DNR Parks And Recreation News

What’s Happening In Wisconsin's State Parks, Forests, Trails And Recreation Areas

Park staff at Willow River State Park's enterance station. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

We're Hiring

From facility maintenance and groundskeeping to customer service and education, seasonal positions with the DNR provide opportunities to develop a wide range of skills and gain valuable experience for a career in natural resources.

We are currently hiring seasonal positions with the Wisconsin State Park System for 2026. Most positions start this spring and extend through Labor Day or later.

Available positions cover many aspects of park operations, including:

• Greeting and directing visitors
• Mowing and landscaping
• Maintenance
• Invasive species removal
• Educational programing

Available positions include:

Park Ranger

The park ranger is primarily responsible for facilitating customer service, facility and grounds maintenance, and public safety within state-designated parks, forests, trails and other lands managed by the Wisconsin State Park System within the Bureau of Parks and Recreation Management. Specifically, this position will provide recreation management, assistance with resource protection, as well as managing public safety through maintenance, facility management and administrative activities within the assigned area. This position will maintain internal and external partnerships to include local government, local interests and other key stakeholders to establish and promote management, public safety and contribute to protection goals. The position will assist with outreach, promotion and public relations for the property. 

Visitor Services Associate

They are responsible for greeting park visitors, selling vehicle admission stickers, registering campers, fielding questions about the park or property and recreation opportunities, along with a variety of other administrative and financial duties. 

Natural Resources Educator

These positions provide on-site educational programs and activities to organized school, social and other groups as well as the general public visiting the property. This includes developing and distributing publications, signage and other materials. In addition, this position will assist with outreach, promotion and public relations for the property. 

Assistant Naturalist Guide

These positions conduct interpretive and educational programs to interpret the property's natural and cultural resources, teach outdoor skills and encourage resource stewardship. This includes developing programs, displays, exhibits and other presentation methods for visitors, school groups and other community/volunteer associations. 

Park Technician

The Park Technician is responsible for a combination of general maintenance and repair work, outdoor maintenance and groundskeeping work at their assigned property. Park Technicians often operate machinery such as UTVs, skid steers, chainsaws, hand tools, power tools, mowers, equipment transport and other motorized vehicles.

Recreation Operation Technician

The Recreation Operation Technician is responsible for a combination of general maintenance and repair work, outdoor maintenance, and groundskeeping work on a recreation operations crew responsible for an assigned geographical area. Recreation Operation Technicians often operate machinery such as UTVs, skid steers, chainsaws, hand tools, power tools, mowers, equipment transport, and other motorized vehicles.

Park Technician — Advanced

These positions perform a combination of general maintenance and repair work of a semi-skilled nature to various building types and equipment, including but not limited to park buildings, electrical, plumbing, power tools and vehicles. Work at this level is more complex in nature than the entry level position and this position may occasionally direct and coordinate the work of other facilities repair workers, inmates, students or Limited Term Employees on projects, but is not considered a lead worker. In addition, this position may perform limited trades work below the journeyman level. 

Groundskeeper

These positions are responsible for providing maintenance support throughout the property. This involves working outdoors and includes the inspection, cleaning and groundskeeping of buildings, facilities, campgrounds, day-use and picnic areas throughout the property. Laborers often operate machinery such as UTVs, ATVs, chainsaws, snowmobiles, hand tools, power tools, mowers, tractors and other motorized vehicles. 

Park Ranger — Campground Manager

The Park Ranger — Campground Manager is primarily responsible for facilitating customer service, facility and grounds maintenance, and public safety within state designated campgrounds managed by the Wisconsin State Park System within the Bureau of Parks and Recreation Management. Specifically, this position will provide recreation management, assistance with resource protection, as well as managing public safety through maintenance, facility management and administrative activities within the assigned area. This position will maintain internal partnerships to include key stakeholders to establish and promote management, public safety and contribute to protection goals. The position will assist with outreach, promotion and public relations for the property. This is a unique opportunity where park ranger — campground managers are required to live onsite in a campground in a camping unit that they provide.

Park Ranger — Recreation Operations

This position will provide recreation management, assistance with resource protection, as well as managing public safety through maintenance, facility management and administrative activities within the assigned recreation area. This position will maintain internal and external partnerships to include local government, local interests and other key stakeholders as appropriate to establish and promote management, public safety and contribute to protection goals.

Learn more and apply online at wisc.jobs — Under the “Search by Agency” tab at the top of the page, select “Dept. of Natural Resources.”

Invite A Friend To Check Out Wisconsin State Parks!

