34-602: Peninsula State Park is a 3,776-acre (1,528 ha) Wisconsin state park with eight miles (13 km) of Green Bay shoreline in Door County . Peninsula is the third largest state park in Wisconsin and is visited by an estimated one million visitors annually. In May 1908, members of the Wisconsin State Park Board visited Door County to look for an area to develop a state park. Town chairmen in
68-448: A donation is required to tour the lighthouse. The White Cedar Nature Center features a display of mounted animals, as well as historic photos and artifacts, and a large diorama of the park. The building was constructed in 1939 as a winter warming house for the nearby ski jump and toboggan run, both abandoned in the 1940s. The nature center offers education programs including hikes, campfire talks and nature crafts year-round. Eagle Tower
102-569: A result of disrepair. A new tower was constructed. It features a handicap accessible ramp from the bluff and at 60-foot (18 m) high it is somewhat shorter than the original tower. Hjalmar Holand 's lot line ran 200 feet west of where Eagle Tower is today. In 1911 he moved and the area was added to the park. Northern Sky Theater (Formerly American Folklore Theatre) is located within Peninsula State Park. Original musical comedies are performed Monday through Saturday nights during
136-400: A six-hole golf course, functioning with “sand and oil” greens during its first ten years. By 1926, three more holes had been developed, one of which was the 65-yard, over the bluff, par three that has been the signature hole ever since. During the next few years, the final nine were constructed, and by 1931 an 18-hole golf course measuring 5,000 yards was ready to play. In the 1960s, the course
170-496: A state park. In 1899, the legislature approved the purchase of Interstate State Park and it was established on September 20, 1900. Architect John Nolen was hired in 1907 to draft a feasibility plan for a Wisconsin State Parks System and State Parks for Wisconsin was released later that year. The report was the guideline used to set up the state park system. It recommended the creation of four state parks: Dells of
204-469: Is divided into two parts, North and South. The Nicolet Bay camping area has one-hundred and eighty-eight campsites sites, thirty-three of which have electricity. There are shower/flush toilet buildings throughout the campground. The park's sandy swimming beach—popular with campers and very crowded during warm summer days—is located at Nicolet Bay. The Camp Store, Boats and Bikes Rentals, Snack Bar, and boat launch at Nicolet Bay are open seasonally. Tennison Bay
238-402: Is near the park's Fish Creek entrance and has views of downtown Fish Creek. A concrete pier at the tip of Weborg Point is popular with recreational fishermen. The Weborg Point shelter is available for reservations. Welcker's Point is an eighty-one-site non-electric campground located at the northern peninsula of the park. Welcker's is popular among campers with tents and small trailers because of
272-503: Is the largest campground in the park; it has one-hundred and eighty-eight campsites, fifty-six of which are electric. Tennison has two shower/bathroom facilities and three flush toilet facilities (without showers). There is a playground and kayak launch at the north end of the campground. Tennison is the only campground open year-round. Weborg is Peninsula's smallest campground, with twelve electric sites and one shower/toilet building. These sites are popular with RV and trailer campers. Weborg
306-529: The Great Depression . The crews built roads and removed dead wood. Jens Jensen objected to this, and stated that the purpose of such a park was "first of all, a place different from the man made world where man may find and enjoy and study the work of the Great Master. It is also, or should be, a natural monument of outstanding character in the landscape." In the summer of 1945, Fish Creek was
340-801: The Ice Age National Scientific Reserve , while the Wyalusing Hardwood Forest in Wyalusing State Park is a National Natural Landmark . Two Wisconsin state parks contain National Historic Landmarks , both of which are Native American archaeological sites: Aztalan and Copper Culture . 15 state parks contain a total of 23 separate listings on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). These are
374-479: The Pottawatomie Lighthouse , Rock Island Historic District, Thordarson Estate Historic District, and a water tower. Wisconsin became the first state to have a state park in 1878 when it formed "The State Park". The park consisted of 760 square miles (2,000 km ) in northern Wisconsin (most of present-day Vilas County ). The state owned 50,631 acres (205 km ), which was less than 10% of
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#1732776786569408-1319: The Seth Peterson Cottage in Mirror Lake State Park , the Raddatz Rockshelter at Natural Bridge State Park , Stonefield partially within Nelson Dewey State Park , Eagle Bluff Lighthouse in Peninsula State Park , the Roche-a-Cri Petroglyphs in Roche-a-Cri State Park , the shot tower in Tower Hill State Park , Whitefish Dunes-Bay View Site in Whitefish Dunes State Park , Wyalusing State Park Mounds Archaeological District in Wyalusing State Park, and four listings in Rock Island State Park :
