DNR Parks And Recreation News
What’s Happening In Wisconsin's State Parks,
Forests, Trails And Recreation Areas
 Enjoy the view and watch for birds at this bench at the accessible cabin at Mirror Lake State Park. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
Birding is a fun activity available at all of Wisconsin's state parks, forests, trails and recreation areas. Check inside the nature center, park office or visitor center for bird guides to that area or follow the Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail. We have birding resources online, and you can learn more about some birding hot spots in the summer 2023 issue of Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine.
Birding can be as simple as going outside and looking around, or it can involve equipment and planned trips to special bird habitat areas. Either way, it is an activity that is open to all abilities and experience levels.
Universal Birding
- Nature trails, paved trails or trails with crushed gravel or limestone may be better for people with mobility challenges or who use a mobility device. Read about hiking trails and observation points before your trip to best prepare yourself for what will work for you. You don't need to go far into the woods to see birds.
- To access harder-to-reach trails, consider checking out an all-terrain wheelchair. Several providers across the state offer this equipment available for free or a low-cost fee.
- Looking to watch for water birds? Several of our state park properties provide beach access for people with mobility disabilities by use of beach wheelchairs or beach access mats, or offer adaptive kayaks. Check with the visitor center, nature center or concessionaire to use this equipment.
- Accessible fishing piers and wildlife observation decks are suitable for seated birdwatching.
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Birdability suggests some adaptive equipment and home modifications.
Birdability
Birdability is a program of the National Audubon Society. Through education, outreach and advocacy, Birdability works to ensure the birding community and the outdoors are welcoming, inclusive, safe and accessible for everybody. The organization focuses on people with mobility challenges, blindness or low vision, chronic illness, intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental illness and those who are neurodivergent, deaf or hard of hearing or who have other health concerns.
In addition to current birders, they strive to introduce birding to people with disabilities and other health concerns who are not yet birders so they too can experience the joys of birding. So, how do you know where to go, based on your body? Check out the Birdability Map.
Birdability Map
The folks at Birdability believe that a lack of accessibility information should not be a barrier to those who want to get outside. But information on the accessibility of parks, hiking trails and birding locations is frequently incomplete or non-existent, making it difficult for people who experience accessibility challenges to find places to go birding.
The National Audubon Society and Birdability have created a crowd-sourced map of accessible locations to go birdwatching. It is a work in progress and anyone can contribute to it. The purpose of the Birdability Map is to allow people with disabilities and other health concerns access to this information ahead of time, to help them decide if a location is one they would like to visit.
DNR's Accessibility Program
Every July, America celebrates the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The DNR’s Accessibility Program ensures people of all abilities have access to our amazing recreation areas from state parks to forests, on land and in water.
We want to hear from you. Please share your ideas for how we can improve accessibility at Wisconsin's state parks, forests, trails and recreation areas. Or, tell us a success story, share some photos or let us know if there’s something we missed by dropping us a line at dnr.accessibility@wisconsin.gov.
Learn more about accessibility on the DNR's website.
Join Us At Our Green Career Fair
Are you looking for a career in natural resources? Want to learn how to make your love of being outside a career? Come to the Green Career Fair at Havenwoods State Forest on Aug. 5 from noon – 3 p.m.
More than a dozen organizations will be available to talk about how you can turn your passion for our environment into a meaningful job. This event is free and open to the public. Havenwoods State Forest is located at 6141 N. Hopkins St, Milwaukee.
Did You Know?
Firewood bought in many state park system properties is harvested or safely sourced by Friends Groups of the Wisconsin State Park System. That means it is always safe to burn on-site and is free of harmful insects such as the Emerald Ash Borer. These dedicated groups ensure there is enough dry firewood for the camping season, and they keep the woodsheds stocked full for visitors to purchase.
Not only does the money earned from firewood sales stay right at the property, but it also helps pay for Friends Group projects that are vital such as interpretive signage, shelters, trail improvements and maintenance, and helping to support the hiring of seasonal staff who help control invasive plants and naturalists who provide fun and educational programming.
Learn more and join a Friends Group to support your favorite place today!
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Summer Reading List
Looking for some beach reads this summer or to get you ready for back-to-school? Here are some outdoor-themed books we recommend:
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The Adventure Gap, by Wisconsin author James Edward Mills
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The Unlikely Thru-Hiker, by Derick Lugo
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Finding the Mother Tree, by Suzanne Simard
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The Island of Missing Trees, by Elif Shafak
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White Spaces, Black Faces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors, by Carolyn Finney
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The Death and Life of the Great Lakes, Dan Egan
Check them out at your local library, and don't forget your day pass to Check Out Wisconsin State Parks At Your Library!
