A User's Guide to State Parks in South East Wisconsin

South East Wisconsin offers several state parks with a wide variety of recreational and sightseeing opportunities. This guide will give you our experience of these parks. We are avid hikers, campers, plus volunteer campground hosts for the state of Wisconsin. We use these parks all year round.

Mileage figures are computed from Skokie, IL and are approximate.

Richard Bong State Recreation Area

26313 Burlington Rd.
Kansasville WI 53139
(262) 878-5600
40 miles

The Bong Recreational Area was designated to be a U.S. Air force base but just days before the pouring of concrete the funding was pulled. Today the 4500 acres boast beautiful rolling plains, an abundance of wildflowers, and unique recreational activities.

Bong has more to do than any other park in the state. There is an area to ride your ATV vehicle. You can train your falcon or hunting dog in specially designed areas. Another area is for flying hot air balloons and another for remote control airplanes. There is even an area to launch rockets. When you drive through the park it is hard not to stop at each area and just watch the activities.

The park has more than forty miles of bike and hiking trails which are mostly flat. In the winter these trails become groomed cross country trails. There is a lake for swimming, fishing, canoeing, and rowing. You will find a swimming area for dogs by the boat launch. For people with disabilities there is an accessible cabin and other accessible facilities within the park.

There are two campgrounds at Bong with 200 camp sites. Fifty-four sites have electricity. There are showers and flush toilets. The campsites are private but none of them have much shade.

This area was clear cut to build the air base so there is not much shade, do not expect to find forests here. The best time to visit this park is in the spring or fall. The worse time is during the hot summer months. During the fall hunting season it is best to avoid this park since hunting is allowed here.

We have hiked and camped here in the middle of August just to see the bloom of wildflowers on the prairies. If you can stand the heat and the sun this quite a site to see. There are several nice trails starting at the campgrounds. Bong offers so much to do and see. It is a recreation paradise and a place where you just have to visit.

Southern Unit Kettle Moraine State Forest
S91 W39091 Highway 59
Eagle, Wisconsin 53119
(262) 594-620070 miles

The Southern Kettle Moraine State Forest is more than 30 miles long and covers more than 20, 000 acres. The Kettle Moraine is an area created by the glaciers tens of thousands of years ago. As the glaciers receded and the ice melted, kettles, moraines, and kames were formed. The kettles are deep depressions and some remain as lakes. The Moraines are rolling hills, and the kames are abrupt hills. Within the Southern Kettle Moraine all of these features are most prominent.

Along with the glacier features there are extensive pine and hardwood forests and a large wetlands reserve area. The Southern Kettle Moraine area provides recreation, beauty, and some charming small towns in the surrounding area.

There are several campgrounds within the forest. One is for horse back riders which provides access to nearby horse trails. There is a primitive campground with only pit toilets and two campgrounds offering showers and flush toilets. Only one campground, Ottawa Lake has electric sites and offers year round camping. There is one accessible cabin for rent. You can also backpack to an overnight shelter.

One campground, Pinewoods is designated for families and has a twenty-four hour quiet, no pet zone. If you do not like hearing your neighbor's boom box or barking dog, this is a nice alternative.

The Southern Kettle Moraine offers miles of hiking trails and mountain bike trails. In the winter there are groomed cross country trails. Scattered through the forest are lakes and streams for fishing and swimming. There are more than one hundred miles of roads marked with scenic road signs. You can travel these roads and visit the small towns along the way. These towns are great for antiquing, and soaking up local history. A map of these roads is available at the park office.

It is also advisable to get a map of the trails before hiking or mountain biking and plan your trip carefully. We have gotten lost in these woods even though we have hiked there numerous times. The trails are marked but you need to have the map to know what the markings mean.

Anytime is a good time to visit the Southern Kettle Moraine. Each season brings out its own beauty. However, keep in mind that hunting is allowed within the state forests so some weeks can be dangerous.

Kettle Moraine State Forest- Pike lake Unit
3544 Kettle Moraine Road
Hartford, WI 53027
(262) 670- 3400
90 miles

In the middle of the Kettle Moraine is this state forest which is only twenty miles north of Milwaukee. The park is built along Pike Lake which is a spring fed kettle. People travel from all over the country to fish Pike Lake. I am a campground host here each summer and claim this to be my favorite Wisconsin State Park.