442-544: The U.S. state of Wisconsin preserved by the state for its natural, historic, or other resources. The state park system in Wisconsin includes both state parks and state recreation areas. Wisconsin currently has 51 state park units, covering more than 60,570 acres (245.1 km ) in state parks and state recreation areas. Each unit was created by an act of the Wisconsin Legislature and is maintained by
476-470: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources , Division of Parks and Recreation. The Division of Forestry manages a further 471,329 acres (1,907.40 km ) in Wisconsin's state forests . Several Wisconsin state parks contain resources that have been recognized on a national level. Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area , Devil's Lake State Park , and Interstate State Park are units of
510-456: The 1919 season, which marked the end of Peninsula's first decade, an estimated twenty-thousand people visited Peninsula. Around this time, Doolittle established Door County Days, a summer picnic with music and sports events attended by thousands. Peninsula was becoming a premier outdoor playground in the Midwest. A Civilian Conservation Corps camp was established at Peninsula State Park during
544-781: The Wisconsin River, Devil's Lake , Door County's Fish Creek (now Peninsula State Park ) and the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers (now Wyalusing State Park ). Three became state parks, and the fourth became Dells Natural Area in 2005. A State Conservation Commission was formed in 1915 by combining the State Park Board, the State Board of Forestry, the Fisheries Commission, and
578-510: The county were asked to come up with possible tracts and prices for the board. Individuals could also advocate where they thought the new park should be. Baileys Harbor and Jacksonport offered the state a tract of over 1,000 acres spanning the shores of Kangaroo Lake and Lake Michigan. Other proposed locations considered by the board members were located at Clarks Lake in Sevastopol, Ellison Bay , Gills Rock , and Europe Bay. Two locations in
612-788: The general public, as well as summer camp, after-school and school group programs. These educational programs teach people about nature conservation as well as the scientific method , biology , and ecology . Some nature centers allow free admission but collect voluntary donations in order to help offset expenses. They usually rely on support from volunteers . Environmental education centers differ from nature centers in that their museum exhibits and education programs are available mostly by appointment, although casual visitors may be allowed to walk on their grounds. Some city, state and national parks have facilities similar to nature centers, such as museum exhibits, dioramas and trails, and some offer park nature education programs, usually presented by
646-399: The heavily wooded nature of the surrounding forest. It is also at the head of many hiking and biking trails (including a path to Nicolet Beach) and has a reservable shelter just outside the campground, which is a popular place for visitors to view bats 30 minutes after sunset during summer evenings. Maps List of Wisconsin state parks A Wisconsin state park is an area of land in
680-514: The island. Sunset Bike Trail is a 5.1-mile (8.2 km) paved/gravel trail that snakes through Peninsula's and hardwoods and marshes. The entire route is 9.5 miles (15.3 km) and takes about one hour to bike and three hours to hike. Sunset Bike Trail provides a safe and scenic alternative to Shore Road for bikers and hikers. Riders are not required to have a Wisconsin State Trail Pass. The non-profit Peninsula Golf Associates operate
714-480: The marsh due to seiche and wind direction. Cedar Swamp is located south of the former sewage lagoon near Tennison Bay. Some standing water remains in the swamp year round. Peninsula State Park has 468 family campsites and three group camp sites. All campgrounds have flush toilet and shower facilities. In 1977, 47 species of birds were counted in the forests and campgrounds of the park, but no more than 26 species were found in any particular habitat type. Nicolet Bay
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#1732776786569748-525: The park grounds. In 2001, tree thinning was started and eventually completed in Tennison Bay. The park celebrated its Centennial in 2009. Considered Wisconsin's most complete park, Peninsula has 468 campsites, three group camps, a summer theater, an 18-hole golf course, sand beach, biking, hiking and ski trails, 150-foot bluffs, a lighthouse and eight miles of Door County shoreline. The park is open year-round but some features may not be accessible outside
782-577: The park's 18-hole Peninsula Golf Course, considered to be one of the most scenic in Wisconsin. What is now the Peninsula Golf Course began in 1913 as two proposed nine-hole courses, one near the Fish Creek park entrance and the other at the present site. Planning and work began slowly since money was tight and water was a problem. After a few years, the Fish Creek site was abandoned. In 1921 The Door County Country Club opened for play as
