Have to admit I didn’t know there was a state park just west of Middleton and the Madison urban area. The State Park System brochure lists Cross Plains State Park, 168 acres, at Middleton. The brochure also says there are no trails at this park. It was on my list of places to visit because … Read more12. Cross Plains State Park
I was at Copper Falls State Park, near Mellen in northwest Wisconsin, on May 10. Two days earlier, there had been a six-inch snowfall in the area. But, by the time I was there, the new snow had melted and the Bad River water level was high. The river runs through the park, and the … Read more11. Copper Falls State Park
There are a couple miles of trails at Tower Hill State Park, all going up and down the hill. The small park, 77 acres, near Spring Green is all about Wisconsin’s lead mining history. When I visited on May 5, the leaves were starting to pop, and it was a beautiful day. There were a … Read more10. Tower Hill State Park
Have to admit I had never heard of Belmont Mound State Park. I knew the first Wisconsin state capitol was in Belmont in southwest Wisconsin near Platteville. When I saw the listing for this part in the Department of Natural Resources visitor guide, I assumed it had something to do with the first capitol. Nope. … Read more9. Belmont Mound State Park
Natural Bridge State Park is, of course, named for its primary feature — a natural bridge. My understanding of a bridge versus an arch is that bridges are created mainly by water eroding and eventually wearing through rock. Arches are created primarily by wind. Both are relatively rare in Wisconsin. The bridge at this park … Read more8. Natural Bridge State Park
Well, that nice snow we had in early and mid-February was followed by rain and then very cold weather. The snow compacted and hardened, with lots of ice. And, it lasted into March. Not good for hiking or snowshoeing. By mid-March, we had more warm temperatures, and except for shaded areas and snowbanks, the snow … Read more7. Aztalan State Park
The warm weather and rain came. The snow that had been so nice for the visit to Governor Dodge State Park vanished. But, then there was another snow storm: 10 to 12 inches of snow in south central Wisconsin. Fairly good snowshoeing at Mirror Lake State Park, about an hour northwest of Madison, on February … Read more6. Mirror Lake State Park
Warm weather was on the way. Too warm for maintaining the nice foot or so of snow that was on the ground. Time to get out on the trail while the snow was still good. It was about 29 degrees on February 2 when I got to Governor Dodge State Park, about 45 miles west … Read more5. Governor Dodge State Park
It was a balmy 15 degrees above zero, with a very light wind, on the first day of February. Well, it seemed balmy. The low temperature the day before was -26, with a wind chill of -55, and the temperature hadn’t been above zero for almost three days. For snowshoeing, 15 above is very pleasant. … Read more4. Lake Kegonsa State Park
What a difference a week makes. During the week after the visit to Governor Nelson State Park, where everything was brown, we had two 7-inch snowfalls followed by cold enough temperatures to prevent snow melt. Friday, January 24, was a good day for snowshoeing — plenty of snow and temperatures around 20 degrees. Time to … Read more3. Blue Mound State Park