Wisconsin State Parks are a popular destination for the state’s residents and visitors. The Wisconsin DNR is working actively to make sure they have enough staff to operate at full capacity this summer, and also working to ensure campgrounds and other facilities are up to date. Missy VanLanduyt DNR Recreation Partnerships Section Chief explains what they’re expecting for attendance this year and how they’re preparing state parks for the peak season.
She says, “We are expecting to see increases in attendance even more so than they have over the pandemic years. In fact, campgrounds are 90% booked and are filling fast throughout the summer.”
The busy season is usually from May to October and VanLanduyt says they’ll see attendance in the millions. DNR staffing has also been increased and she says they are prepared to take on this season. They bring on about 400 seasonal staff for the summer and have 200 full-time staff that work year round.
While many go camping in the warmer months, if you’re looking for an electric site at Peninsula State Park or Devil’s Lake State Park for a July weekend, those are already booked. That being said, there are still a lot of campsites at other locations.
“We have a wide range of campsites, from hike-in sites to walk-in or boat-in sites, in addition, to the family campgrounds and group campgrounds as well,” VanLanduyt adds. “We try to encourage people to go during the week, to go to different properties that they maybe have never been to, or to spend a couple of nights on the non-electric site if you can, in order to really experience different areas of the state.”
The first weekend of May marks the fishing opener and while there may be a decrease in sales right now, VanLanduyt expects a very large increase once the weather gets warmer and stays warmer.
A large event the DNR puts on is the Wisconsin Free Fun Weekend. This year this event will take place June 3-4. It’s a great way to experience the state park system especially if you have never experienced it before. For this weekend, you can explore with state park admission fees, fishing licenses and trail passes waived.
Another event coming up is the OutWiGo Green event. The OutWiGo Green event, led by the Department of Natural Resources staff and partners will be May 13 at the Southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. There will be dozens of activities to enjoy, including group hikes, bike rides, paddling, and more.
Find more information or to plan your next trip, visit dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/camping.
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