Most reviewed Nature & Wildlife Areas in Wisconsin
4.5Witches Gulch(596 reviews) - Ghost Tour is so Fun!! Nature & Wildlife Areas
We had a ball on the ghost tour. We enjoyed the ride out to Witch's Gulch and then walking along the trails we were continually "scared" by the live actors. It was so much fun! They do an excellent job. Meeting all the actors afterwards in their costumes was really enjoyable too. One person did NOT heed the warnings and brought a young child. He was crying. Listen to the organizers and do not bring little kids!See more..
4.5Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary(520 reviews) - Beautiful spot! Saturday: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
A 700-acre wildlife refuge that features trails, as well as educational and live animal exhibits.See more..
4.5The Ridges Sanctuary(259 reviews) - Peaceful scenery Saturday: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas
My husband & I went here one early afternoon for the first time & it was a beautiful fall day to enjoy the boardwalk that led to other trails in the woods. You could see & hear the birds & there were educational signs to read along the way. This is definitely a place to go & enjoy nature!See more..
Considered the birthplace of ecological restoration, the UW–Madison Arboretum is a teaching and research facility that conserves and restores land, advances science, offers public outreach, and benefits from community involvement. The 1,200-acre grounds are home to protected prairies, woodlands, wetlands, savannas, springs, shoreline, a notable horticultural collection, and Wisconsin native plant gardens. It also offers 20 miles of walking trails and 4 miles of biking road as well as hundreds of learning and volunteer opportunities. The Arboretum is located between Lake Wingra and the West Beltline Highway. The main entrance is at 1207 Seminole Highway. The Visitor Center is open weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekends from 12:30 to 4 p.m. Arboretum admission is free.See more..
5.0Horicon Marsh(194 reviews) - Enjoyed marsh visitor center Nature & Wildlife Areas
We limited our exploration to a bit of the trails and boardwalk at the visitor center ... where we were able to see TWO ducks on the water. The young man at the desk was helpful and friendly, made recommendations. We drove a bit on the perimeter of the marsh but saw no wildlife. Maybe mid-September was a bad time of year for viewing.See more..
4.5Lapham Peak(142 reviews) - For the entire family Mountains • Nature & Wildlife Areas
Great park, with different trails that clearly show its level of. For all ages as it has natural trails and paved trails. A great option for the entire family! Tip: There seems to be more than one parking area, if you see a small area with cars parked along the road, you are not in the main entrance. FYI This is a pet-friendly park.See more..
This is one of the more hidden of the Lake front parks, It is so hidden that you may find yourself driving in circles trying to find it but it is worth the effort. this is a fine place for birding, hiking, and enjoying the lake, there is a wonderful wooden bog walk and a nice pond. Travelers should use caution and not stray from the generous paths as there is poison Ivy just beyond the edges of some trails, The trails are well marked and mapped. iI is easy to choose various length of trails. If you are tired of the wide open lake fronts, this park offers a splendid wooded shoreline. It is an especially beautiful place in the spring and fall.See more..
My friend and I planned this as a group outing for the first day of summer vacation with our daughters ages 7, 9, and 10. All of us loved it! Great way to be outdoors and see animals. Facility is clean, well-maintained, and interesting. Highly recommend!See more..
4.5Big Bay State Park(84 reviews) - DO NOT MISS! Spent More than 3 hours State Parks • Bodies of Water • Nature & Wildlife Areas
This was the highlight of our summer! We made a last minute decision to travel to Madeleine Island from our cabin about 2 hours away. The weather was supposed to be beautiful and, lo and behold, we were on the ferry the next morning at 9:30, We made Big Bay our first stop. Many hiking opportunities with views that are second to none. We hiked a trail from the Big Bay lookout back to a picnic area and took the boardwalk from there in the opposite direction to the beach. Next time, I am bringing my suit and towel! While I did go wading, the protected area of the beach disguises Lake Superior's sometimes tumultuous behavior. Bring your camera, your suit and towel, and lunch because you will want to make a day our of this stop!See more..
4.5Houghton Falls Nature Preserve(80 reviews) - Beautiful and Easy Hike! Saturday: 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
Beautiful state nature preserve on the lake. The parking area is small; we had to wait for someone to leave to get a spot. The walk from the parking area to the water is approximately 1 mile. While very stunning and beautiful, when we went was during a drought. The places along the trail that should have water, didn't. But it was still very beautiful. There was a nice overlook when you get to the lake, but beware! The late summer also brings lots of biting flies in that location. Despite the drawbacks, this is definitely a place worth stopping if you are in the area.See more..
