Cross-country Skiing

Get your skis and poles ready, pack them in the car, and head to these state parks for some cross-country skiing fun this winter.

Big Foot Beach State Park

Big Foot Beach State Park

Why is it called Big Foot Beach State Park? Good question. Fortunately there’s a fairly short answer. Big Foot (an English translation) was an early leader of the Potawatomi in this area. Geneva Lake (or Lake Geneva) used to be called Big Foot Lake. The park itself is just across the road from a beach …

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Lake Kegonsa State Park

Lake Kegonsa State Park

We didn’t spend a lot of time at Lake Kegonsa State Park on this our first visit. It was our second park of the day, after Governor Nelson State Park, and we were getting tired. What little we did see was interesting though. We hiked the short Oak Knoll Trail loop, and I got to …

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Governor Nelson State Park

Governor Nelson State Park

Our first trip to Governor Nelson State Park came a day after our visit to Cross Plains State Park. To get from one park to the other, you go through Middleton, Wisconsin. In Middleton is the National Mustard Museum (formerly located in Mount Horeb). So we just had to stop in there to see what …

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Cross Plains State Park

Cross Plains State Park

It’s difficult to find the date when Cross Plains State Park came into existence – almost as hard as finding your way around the park itself. As of this writing, it’s the newest state park in Wisconsin, possibly having come into its own in 2017. Cross Plains State Park is part of what the DNR …

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Brunet Island State Park

Brunet Island State Park

Brunet Island State Park is mostly located on an island in the Chippewa River. The entrance to the park is on the eastern shore of the river. The park there is adjacent to the small city of Cornell. When you cross a narrow section of the river to get onto the island, you don’t feel …

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Roche-a-Cri Welcome sign

Roche-a-Cri State Park

roh-SHAY-ah-KREE STAYT PAHRK. That’s my best guess at how to pronounce Roche-a-Cri State Park. I’ve never heard anyone, who is certain of its pronunciation, speak it aloud. If you know better, have at it. Roche-a-Cri is a “big ol’ rock”, as one of my friends has phrased it. If you intend to visit Roche-a-Cri, it …

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Buckhorn State Park sign

Buckhorn State Park

Getting to Buckhorn State Park isn’t all that difficult, if you follow the signs. The right signs. Beware County Highway G Now, I know that many of you will use the GPS in your personal device to get to Buckhorn State Park, but I’m not all that fond of such tech. So I don’t normally …

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Kohler-Andrae State Park

Kohler-Andrae State Park

Kohler-Andrae State Park is (currently) the only state park in Wisconsin to give you two parks for the price of one. The Terry Andrae (southern) section of the park was formed in 1928. The John Michael Kohler (of Kohler Company fame) section to the north was added in 1966. Supposedly these are still two distinct …

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Harrington Beach State Park

Harrington Beach State Park

I think Harrington Beach State Park is the first state park that I’ve visited more than once. Not that I wouldn’t have gone there again, but the main reason I went a second time is that I lost (or, at least, can’t find) the pictures I took there the first time. Yeah, shame on me. …

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Aztalan State Park sign

Aztalan State Park

Aztalan State Park is right up there with Lake Kegonsa and Roche-a-Cri when it comes to names that are difficult to pronounce correctly. Located just east of Lake Mills, Wisconsin, this park is also among those that are difficult to find (for the unprepared), despite some signage along a major interstate (I-94). How to Get …

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