Pike Lake is an oasis within the city sprawl. When you enter the park, you leave the city behind. There are miles of hiking trails where you will not cross a road or see a building. In the winter these trails are groomed for cross country skiing. The trails go through both wooded and prairie lands. Since this was all once farm land you can still find evidence of the farms which were once here. Many of the stone fences are still visible and a few old foundations can be found from farm buildings built many years ago.

Pike Lake has an observation tower on top of Powder Hill which gives you an excellent view of the surrounding Kettle moraine area. There is a swimming beach and large playground area. Along an accessible hiking trail is an accessible fishing pier. Summer weekends can get very crowded at the beach and picnic areas. You may not find parking on some holiday weekends.

The campground is small with only 32 sites. Most of the sites do not have electricity. There are showers and flush toilets. Only a few of the sites can accommodate larger RVs. Weekends during the summer are booked solid. You will be able to find spots during the week since this is predominantly a weekend campground. Stop by and say hello to me at the camp host site.

Harrington Beach State Park
531 County Road D
Belgium, WI 53004
(262) 285-3015
100 Miles

Harrington Beach Sate Park is for the dogs. There is almost a half mile of beach along lake Michigan where you can let your dog run free. You will find many other dogs and their owners along this beach so you and your best friend will have plenty of company. The lake is a natural air conditioner and will cool you down on a hot summer day. Swimming in Lake Michigan certainly will bring you relief from the summer heat.

Harrington Beach also has its own little lake, Quarry Lake. This was once a limestone quarry and now has great bass fishing. You will pass by the lake as you hike down to the beach and picnic areas from the parking lot. You can also take the shuttle bus if it is not too crowded.

This park has a new campground with sixty sites, showers and flush toilets. The campground is new and is undergoing growing pains. Some sites have been poorly located and situated but for the most part. This is a beautiful campground.

Harrington Beach is a smaller state park and gets very crowded on weekends. This park is only 35 miles north of Milwaukee. The lower parking lots are usually always filled on weekends and you will have to use the shuttle or hike to the beach. This is a small park with limited hiking aside from walking along Lake Michigan on the beach, which is a real treat.

Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit
Forest Headquarters
N1765 Highway G
Campbellsport, WI 53110
(262) 626-2116

The Northern unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest covers more than 30,000 acres and is best known for the Ice Age Center. The Henry S. Reuss Ice Age Visitor's center is an excellent place to learn about the kettle moraine. They have a short video presentation and several well-done displays which explain the history and geology of the region. I have stopped here many times and still learn new things.

The Kettle Moraine Northern Unit is divided between two lakes, Long lake to the north and Mauthe lake to the south. There is a new bike path which travels between these two lakes. Both lakes offer swimming and fishing. Long lake does have problems with bacteria and swimmers' itch so we prefer swimming at Mauthe Lake.

Mauthe Lake has the better of the two campgrounds with 135 sites and 51 electric sites. There is a Native American Tee Pee available for rent. The campground is located close to the beach area and there are several nice hiking trails nearby. The camp sites are for the most part large and private. There are flush toilets and showers.

Long Lake has 200 sites with no electric at any of them. The sites tend to be more closely packed together and poorly situated. Many sites have poor drainage and become swampy when it rains. There are flush toilets and showers but these are not well maintained and in our experience tend to be too dirty for us to use.

The Northern Kettle Moraine Forest has a horseback rider's campground and back pack shelters along the Ice Age Trail. The Ice Age Trail will be a 1000 mile federally designated scenic trail when completed. There are now 600 miles complete and almost 30 miles through this forest. The trail in the forest is beautiful to hike and will bring you to many gorgeous overlooks, The Parnell Observation Tower, and through spectacular oak forests.

The Northern Kettle Moraine Forest is open all year. In the winter there is cross country skiing, snowshoeing on the groomed trails, and camping at Mauthe Lake. There are several scenic drives and small towns to explore as there are down in the Southern Kettle Moraine. Greenbush has the historic Wade House which is a working museum from the 1860's operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society. This area is dotted with cheese factories don't pass them by, stop in and sample the local favorites.

All Wisconsin state parks, forests and recreation areas require an admission sticker. The cost for an annual sticker is $25.00 resident and $35.00 non- resident. Daily and even hourly passes are also available. These passes can be purchased on-line.