4.5Bubolz Nature Preserve(72 reviews) - Great family activity Saturday: 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
Clean facilities with well-maintained hiking trails. The trails are marked fairly well, although we did get turned around once. Bring bug spray!See more..
4.5Grant Park(70 reviews) - Lose yourself in this calm park Spent 2-3 hours Biking Trails • Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails
Amazing park! This place has such great views, easy to lose yourself in it. It was very busy when we went, but most people were quiet and let you enjoy the calming of the running creeks and waves near Lake Michigan. Easily a perfect spot to propose or have professional photographs done! I definitely will be coming back soon.See more..
Went for a walk in the evening after a Packer game. The rain had stopped and the water was calm and beautiful. Wonderful evening stroll.See more..
5.0LondonDairy Alpacas(66 reviews) - Want to learn about Alpacas; this is the place to visit! Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Farms
LondonDairy Alpacas has been in business for more than two decades on a ranch that has been family owned for four generations. Approximately 50 alpacas make their residence here. We feature one-hour guided interactive, educational tours for all ages; the young and the young at heart for a fee. Reservations MUST be made in advance, preferably at least 24 hours. We can accommodate large groups, bus groups, scouts, family reunions, 4-H clubs, school groups, and visiting tourists. Our gift and South American wine store is located in the former bottling plant which was built during the 1940's. We offer a wide range of alpaca products from yarn to roving, finished products such as sweaters, hats, mittens, gloves, socks, collectible bears and figurines. Alpaca fiber is 3x warmer than sheep wool and 7x stronger. It is hypoallergenic and has natural thermal and wicking properties.See more..
4.5Schlitz Audubon Nature Center(63 reviews) - Nicely maintained trails on Lake Michigan Saturday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
Came here on a Sunday and pre-registered for the 10:30 am to 1:00 pm trail access. Getting in was smooth as they just ask for your name and then you go on in. We first visited the welcome center which had nice restrooms and a gift shop. Then we headed out on the trails. They are well maintained and there are many overlooks to the lake and one tower which gives you a great higher up view of the lake and surrounding area. In the summer make sure you bring bug spray as recommended. Masks are also being required to be worn in the welcome center and if you're within 6 feet of any anyone else on the trails. Not much this time of year to see but we enjoyed our walk.See more..
4.5Wehr Nature Center(49 reviews) - I was there for Bioblitz involving mushrooms and other things. Saturday: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
Great place. Lots of trails, creek with waterfall, lake. Deep shade in most parts - very good place to go on a hot day. Of course bunch of exhibits, as proper to be in the Nature Center.See more..
During the COVID crisis you will need to call ahead and reserve a tour time. It is well worth the time to see hawks, eagles and other predators.. Mammals and reptiles are also residents at the CenterSee more..
Hiking to the top of this dolomite-capped bluff is best in the fall when the leaves are bright yellow, the insects are less bothersome, and the air is cool and stimulating. I hiked the old road from the parking lot which is very forgiving underfoot but quite a steady, though not overly strenuous, climb. Once on top, on what was a very crowded weekday, the view was spectacular to the north and south. The fall colors were beginning to pop in the Wisconsin River Valley that stretched below. Care must be taken on the summit because there are no guard rails and the edge is not for those with a fear of heights. Children need to be watched carefully. The recommended loop is to take the Ice Age Trail up and the former auto road down. I did the opposite but in the future would take the recommended route. Closed during the height of the pandemic it is a joy to have this remarkable natural wonder opened again. See more..
4.5Timm's Hill County Park(46 reviews) - Peak SEP 27 2020 Spent 2-3 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks • Nature & Wildlife Areas • Parks
WOW. 360 degrees of fall colors. If that’s not peak I don’t know what is. Short hike 300yards. So glad we made the trip. Surrounding trails wide and maintained. We like a bit more adventure on our trails so skipped more hiking and did tower twice. By 4pm the crowds were thinning. People were respectful and tried to social distance on tower. Zero toilet paper in vault restroom but it had to have been a very busy day. Drive in from Hayward enjoyable too. Staying at Ribb Waters Inn which was close and inexpensive. Pictures never do it justice. See more..
The Aldo Leopold Center is relaxing, enchanting, and inspiring. Although the main building was closed due to Covid the grounds are open and amazing. So many different ecosystems in a small area that’s easy to navigate, well maintained, and accessible. This is a great place for kids to explore and everyone to learn and appreciate nature. A class of youngsters arrived as we were leaving, and the joy and exuberance they showed really warmed my heart. Kudos to the staff for making this place so educational and fun!See more..
