The 10 best Wisconsin State Parks to enjoy in the winter

Here are the 10 best Wisconsin state parks for winter recreation, from cross-country skiing to ice caves. 

It can get pretty chilly in Wisconsin during the winter. While many people head indoors and stay indoors, others embrace the outdoors by partaking in activities like sledding, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. 

One of the premier ways to experience the best that Wisconsin has to offer in winter is by exploring the state’s state parks. With more than 50 to choose from, there’s bound to be something for anyone who is brave enough to appreciate the outdoors during the state’s coldest season. 

From miles upon miles of cross-country skiing trails to unique opportunities that only present themselves in winter, like annual ice caves, there’s plenty of fun to be had in Wisconsin’s state parks during the winter. Bundle up and head out to some of the best Wisconsin state parks to enjoy during the winter.

1. Mirror Lake State Park

E10320 Fern Dell Road, Baraboo

With more than 20 different waterparks, Wisconsin Dells has plenty of indoor fun for anyone who wants to escape the cold weather in the winter. But lovers of the great outdoors and people who don’t mind being outside in the winter don’t have to avoid the city, as it’s also near Mirror Lake State Park. The state park is located just a few miles away from many of the most-visited waterparks in Wisconsin Dells but still remains a peaceful escape during all seasons.

The more than 2,000-acre park is named after Mirror Lake, a stunning lake that covers 137 of the park’s acres and reaches an average depth of 10 to 14 feet. Wintertime visitors can snowshoe and hike along the park’s many trails or go cross-country skiing along the park’s 17.4 miles of specially designated skiing trails. During the winter, the park’s always-scenic Fern Dell Gorge area also fills with scenic ice formations, creating waterfalls of ice.

2. Perrot State Park

26247 Sullivan Road, Trempealeau

Some of the most scenic features in Wisconsin are the bluffs that run along the state’s northeastern border, along the Mississippi River. It only makes sense that Perrot State Park, which is located along some of those bluffs, makes for a beautiful park, especially in the winter. The park, located in Trempealeau, runs along the Mississippi River and offers stunning views of the famous waterway. 

Perrot State Park offers nine miles of groomed trails for cross-country skiing throughout the winter. All of the park’s other trails are open for snowshoers and hikers. The park is also adjacent to the Great River State Trail, where avid winter hikers or snowshoeing enthusiasts can continue along for 24 miles.

Photo courtesy of Roy Luck/CC BY 2.0.

3. Pattison State Park

6294 WI-35, Superior

Located in the northwest corner of the state just south of the city of Superior, Pattison State Park is a 1,436-acre park that serves up some serious winter fun. The park has more than 5.5 miles of cross-country skiing trails at varying difficulty levels, as well as several snowshoe trails. 

One of the biggest highlights of visiting Pattison State Park in any season is seeing Big Manitou Falls, a waterfall on the Black River. The waterfall reaches a height of 165 feet, making it the tallest waterfall in the entire state. But each winter, the water (typically) stops flowing through the massive waterfall as it freezes. Although it’s not as tall, Little Manitou Falls, which is 30 feet tall, is just as scenic and is also located in the park. Both waterfalls are unforgettable spots to check out during the winter and offer a rare view of a frozen waterfall. 

4. Amnicon Falls State Park

4279 County Road U, South Range

Named for the collection of waterfalls that run along the Amnicon River, Amnicon Falls State Park is spread across 828 acres and sits in the northeast corner of the state. It’s an ideal spot for winter activities, including snowshoeing. During the winter, snowshoers can access some of the more remote parts of the park through its snowshoe trail, which runs for more than a mile. The primarily flat trails travel in and out of the park’s ancient river valley. 

Trees are an underappreciated part of many parks, but it’s difficult to travel through Amnicon Falls State Park in the winter without appreciating the scenic beauty of the snow on the park’s many trees. The park consists primarily of boreal and northern pine forests.

5. Brunet Island State Park

23125 255th St., Cornell

For the most part, when someone travels to an island during the winter season, they’re jet-setting somewhere tropical and warm. That’s not the case for anyone traveling to Brunet Island State Park, a 1,300-acre park in northern Wisconsin that sits along the Chippewa and Fisher Rivers. The island, which is accessible via a bridge on Park Road, has plenty of activities for visitors during winter, including 4.3 miles of cross-country skiing trails and snowshoe trails.