816-488: The peak season. The Eagle Bluff Light , also known as Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, is a lighthouse located near Fish Creek in Peninsula State Park in Door County, Wisconsin. Construction was authorized in 1866 by President Andrew Johnson , but the lighthouse was not actually built until 1868, at a cost of $ 12,000. It was automated in 1926. The former lighthouse keeper's home has been a museum since 1963. Park admission and
850-476: The possibility of owning summer cottages. The park was originally free and did not charge admission in order to achieve the purpose of keeping visitors' expenses to a minimum, so that toilers would be permitted to share in the pleasure and benefits of outdoor life. With a budget of less than $ 2,000 per year, work on the park proceeded slowly. Early projects included miles of roads, scenic lookouts, campgrounds, two towers, and initial portions of two golf courses. During
884-461: The present-day site near Fish Creek to the board. Peninsula State Park was established in 1909. Land was acquired for an average of $ 20 per acre. The state legislature officially established Peninsula as a state park in 1910, making it the second state park in Wisconsin. The primary purpose of building a state park in the northern part of Door County was to afford a playground and resting place for those whose financial conditions and locations precluded
918-401: The site of a German POW camp , under an affiliation with a base camp at Fort Sheridan, Illinois . The prisoners engaged in construction projects, cut wood, and picked cherries in the park and surrounding area. In 1982, Sunset Bike Trail was surfaced, computers began to be used for reservations, and an irrigation system was installed on the golf course. In 1992 the first deer hunt was held on
952-826: The state Game Warden Department. Nature center A nature center (or nature centre ) is an organization with a visitor center or interpretive center designed to educate people about nature and the environment. Usually in a protected open space , nature centers often have trails through their property. Some are in a state or city park , and some have special gardens or an arboretum . Their properties can be characterized as nature preserves and wildlife sanctuaries. Nature centers generally display small live animals, such as reptiles , rodents , insects , or fish . There are often museum exhibits and displays about natural history , or preserved mounted animals or nature dioramas . Nature centers are staffed by paid or volunteer naturalists and most offer educational programs to
986-544: The summer. Over fifty thousand people attend the musicals each year. Horseshoe Island is part of the park and is the only nearby island owned by the state. Located in Green Bay , the island is accessible by private boat. It has no establishments other than a pit toilet, a hiking trail and the foundations of buildings once occupied by the Folda family in the 1890s. The French explorer Jean Nicolet reportedly landed briefly on
1020-565: The total area. There were few residents in the area. Lumber barons were powerful in the area, and they purchased 2/3 of the state's land at $ 8 per acre. This defeated the purpose of the parks for it didn't save the land from the ax. In 1895, the state legislature created an act which authorized the state governor to examine some land in Polk County at the Dalles of the St. Croix River to become
1054-425: The two previously mentioned National Historic Landmarks, plus Lake Farms Archaeological District at Capital Springs State Recreation Area , Copper Falls State Park , six individual buildings at Heritage Hill State Historical Park ( Baird Law Office , Cotton House , Fort Howard Hospital , Fort Howard Officers' Quarters , Fort Howard Ward Building , and Tank Cottage ), High Cliff Mounds at High Cliff State Park ,
Peninsula State Park - Misplaced Pages Continue
1088-486: The vicinity of Fish Creek were shown to the park board. One tract was south of the community and included the bluffs, and the other was north of the village, on the point between Fish Creek and Ephraim and also included bluffs. In addition to viewing these from the land, the board members were taken on a gasoline-powered boat ride to view the high limestone bluffs from the water. A large number of photographs were taken at various places of unusual beauty. John Nolen recommended
1122-521: Was a 76-foot (23 m) observation tower located atop the 180-foot (55 m) limestone Eagle Bluff. The tower offered views of the park, surrounding islands, and the Michigan shoreline. The most recent tower was built in 1932 to replace the original tower built on Eagle Bluff in 1914. Another tower stood in the park at Sven's Bluff from 1914 to 1947 but was dismantled due to poor condition and never replaced. The Eagle Tower closed September 9, 2015, as
1156-443: Was lengthened and redesigned. In 2013, plans for a 6-hole short course were approved in order to educate new golfers. The short course was completed and opened in 2014. Weborg Marsh is a ten-acre spring-fed marsh along Shore Road in the southwest corner of the park. This area has a muck bottom and abundant aquatic vegetation. Two outlets to Green Bay under Shore Road provide water interchange with Green Bay and varying water depths in
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