Whooping Cranes have been brought back from the brink of extinction. To see these magnificent birds riding the updrafts and flying free is beyond amazing. Going to Necedah is like going to church - it is truly spiritual and should be on every bird nerd's list.See more..
5.0North Lakeland Discovery Center(40 reviews) - Great place for all ages Saturday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
The North Lakeland Discovery Center is your connection to the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Nestled on 63-acres within the NH-AL State Forest the Discovery Center offers countless opportunities to explore the Northwoods. With our twelve miles of hiking, biking, groomed skiing, and snowshoe trails you can wander through large pine and maple forests, see bogs and lakes and even get stunning views of the beautiful Manitowish River.We have a Nature Nook where your entire family can touch, feel and experience many of the amazing resources of the area. Other drop-in activities include kayaking, canoeing and fishing on pristine Statehouse Lake. And with naturalists on staff, our programs offer learning adventures for adults, family and children. Visit our website for more details!See more..
4.5Heckrodt Wetland Reserve(40 reviews) - Relaxing, quiet, nature reserve Saturday: 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
We happened upon Heckrodt Wetland Reserve when we had an hour to kill in Appleton. We took the green trail which is a mile loop. It had so much to offer! Very easy, flat, groomed trail with wide boardwalks over the wetlands. We saw a lot of birds, squirrel, and deer. There was a big playground as well. It was definitely worth stopping!See more..
4.5Crex Meadows Wildlife Area(38 reviews) - Sandhill crane fall migration at Crex Saturday: Nature & Wildlife Areas
Each fall, thousands of Sandhill Crane gather at Crex Meadows before heading south to Georgia and Florida for the winter. They roost in the protected refuge in the evening and in the morning head out enmass to the farm fields surrounding Crex. It's a fantastic sight at sunrise to see them rise and fly off. Even better, in late October and November, sunrise isn't until after 7 AM. The sights and sounds of some many large birds taking wing is a treat for the entire family. A modern visitors center provides maps and information on the wildlife refuge.See more..
I have asked many people in Madison if they know of this place. Most do not. Devil's Lake? - some will ask. This is an "amphitheater" in the sandstone, typical of the Driftless Area - where the stream carves out a roundish depression in the soft rock. This one by far is the biggest that I am aware of. If you're traveling between Minneapolis and Madison - this is a worthy stop to enjoy the best from the nature.See more..
B&H Trout Fishing and Bait Shop has been established in 1950 and is one of the oldest attractions in Wisconsin Dells. We are conveniently located 3640 State HWY 13. According to our customers, B&H is the best place to fish in Wisconsin Dells! Just bring your family or friends and enjoy the thrill of catching beautiful high quality rainbow, brook and brown trout in spring fed water. B&H is a perfect place to relax and enjoy nature, great fun for all ages. You are guaranteed to catch fish! Choose from 2 ponds with small and big trout. We provide free fishing equipment and free bait and tackle. We can freeze and store yours catch, large picnic area, perfect for family and friends reunions and parties. Bait Shop open from 6am until Dusk. "Trout Fishing hours are from 8am till 6pm, except for adverse weather (especially in Fall, Winter and Spring). To make sure we are open for fishing, please call ahead!"See more..
Great place for hiking. Lots of trails/hills to choose from. Variety of wildlife. Look out tower offers amazing views! It’s my favorite spot for hiking. See more..
5.0Schmeeckle Reserve(29 reviews) - Very nice place for a visit Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails
Schmeeckle Reserve is an ideal place for hiking, jogging, biking, canoeing, fishing, wildlife watching, or just relaxing. With over 5 miles of trails and boardwalks, a pristine 24-acre lake, a diversity of wildlife species, and a full-service visitor center and gift shop, the Reserve has something for everyone.See more..
4.5Baraboo Bluffs(27 reviews) - What a Great Way to Drive into the Dells-Baraboo Area. Nature & Wildlife Areas • Geologic Formations
The Bluffs seen from Highway C is quite a view. One of the best thing about Wisconsin is that you can see so many types of landscapes. The Old Baraboo Range is not the Rockies but thes mountains were high enough to peak out over thousands of feet of glacial till. The Devil's Lake State Park is a good place to get a closer look at these ancient mountains. If you just go into the Dells from I94, you are missing a lot. See more..
