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Video of Wyalusing State Park – Bagley, Wisconsin
Wyalusing State Park sits on bluffs 500 feet above the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers. Within the park’s 2,628 acres you will find hardwood forests, bluffs, springs, waterfalls, and spectacular vistas. You can see ancient Native American effigy mounds and imagine what the French explorers Marquette and Joliet thought about them as they became the first Europeans to set foot here in 1673. There are more than 23 miles of trails for hiking, biking and skiing. More than 100 bird species, including bald eagles, hawks, owls, and various waterfowl, can be observed during the spring and fall migrations. There are 109 family campsites, group tent campsites for 130 and a lodge/dormitory complex for 108 people. Nearby is the Villa Louis Victorian mansion. Across the river is the Effigy Mounds National Monument where you can observe 205 mounds considered as ceremonial and sacred sites by American Indian tribes.
Blog entries for Wyalusing State Park
Camping in Wyalusing State Park
Wyalusing State Park Campgrounds
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Topographic Map of Nelson Dewey State Park – Cassville, Wisconsin
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Nelson Dewey State Park, walk in campsite D
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Mississippi River Sunset, Nelson Dewey State Park – Cassville, Wisconsin
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Video of Nelson Dewey State Park – Cassville, Wisconsin
Nelson Dewey State Park is a land of incredible vistas overlooking the Mississippi River valley. On the site is the home of Wisconsin’s first governor, Nelson Dewey. His 2,000 acre plantation was considered the state’s first large scale farming operation. The governor’s first home was gutted by fire in 1873. The current building was built on the original foundation. Across the road, the State Historical Society operates Stonefield Village and the State Farm Museum. There are a number of effigy mounds constructed by the Hopewell Indian group along the bluff trails and overlooks in the 750 acre park. The trail through the dry lime prairie restoration along the edge of the overlook is very scenic. Tent campers will be impressed with the four walk-in sites overlooking the Mississippi River valley.
YouTube video of Nelson Dewey State Park
Nelson Dewey State Park picture gallery
Nelson Dewey State Park Campgrounds
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Video of Devil’s Lake State Park – Baraboo, Wisconsin
Landscape architect, John Nolen, recommended in 1909 that this site be set aside for a park. Established in 1911, this 9,000+ acre park near Baraboo, WI draws over 1.2 million visitors a year. The 360 acre lake is spring fed giving fishermen, paddlers and swimmers a crystal clear water environment. The lake was formed by glacial activity during the last ice age. What was once the Wisconsin River is now a dramatic gorge cut off at the north and south ends by glacial debris. The quartzite rock formations of the park are over 1.5 billion years old and rise over 500 feet above the lake. The park takes its name from a mistranslation of the Ho-Chunk “Ta Wa-cun-chuk-dah, meaning “Sacred Lake”, “Holy Lake” or “Spirit Lake”. According to Ho-Chunk mythology the lake was the birthplace of the Buffalo Clan and is the site of the legendary battle between the water spirits and the thunderbirds. A number of effigy mounds are located throughout the park.
YouTube video of Devil’s Lake State Park
Devil’s Lake State Park images from the Wisconsin State Historical Society
Devil’s Lake State Park blog postings
