Much loved and underfunded, Wisconsin State Parks celebrates 125 years Revenue sharing and volunteers
I and some nephews were at Burnett Island state Park last weekend. Caught a few fish for supper back of the campground. But water to cold yet for swimming-
Saw a mama deer and her spotted baby.
Much loved and underfunded, Wisconsin State Parks celebrates 125 years
Revenue sharing and volunteers manage to keep the 50 state parks open
https://www.wpr.org/news/loved-underfunded-wisconsin-state-parks-125-year-anniversary
By Joel Patenaude May 19, 2025
The sunrise reflects on the water as small waves lap up on the shore.
The sun rises over Lake Michigan at Kohler-Andrae State Park on Sunday, July 23, 2023, in Sheboygan, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
In 1900, Wisconsin created the first state park in the United States. From the rocky bluffs of Interstate State Park in northwest Polk County, visitors can still look down on the St. Croix River and see it as it appeared 125 years ago.
The Wisconsin State Park System started with the establishment of Interstate Park — “developed even before there was anything in the government to maintain them,” Jim Buchholz, a retired Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources park ranger and supervisor, said on WPR’s “The Larry Meiller Show.”
The Dalles of the St. Croix River remain “one of the least developed wild rivers in the country,” Buchholz wrote in his 2024 book, “Wisconsin State Parks, Forests, and Recreation Areas: A Ranger’s Guide.”
On the northwest side of the river, Minnesota independently operates its own Interstate State Park. But Matthew Densow, the supervisor of Wisconsin’s 1,300-acre Interstate State Park (which includes 82 campsites and a swimming beach) said, “We’re the bigger, better side.”...................