Largest fresh water marsh in the continental US. It is clean, free of trash and offers a drive tour and trails. The floating boardwalk offers a glimpse into the marsh while offering up close viewing of wildlife without disturbing their natural home. We saw several Virginia Rail with tiny chicks, Bittern, Female and immature Yellow Headed Blackbirds (sadly no adult males), Black Tern among the highlights of the board walk. The East end of Old Marsh Road offers an easy walk through woods and then marsh. We saw dozens of species along the walk which led us to a special treat of seeing 2 Whooping Cranes!!!! This is a must see spot if you have any interest in nature and the natural environment.See more..
4.5MacKenzie Center(26 reviews) - A gem Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails
Beautiful park, that has a lot to offer. It’s very big and very well kept. It’s work and contribution is remarkable. We visited for a mini picnic in nature and it was very enjoyable. Worth planning a visit to be there for the day! Definitely coming back for a hike. See more..
4.5Woodland Dunes Nature Center(24 reviews) - Woodland nature center Saturday: Nature & Wildlife Areas • Educational sites
Visitors building has restrooms and meeting room. Nice butterfly garden. Has a wooden observation "tower" for viewing the area. Wooden walkways around the marshy area with information on the wildlife in the area make it easy to hike the area.See more..
Lakehsore Preserve consists of several parcels, strung along the lake Mendota beginning downtown Madison and going just past Eagle Heights housing. Parcels include famous Picnic Point, and also Raymer's Cove, Eagle Heights Woods, Howard Temin Lakeshore Path and others. It has numerous Native American Mounds on its lands, abundant waterfowl sheltering in its bays, and other wildlife. Parking used to be free, but unfortunately they managed to install parking meters in the formerly rustic parking lot, but that's the sole downside (only for some folks).See more..
4.0Virmond Park(22 reviews) - Lovely unknown park in Mequon Spent 1-2 hours State Parks • Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails
Virmond park is a lovely, unknown park in Mequon. It has a picnic shelter, clean restrooms, a large play area, and beach access. It is on the shore of Lake Michigan.See more..
5.0Ledge View Nature Center(20 reviews) - Love It Saturday: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas • Educational sites
Ledgeview is a treasure. There are many beautiful hiking trails that are wonderful to use year around. Some of the trails are wooded in some are in prairie land. There’s an observation tower that provides a phenomenal view. There are many caves which can be toured as well. We take our dogs walking here regularly See more..
This park is probably good from the standpoint of campers - the area is all about camping and fishing and such. In southwestern Wisconsin's so-called Driftless Area there are no natural lakes - only creek impoundments like this one, so any of the artificially created lakes are prised for recreation and fishing. I am all into hiking though, and photographing and picking mushrooms. This park has few nice trails through the pine and spruce plantations, good for that purpose. However, unlike in some other locations, fee needs to be paid before entering. The park has small nature museum too in the office buidling at the entrance.See more..
This was an interesting hike. It starts out as a prairie hike with some sightings of cactus, which I have never seen in the midwest before. It then starts a gradual uphill with the vegetation increasing and path narrowing. You end up in the woods going uphill until you reach a pretty overlook which looks over a hilly farm land. It was very nice overall. The only complaint I have is that the path was pretty narrow and the actual overlook was very hard to find. The plants were so overgrown and the path continued to the right so I missed it the first time. As we were walking up someone mentioned there was poison ivy, and it made me worried since there were so many plants growing into the path. We were wearing long pants, and didn't have any problems, but it did make me wish the path was wider.See more..
4.5Big Ravine Trail(18 reviews) - A Gem within Gem Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails
I didn't even suspect such an awesome preserve could be hiding literally within city of Bayfield limits. The Big Ravine Preserve actually contains several trails. The ravine itself is very deep and has steep sloes, almost resembling a box canyon in places. There is rich diversity of plant life, and I suspect the animal life is as rich. The place is very cool on a hot summer day, due to the very thick canopy of trees. Bayfield area is known for its nature awesomeness, but this stands out even on that background.See more..
5.0Kishwauketoe Conservancy(16 reviews) - Beautiful in Winter Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas
Had a great hike through the Conservancy on a sunny, snowy winter day. Not crowded and saw lots of bird life. We were puzzled by the apparent snowmobile trail cutting through it, bit fortunately none were there to disrupt our peaceful walkSee more..
5.0Wings Over Alma Nature & Art Center(16 reviews) - Great Vistors Center Saturday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas • Educational sites
The staff is knowledgeable about the all things on the West coast of WI. There are a few local gift items and a lot of tour information along the Wisconsin Great River Hwy 35. This is a good spot to stop and learn about life in Alma See more..
