DNR Parks And Recreation News
What’s Happening In Wisconsin's State Parks,
Trails, Forests And Recreation Areas
 Mountain biking can be a family-fun way to explore the trail. / Photo Credit: Travel Wisconsin
Get Your Kicks On A Bike
Looking to kick your bike riding up a notch? How about giving off-road biking a go! A sport gaining in popularity over the last several years, off-road biking offers more opportunities to explore nature at a faster speed.
Off-road and mountain biking can be filled with challenging hills and sharp turns, or a grassy trail through a flat stretch of land. It’s getting off the pavement and out into nature.
Over the years, technology and innovative design have elevated off-road bikes to better accommodate the topographic features you might encounter on a trail and save your body some bumping and jostling along the way. A mountain bike differs from a road bike in several ways: the tires, suspension and shocks, frame geometry, gears, handlebars and more are designed to handle an off-road environment.
Correct body positioning, techniques to move with the bike, braking, shifting gears and learning how to let go of the road-biking mentality will all help you feel comfortable when off-road biking.
Like learning other new sports, mountain biking and off-road biking have their own lingo, techniques and style. It’s important to learn basic techniques when first going off-road. Try renting a mountain bike or participating in a clinic, demonstration or group ride to learn the fundamentals.
If you’re looking for a new way to experience your Wisconsin state park system, off-road biking is an excellent option, even as we get into the cooler months. State park properties, volunteer groups and bike enthusiasts are busy adding new trails to the system. You can find mountain biking trails in parks, forests, recreation areas and of course on linear state trails to hone your off-pavement skills. To get started, check out Copper Falls, Blue Mound or Potawatomi state parks, Kettle Moraine – Northern Unit and Southern Unit, Northern Highlands-American Legion or Black River state forests or the Richard Bong State Recreation Area, among other properties.
Many state park properties require a state trail pass for off-road cycling. Learn more here.
Outdoor News & Announcements
Check Out Wisconsin State Parks At Your Library Begins Nov. 1
The DNR and the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) are launching a pilot program, Check Out Wisconsin State Parks At Your Library. Starting Nov. 1, 20 libraries across Wisconsin will have one-day admission passes available for library cardholders to check out. The program runs through Mar. 1, 2023, with hopes of expanding the program statewide. To see a list of participating libraries, visit the DNR website here.
This program is sponsored by the DNR, the DPI, the Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries, the Nicolet Federated Library System, the Southwest Wisconsin Library System and Friends of Wisconsin State Parks.
Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
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Mammoth Challenge Is On A Roll
October is 67% over but there's still time to complete your Mammoth Challenge miles! Join as a team and collectively travel 42 Ice Age Trail miles and visit three official Ice Age Trail Communities or challenge yourself to get all your miles in by Oct. 31. Submit your miles and receive a commemorative patch and certificate. Learn more and sign up today.
Image Credit: Ice Age Trail Alliance
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Kinnickinnic State Park
Located where the St. Croix and Kinnickinnic rivers meet, Kinnickinnic State Park offers experiences in two types of worlds. Enjoy the quiet and solitude of the Kinnickinnic River Valley and the many popular water-based recreational pursuits on the St. Croix River.
This year, we celebrate 50 years of Kinnickinnic State Park, often referred to simply as "Kinni." As the Twin Cities metropolitan area expanded into western Wisconsin in the 1960s, several landowners in the area became determined to preserve the natural beauty of the land where the Kinnickinnic and St. Croix rivers meet.
With the help of key citizen groups including the Save Our St. Croix Association and the Minnesota Wisconsin Boundary Area Commission, these visionary citizens proposed the creation of a new state park.
In an extraordinary effort to make the park a reality, three families donated parcels of their land to the state. Carl and Alice Pemble, Homer and Mildred Creswell and George and Wilma Richter donated a total of 45 acres to the DNR to create a new state park. These gifts, combined with the overwhelming support of the remainder of the affected landowners, so impressed the Natural Resources Board that they established Kinnickinnic State Park in 1972.
The tradition of giving continued after the establishment of the state park. Volunteers have devoted considerable time, effort and financial support to developing the park. More than 20,000 trees have been planted, about 50 acres of prairie restored and about 6.5 miles of hiking trails developed largely due to the efforts of volunteers. The Friends of Willow River and Kinnickinnic State Parks and their associated WIKI Mountain Bike Club completed the installation of nine miles of new mountain bike trails at Kinni and Willow River State Park this fall; this adds to existing bicycle trails with more trails planned for the future. Please note that trails are closed to biking when the park is open to hunting.
This winter, head to Kinni for a range of snow activities. Several trails are packed and open as multi-use trails. Hiking, snowshoeing, skate skiing, classic skiing, skijoring and pets are allowed on these trails. Fat tire bicycles are allowed on the Red Trail only.
Classic-only cross-country skiing is allowed on some trails. Winter use and directional designations apply to these classic ski trails once the trails are snow covered and groomed.
There is a sledding hill easily accessed from the Brown Trail parking lot. Have fun exploring this hidden gem park this winter.
Kinnickinnic State Park is located in River Falls. Learn more about it here.
Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
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 Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
We all know Devil's Lake State Park provides incredible views from the top of the East and West bluffs and out across the lake, but have you been inside those views to experience fall colors from the bottom up? This fall, challenge yourself and get off the beaten path to experience state parks from inside the trail, and not just the scenic vista overlook!
For example, try getting on the Johnson Moraine, Upland or Ice Age trails at Devil's Lake. You can still make the steep hike to the top of the East Bluff but while you're on your way there, check out the colors beneath the tree canopy and soak in the quiet of Wisconsin's most popular state park. Some of these trails pass through campgrounds so you can scope out next summer's reservation spots.
Find less-congested parking access areas and entrance points along County Highway DL and Highway 113, or grab your bike and hit the bike trails along the east side of the park. Check out the Devil's Lake map here.
Find quiet paths, peaceful scenery and fall foliage off of popular trails. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
What’s A Zombie’s Favorite Cereal? Rice Creepies.
‘Tis the season to be spooky! Get outside and into the spirit of Halloween with Wisconsin state parks’ frightfully fun festivities.
- Oct. 22: High Cliff State Park – Halloween Campground Walk
- Oct. 22: Devil’s Lake State Park – Friends of Devil's Lake Halloween Hike
- Oct. 22: Richard Bong State Recreation Area – Halloween Hike, Campfire and S’mores
- Oct. 22: Big Foot Beach State Park – October Illuminated Hike
- Oct. 28: Newport State Park – Halloween Nature Hike
- Oct. 28: Lakeshore State Park – Trick or Treat Bonfire
Find more nature programs and DNR events here.
Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
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10 Tips For Capturing Amazing Autumn Photos
Want to capture those beautiful fall colors with a photo? You can do it with your smartphone – no fancy camera or expensive photography gear needed. Find 10 easy tips for capturing picture-perfect autumn photos in the fall issue of Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine.
And when you post your favorite shot, share it with us on social media using #OutWiGo. We love seeing our state's beauty through your eyes – or through the lens of your smartphone camera!
Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
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Where have you explored off the beaten path with your bike?
Use #OutWiGo to share your mountain and off-pavement biking pictures!
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