 Check out the boulders and the view at Rib Mountain State Park. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
Rib Mountain, formerly called Rib Hill, is a four-mile-long ridge of ancient rock dating back about 1.7 billion years. It is among the oldest geological features on Earth. It is composed of a very hard metamorphic rock called quartzite.
The formation of Rib Mountain began some 1.5 to 2 billion years ago with the violent fusion, through intense heat, of sand into mammoth chunks of quartzite. Beginning 1.5 billion years ago, the surrounding plains started eroding away. The incredibly hard quartzite, however, resisted this erosion. Over the succeeding hundreds of millions of years, what remained rose higher and higher over the surrounding area and is now called a “monadnock” by geologists.
The quartzite also stood up against glaciers, which came through the area about 15,000 years ago. As the glaciers came up to the Rib Mountain area, they hit the quartzite and stopped. Through freezing and thawing of the seasons, the quartzite was broken down over time, resulting in boulders that can be seen on the mountainside.
Read more about the geologic history of Rib Mountain in this Wisconsin Public Radio story.
For many years, Rib Mountain was believed to be the highest point in Wisconsin. Now it's generally accepted that Timm's Hill, near Ogema in Price County, is the highest at 1,952 feet above sea level. Rib Mountain is 1,924 feet above sea level. However, Rib Mountain does stand higher above the surrounding terrain, 670 feet, than any other hill in the state. The top of a 60-foot observation tower at the park is about 800 feet above the surrounding terrain and offers spectacular views.
Rib Mountain has been used by many people for many different reasons. The early Ojibwe and voyageurs used it as a lookout and as a guide. Miners used it for different products. Today, it's used for hiking, picnicking, birdwatching, skiing and other recreation activities.
How do you enjoy Rib Mountain? When you're looking out over Rib Mountain, can you imagine mountains, volcanoes and glaciers across the landscape?
Rib Mountain State Park is located in Wausau.
Take A Hike!
Straight Lake State Park
Saturday, July 15
2 – 4 p.m.
Go for a hike on the Rainbow Lake Trail Loop. The naturalist will roam the trail for questions and conversations about Straight Lake.
Snakes Of Door County & Magnificent Monarchs
Rock Island State Park
Saturday, July 15
5 – 6 p.m.
This will be a dual event for all ages.
Join Ranger Brynna for a drop-in program all about monarch butterflies. Learn about their lifecycle, migration habits and the impact these wonderful pollinators have on our world.
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Join Ranger Brynna for this drop-in program to learn more about the snakes that call Door County home. You can spend as much or as little time learning about things like snake habitat, diet, lifecycles and more. No live snakes will be used for this event, but real snake sheds, and props will be used to offer a tactile experience to those who wish to have that interaction.
Meet in the pagoda.
Spanish In Nature! Learn About Frogs
Havenwoods State Forest
Tuesday, July 18
10 – 11 a.m.
Discover and learn everything about frogs through games, crafts, stories and outdoor exploration by the pond! This program is intended for children aged 2-9 and their guardian(s).
Pre-registration is required, as the program is limited to a maximum of 10 children. To register, email DNRHavenwoods@wisconsin.gov.
Dress for the weather, as the program will occur rain or shine! Please, bring a water bottle.
This program is made possible by the Friends of Havenwoods State Forest through a Friends of Wisconsin State Parks Incentive Grant.
Learn To Fish
Devil's Lake State Park
Thursday, July 20
9 – 11 a.m.
Want to try fishing but don’t know what to do? Join our Learn to Fish program, and we will show you how.
We will have fun activities to teach you the basics before sending you off to catch some fish. We will supply all the equipment and bait. If you are 16 and older, you will need a fishing license. This program’s activities are designed with families in mind but open to kids of all ages.
Meet at the North Shore boat launch.
Cliff Runner
High Cliff State Park
Saturday, July 23
10 a.m.
This is an extreme 10k trail run of mostly single-track trails. It is designed to take you through the most challenging sections of the High Cliff State Park. There will be rocks, roots, boulders and hills to face. Total elevation gain is nearly 500 feet. This run will incorporate the true trail running experience.
Registration includes a Cliff Runner T-Shirt, finisher's medal and a free beer and pizza. All participants will need to purchase a day pass for High Cliff State Park unless you already have an annual sticker.
Register today.
Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
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What's your favorite universally accessible birdwatching spot?
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