5.0Hunt Hill Audubon Sanctuary(14 reviews) - Hidden Gem in the Woods Saturday: Spent 2-3 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas
Hunt Hill Audubon Sanctuary is a nonprofit nature preserve and learning center, open to all, dedicated to fostering understanding, appreciation and protection of the environment. The sanctuary protects nearly 600 acres of land and has over ten miles of trails open to the public. Hunt Hill offers a wide variety of nature-related programs for all ages. There is also a small nature playscape for families to enjoy, located behind the farmhouse office.See more..
4.5Goodman Park(13 reviews) - Beautiful Park Spent 2-3 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Parks • Waterfalls
We just moved to the area, and had to scope out Goodman Park to see if it would be a good weekend day trip. It's wonderful. There's a small playground area for younger kids, walking trails, a little fire pit pavilion. We have gone several times since our first trip and I plan on making many more trips this upcoming summer. See more..
4.0Merrick State Park(13 reviews) - Camping Delight Spent More than 3 hours State Parks • Nature & Wildlife Areas
My husband and I were hosts there for two years. This is an excellent park. We enjoyed meeting all the people that came in as campers. Chris is an outstanding ranger and manager. Very clean park well kept park. Fishing is excellent. Fish off shore and get as many fish as those in a boat. Yes the trains go through a lot. You just kind of get used to it. Fountain City has excellent restaurants lot of places to go wine tasting. There is a new place up on highway 95 that has some amazing food., So many places to go sightseeing. Going to Alma and go up to Bueno Vista Overlook. It is beautiful.. There are two many things to list on here for places to go and things to doSee more..
This is a favorite place of ours which is very close to where we reside! They manage to keep this place as pristine as one can expect to observe in a natural setting. They have craft events here and other workshops of which many people in this area support and attend. One can easily meditate and reduce a considerable amount of stress, simply by showing up and walking about in silent obsservation! WOW The workmanship of the perfect landscape...See more..
5.0Riveredge Nature Center(10 reviews) - Fishing birthday party with kids ages 3 to 9 Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails
We had the most totally excellent time here at Riveredge for this fishing birthday party. Stu was our guide and he was wonderful, very knowledgeable and great with the kids. He also provided all of the fishing equipment and bait, put on the bait and helped us remove fish from the pole. We did catch and release and everyone caught at least one fish. We caught 7 different kinds of fish, large mouth bass, bluegills, catfish. One of the fish was quite large. We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The nature center is beautiful and we were able to see the fish being caught as the water is so clean. This was a very special event for us as our grandchildren were visiting here from Boston and Denver. Thanks for a very fun event!See more..
This campground is amazing. It is part of the Northern Highlands American Legion State Forest in northern Wisconsin. It has 48 sites with double sites, tent walk in only and RV sites. Many are right on the lake front. There are 3 hand pumps for water and 3 toilet facilities. The beach is beautiful and the nature trail is a wonderful walking and hiking experience. The Boulder Junction Bike Trail connects to this campground for lots of wooded biking on paved trails.See more..
5.0Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve(9 reviews) - Well maintained trails with accessibility Spent 2-3 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas
Barkhausen offers a variety of trail lengths and a small nature center. There is a pond near the nature center where you can catch frogs with provided nets. It is generally peaceful and quiet there.See more..
4.5Genoa National Fish Hatchery(9 reviews) - Took part in their new Interpretive center opening. Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas
Visitors can expect to see up to 13 species of fish that are reared on site and a number of mussel species that are common to the upper Mississippi River basin. A 1,500 gallon aquarium of fish commonly found in the upper Mississippi River is also on display in our Visitor Center on the east side of the highway. The Great River Road Interpretive Center, open since 2018, contains many natural history and local history exhibits and is a must see for the Great River Road traveler.See more..
5.0Ferry Bluff State Natural Area(9 reviews) - Short, steep hike up the bluff grants wonderful view of the Wisconsin River Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas
Ferry Bluff is a gem many times overlooked by tourists in the area of Sauk City due to lack of information. After a short and not too difficult hike (0.8 mile) through a beautiful forest it offers a breathtaking view of Wisconsin river. I am a tourist who visited recently this place but could not find information I needed on TripAdvisor. I recommend including this attraction in the listing.See more..
5.0Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest(8 reviews) - Takes you back in time Clean beautiful Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails • Forests
Takes you back intimate clean beautiful Long stretches of quiet little traffic and some trails to find. Lots of lakes spread throughoutSee more..