When you’ve finished snowshoeing for the day, head into the park’s rustic log pavilion to warm up. The cozy shelter overlooks a 200-foot beach and has a fireplace—the perfect spot to warm up after an exhilarating day along Brunet Island State Park’s snow-covered trails.

Photo courtesy of Mark Williams.

6. Big Bay State Park

2402 Hagen Road, La Pointe

Big Bay State Park, on Madeline Island, is open all year, even if it’s not always the easiest park to travel to. The park is located on one of the 22 Apostle Islands in Lake Superior, and visitors can typically take a ferry to visit the island. But, if the ice on Lake Superior is too thick for a ferry to get through to an island, visitors can take the ice road to get there. The ice road is a 1.9-mile stretch of ice that travels from Bayfield to Madeline Island, which drivers can traverse at their own risk. 

Driving the treacherous road isn’t the only winter excitement to be found at the park. There are several snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and hiking trails, including the 1.3-mile Bay View Trail, which offers shoreline views and is ideal for wildlife spotting. While you’re in the area, don’t forget to explore the sea caves throughout the Apostle Islands that get covered over with ice.

7. Whitefish Dunes State Park

3275 Clark Lake Road, Sturgeon Bay

Heaps of travelers make their way up to Door County every summer to enjoy the peninsula’s beaches, charming towns, and cherries. But it’s also a pretty great tourist destination in the winter, especially if you include some state parks in your itinerary. 

Whitefish Dunes State Park in Sturgeon Bay is extraordinarily scenic during the summer, with its location right along Lake Michigan, but it drastically transforms into one of the most astonishing sights in Door County during the winter. Because of snowfall and the freezing water coming off of Lake Michigan, the lakeside park’s cliffs and caves become covered in ice—making the park seem otherworldly. The constant waves crashing against the park’s cliffs create massive ice formations and plenty of humongous icicles. The park also offers several miles of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails.

8. Rib Mountain State Park

149801 State Park Road, Wausau

Approximately one billion years ago, multicellular plants were first emerging on Earth, and so was Rib Mountain in Wausau. The nearly 2,000-foot-tall hill started forming more than one billion years ago and is now home to Rib Mountain State Park, an ideal spot for skiing and other winter activities.

While Rib Mountain itself is ancient, the state park’s snowshoeing trail is a more recent development. The trail spans two miles, is groomed by the Friends of Rib Mountain, and is marked with green ribbons. There are no groomed cross-country skiing trails in the park, but there are ski areas, including Granite Peak Ski Area, nearby. The park also features winter hiking and snowmobiling trails.

Photo courtesy of Visit Wausau.

9. Blue Mound State Park

4350 Mounds Park Road, Blue Mounds

Sure, it’s cold and sometimes tough to endure, but there’s no denying that when snow falls, winter is a supremely scenic season. So head out and get a good view of it at Blue Mound State Park in Blue Mounds. The state park is named for West Blue Mound, a 1,719-foot-tall hill in southwestern Wisconsin that’s one of the state’s most prominent peaks. It offers stunning views of the surrounding Driftless Area. 

The park also has a designated three-mile loop trail for snowshoers and several cross-country skiing trails. There are more than 10 miles of groomed cross-country skiing trails in the park, ranging in difficulty, including the Willow Springs Trail, a two-mile trail that passes through hardwood forest and by a spring that was used by Native Americans and early European settlers hundreds of years ago.

10. Governor Dodge State Park

4175 WI-23, Dodgeville

Located in the Driftless Area, Governor Dodge State Park, one of the larger parks in Wisconsin’s State Park system, is filled with valleys, hills, and steep bluffs. The park, which is more than 5,000 acres, is a winter wonderland during the state’s coldest season and comes jam-packed with activities to keep visitors entertained all season long.

Like many other state parks, Governor Dodge State Park, which was named for Henry Dodge, the first Governor of the Wisconsin Territory, has miles and miles of cross-country skiing trails. It also has plenty of winter hiking and snowshoeing trails, although visitors don’t have to stick to the trails. Snowshoeing is allowed anywhere in the park, except for cross-country skiing trails. Additionally, the park has a 15-mile snowmobile trail, which connects with the larger 40-mile Military Ridge State Trail, and an ideal hill for sledding: the Twin Valley Beach hill.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.