DNR Parks And Recreation News
What’s Happening In Wisconsin's State Parks,
Forests, Trails And Recreation Areas
 Take in fall colors from the many Wisconsin state trails. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
Fall is a great time to lace up your running shoes or hiking boots and hit the trail while enjoying cooler temps and taking in beautiful views.
Here are some tips to get the most out of fall colors while walking, jogging or hiking:
Pick A Location
- Check out our State Trails webpage to sort trails by trail type, surface material and length.
- Rail trails and cooperative trails offer some of the best fall color views and many miles of terrain.
- Most state parks and DNR properties offer a selection of trails available to hiking, running and walking.
- Visit our Vehicle Admission Sticker webpage to see your options and buy the right one for you.
Prepare
- Pack clothes, gloves, snacks and plenty of water.
- Check the weather both the night before and day-of.
- Watch for changes in temperature during your expected time out.
- Will it rain? If so, evaluate how that will impact your activity.
- Plan the route and share your plan with family or friends.
Find up-to-date trail conditions from our friends at Travel Wisconsin. To find more parks near you, check out our Find a Park webpage.
Fish Hatchery Open House
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) invites the public to an open house event at the Wild Rose Fish Hatchery Education Center in Wild Rose on Saturday, Oct. 28.
This free event will allow attendees to learn about many popular gamefish species and celebrate the annual fall salmon migration. There will be games and educational activities for guests of all ages, including a learn-to-cast station, fish identification activities and the chance to “swim” upriver like salmon on their migratory journey to spawning areas.
Other activities will include fish-printing on tote bags, a fly-tying workshop, fly casting demonstrations, making Kool-Aid clay as well as tours of the original 1908 hatchery and the modern operation.
The Wild Rose Fish Hatchery is a cool and cold-water hatchery, raising brown and rainbow trout, coho and Chinook salmon, Great Lakes spotted musky, northern pike, walleye and lake sturgeon.
Learn more about this event on the DNR’s Events Calendar.
Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
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Hike Knob Creek for the Mammoth Challenge. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
Knob Creek State Ice Age Trail Area
For the final installment in our series of Ice Age Trail hikes on State Ice Age Trail Areas (SIATAs), we feature a hidden gem in the Northwoods of Lincoln County.
Located a 40-minute drive northwest of Merrill in northern Wisconsin, the 3.9-mile Timberland Wilderness segment of the Ice Age Trail is located on the Knob Creek State Ice Age Trail Area. Most of this segment uses a permanent easement across private timber company land.
SIATAs are lands managed by the DNR Bureau of Parks and Recreation with the Ice Age Trail as the primary use.
Both ends of this trail segment intersect Tower Road, which is a lightly travelled gravel road. There is a small parking area at the north end.
This is one of the wildest segments of the entire thousand-mile IAT. Part of it courses along a glacial feature known as an ice-walled lake plain, which originally formed as debris settled into lakes on a glacier.
As always, the Ice Age Trail is marked with yellow blazes, but also bring a compass for this hike.
Public hunting takes place along this trail segment, so be sure to wear bright orange clothing when hiking this time of year and consider avoiding it during the nine-day gun deer season around Thanksgiving.
Photo Credit: Ice Age Trail Alliance
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Guided Moonlight Hike And Stargazing
Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023
7 – 8:30 p.m.
Enjoy Wildcat Mountain State Park under the full moon by joining this guided hike along the Starlight Trail. The hike will be about 1.5 miles along mostly level trails with some uneven terrain. There will be opportunities for star and moon gazing before, during and after the hike. Sturdy shoes are recommended.
If it's clear, we plan to hike without external lighting using all our senses and the moon to guide us so we can fully enjoy the park at night.
Vehicle admission is required for all vehicles. Meet at the amphitheater parking lot.
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Flashlight Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
With Halloween approaching and the nights becoming dark and eerie, there’s no better time to embark on a flashlight scavenger hunt at Willow River State Park. Search for items, uncover nocturnal animals, solve riddles and claim a participation prize before the creatures of the night claim you. Be sure to bring a flashlight if you have one, and wear your Halloween costume.
**This event costs $5/person or $10/family (cash or card) in support of our nonprofit's mission. Events are free to Friends members.
Vehicle admission into the park is required. All outdoor events are weather-dependent. Meet at the Willow River Nature Center.
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Bat Hike
Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023
6 – 7 p.m.
Bring your family and friends on Halloween night to take a peaceful evening hike through Havenwoods State Forest. We will use sonar detectors to search for bats, our flying mammal friends that aren’t so spooky!
Dress for the weather and wear appropriate footwear for the mile-long hike.
Photo Credits: Wisconsin DNR
Find more information on these and other events on the DNR Events calendar.
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