorial Governor. The ice sheets of the last Ice Age bypassed this area and left intact valleys sculpted out of 450 million year old sandstone. Human occupation of the area dates back over 8,000 years. There are two man-made lakes in the park, Cox Hollow and Twin Valley, that are encircled with miles of trails for hiking, biking, skiing, and horseback riding. The Military Ridge State Trail continues all the way to Madison. There are 269 family campsites, eight group campsites, 11 for horse campers and six that require a hike in the back country. Camping reservations are recommended for this very popular park in the heart of Wisconsin’s Driftless Area. Nearby is the restored Cornish lead mining community of Pendarvis and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin. Music by Maury Smith.
Governor Dodge State Park campsite videos
-
Video of Perrot State Park – Trempealeau, Wisconsin
Nicholas Perrot, a 17th century French Canadian fur trader spent the winter here in 1685. In 1731 Godefroy de Linctot built a fort at the “mountain whose foot is bathed by water”, sometimes written “La Montagne Qui Trempe a Leau” and now called Mount Trempealeau. Platform mounds associated with the Mississippian culture of Cahokia have been located in the nearby village of Trempealeau. Effigy and burial mounds of the Hopewell culture are also found in the Park. Today you can get excellent views of Mount Trempealeau and the Mississippi River Valley by climbing the trail to the top of the 520 ft. Brady’s Bluff. Or canoe through the bottomland to see some of the thousands of birds that nest or pass through this magical terrain. There are 98 campsites in the park. The tent sites by the water have spectacular views of Mount Trempealeau. The Great River State Trail for bicycling can be accessed directly from the campground. Cyclists can then explore three other bicycle trails in this extensive trail system. Music copyright 2008 by Maury Smith. Slide show and photographs copyright 2008, Creative Juice LLC.
Perrot State Park blog postings
Weather forecast for Trempealeau, Wisconsin vicinity
-
Video of Roche-A-Cri State Park – Friendship, Wisconsin
Roche-A-Cri (means shouting or whooping rock) or “crevice in the rock” as the French explorers called it, is a 300 foot sandstone bluff near Adams-Friendship, Wisconsin. The park, established in 1948, has viewable Native American petroglyphs and pictographs discovered in 1851, but were “written” a thousand years ago. Roche-A-Cri is made of Cambrian sandstone about 500,000 years old. It is a long narrow flat-topped ridge bordered by shear precipices. The bluff was once an island in the 1,800 square mile Glacial Lake Wisconsin. In 1994 a Wisconsin Conservation Corps group finished a 303 step stairway to the top of the bluff. The 605 acre park has a number of soft trails strewn with pine needles that are all linked to the 41 site shower-less campground. One leads to a prairie restoration project, crossing over a foot bridge on Carter Creek, a picturesque trout creek. Slideshow and photographs copyright 2008, Creative Juice LLC.
Blog entries for Roche-A-Cri State Park
Weather forecast for Friendship, Wisconsin vicinity
-
Blue Mound State Park – Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
The Winnebago Indians called this highest point in southern Wisconsin “Weehaukaja”, meaning “a high place with a wonderful view.” There are two 40 ft. observation towers offering a commanding view in all directions. At 1,716 feet above sea level, you will have clear views of the state capitol in Madison, 25 miles away. The park has the only heated swimming pool in the Wisconsin park system. The campground is open year round, has 77 sites (16 with electricity), and a rustic accessible cabin. This 1,100 acre park has three trails designated as hiking-only. The park has 6 miles of off-road bicycle trails. Access is also provided to the 40-mile Military Ridge State Trail that runs from Governor Dodge State Park, through Blue Mound State Park and on to Madison.
Camping at Blue Mound State Park
YouTube video of Blue State Park
Weather forecast for Blue Mound State Park vicinity
Blog entries for Blue Mound State Park
-
Video of Tower Hill State Park and Campground – Spring Green, Wisconsin
Tower Hill State Park is a 77 acre park located on the banks of the Wisconsin River near Spring Green, WI. It’s main feature is a 120 ft. shot tower and 90 ft. tunnel where lead was dropped to create symmetrical shot balls using the “Watts Method.” In 1782, William Watts of Bristol, England, patented a method to produce shot that was round and free of imperfections by dropping molten lead from a great height. Watts’ invention was inspired by observing falling raindrops. Shot towers were first built in America after President Thomas Jefferson imposed the Embargo Act in 1808. Tower Hill, relatively close to the lead mining regions of Wisconsin, used a crude 120 ft shaft and 90 ft tunnel dug into a sandstone cliff to produce shot from 1833-1861. The lead shot was shipped by barge down the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers to St. Louis. The park has 15 campsites and provides canoe and kayak access to the Wisconsin River. The bluff trails give visitors excellent views of the river valley. Nearby is Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin. Slideshow and photographs copyright 2008, Creative Juice LLC.
Weather forecast for Spring Green, Wisconsin vicinity
Blog entries for Tower Hill State Park
-
Video of Brunet Island State Park – Cornell, Wisconsin
This island park near Cornell, WI is at the confluence of the Chippewa and Fisher rivers in northwest Wisconsin. It’s just a short 30 minute drive from Chippewa Falls. The river area has many backwaters for paddling adventures. A trail head for the Ice Age National Scenic Trail is across the river. The Old Abe bicycle trail begins at the park, travels down river and ends 20 miles away near Chippewa Falls. The park has an additional 8 miles of hiking trails and 5 miles of cross country ski trails. Many of the 69 campsites have views of the water. 24 campsites have electricity and are clustered near the showers. The Civilian Conservation Corps built the log shelter in 1938 and the park was dedicated in 1940.
Weather forecast for Cornell, Wisconsin vicinity
Blog entries for Lake Wissota State Park
-
Video of Wildcat Mountain State Park – Ontario, Wisconsin
The 3,740 acre Wildcat Mountain State Park is in the driftless, unglaciated area of western Wisconsin. Flowing alongside the park is the paddler friendly, Kickapoo River. “Kickapoo” comes from the Algonquin Indians, meaning “he who goes there, then here.” The Kickapoo River meanders for 125 miles over 65 miles of distance. Views from the mountain top lookouts to the valley below, are spectacular. There are 30 family campsites, with some on the mountain’s edge. The three group campsites can accommodate up to 75 people. A separate campground for equestrians is in the northern part of the park. It has 24 sites and 15 miles of trails. Slide show and photographs copyright 2008, Creative Juice LLC.
Camping at Wildcat Mountain State Park
Wildcat Mountain State Park Campgrounds