The DNR’s Check Out Wisconsin State Parks At Your Library program has returned for 2026. We’ve partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and over 120 libraries around the state to offer library patrons the opportunity to check out a free day pass to Wisconsin state parks, forests and recreation areas from their local library.

Help us spread the word about this program by inviting a friend to explore a state park, attend an event or try a new activity like snowshoeing.

This program is a great way to introduce first-time visitors to the wide variety of activities enjoyed at Wisconsin’s state parks.

We offer events, programs, guided hikes, skill-building opportunities and gear-loaner programs to help you make the most of your visit. With over 307,000 acres of public land to explore, the Wisconsin State Park System has something for everyone.

Did you know that in addition to books, many libraries also have a “library of things” to borrow? This can include outdoor recreation equipment, so make sure to ask your librarian what’s available!

Blue Mound State Park is an excellent cross-country ski destination. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

Property Highlight: Blue Mound State Park

Perched atop the highest point in southern Wisconsin, Blue Mound State Park offers spectacular views and unique geological features. Over 20 miles of scenic hiking, off-road biking and cross-country ski trails, as well as a family campground, access to the Military Ridge State Trail with bike-in campsites and a rustic cabin for people with disabilities make Blue Mound a popular destination year-round. If you’ve ever visited the property and gazed out from one of the many overlooks, you know that the views can be quite impressive!

When there’s snow, Blue Mound State Park is a great option for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. More than 10 miles of cross-country ski trails wind through open fields and peaceful forests. The park’s ski trails provide a range of conditions from flat to moderate and steep hills. All trails are tracked for classical skiing when snow depth and conditions allow. In low snow conditions, all the trails are groomed for skating.  

The trails at Blue Mound vary from beginner to more advanced and can be reached from the trailhead at the pool parking lot. John Minix, Pleasure Valley, Willow Springs, Flintrock and Ridgeview (in order from easiest to most difficult) are all great options. A state trail pass is required of all skiers aged 16 and over (in addition to the vehicle admission pass). Learn more about the cross-country skiing trails below:

John Minix trail — Named for the previous owner of the park, John Minix, this 1-mile loop offers a gentle meandering jaunt through a dense hardwood forest. It is our easiest trail.

Pleasure Valley trail — A rolling 1-mile trail will take you through a peaceful sugar maple forest and a wide range of plant life in an open prairie. The Pleasure Valley Trail is groomed for both traditional and diagonal skiers in winter.

Ridgeview trail — Along the south border of the park near the Military Ridge State Trail. It offers spectacular views of the surrounding area with easy access from the campground. The trail has moderate to steep hills and is not recommended for the novice skier.

Walnut Hollow trail — A half-mile extension of the Ridgeview Trail, this short trail takes you through a stand of Black Walnut trees before emerging back into the prairie.

Willow Springs trail — A 2-mile trail that winds through a mixed hardwood forest and passes a stand of willow trees and a spring that flows year-round. Years ago, Native Americans and early settlers used this spring as a reliable water source.

Snowshoeing is allowed anywhere in the park except on cross-country ski trails. A designated snowshoe trail with a 0.75-mile loop and a 3-mile loop has its trailhead on the east side of the pool parking lot.

Check out the reservable shelter and amphitheater! These make great locations for reunions, weddings, birthdays, school outings or other special events. Blue Mound State Park offers a number of beautiful facilities that you can rent, including an open shelter and amphitheater.

Lastly, the east and west observation towers at the ends of the picnic area are impossible to miss! Each tower is 40 feet high and equipped with a landmark locator to help pinpoint the location of various cities and geologic features. At the top of the towers, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside hundreds of feet below. Enjoy the view of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, Baraboo Bluffs and the gently rolling countryside as far as the eye can see.

Vistas have also been cut through the trees on the north side of the picnic area, near the towers, for those who cannot climb the observation towers. These areas also offer panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

Upcoming Events

There are so many events planned throughout the Wisconsin State Park System this year that it's impossible for us to list them all here!

Find events that fit your interests and schedule at a park near you on our DNR Events calendar.

Here is one event we're especially excited about:

The Great Backyard Bird Count
Saturday, Feb. 14, Whitefish Dunes State Park
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Be a community scientist for the day! Spend time around the park, identifying and recording bird species. Binoculars, guides, and additional activities will be provided! Choose to enter the information yourself or have the Naturalist enter it for you! This event is for birders of all levels and ages.

This event is weather-dependent.

Group/Program Hosting: DNR
Event Location: Based outside of the Nature Center, Whitefish Dunes State Park, 3275 Clark Lake Rd, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
Event Contact: Jess Poppie, Jessica.Poppie@wisconsin.gov or 920-823-2400

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