High Cliff State Park
High Cliff State Park things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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High Cliff State Park is 1,100+ acres of beauty that lie on the northeastern shore of Lake Winnebago. The park features many nooks and crannies along the shoreline that present great swimming opportunities in the summertime. There's roughly 16 total miles of trails throughout the park with the long loop of the Lime Kiln Trail (pictured) being the most challenging but possibly the most rewarding. The trail begins at the abandoned Lime Kiln which is a sight to see. From there, you begin to enter the forest which grows more and more dense the further you get in. The first half of the loop provides thick forest on your left and the lakeshore to your left. It's a beautiful experience to be in the forest but to also hear the waves crashing no more than 50 feet away. While the sights on the Lime Kiln Trail are exceptional, the sounds take the experience one step further to total serenity. Eventually you'll reach a turning point in the loop where you turn your back to the lake and begin climbing. This section could be considered moderate in difficulty. The trees are absolutely massive in this area (pictured but doesn't do it justice). From there, you turn left again and that's where you'll have the opportunity to see the Niagara Escarpment before the trail makes it way downhill and back to the lakeside portion, closing the loop. I was here in July and the bugs were not bad. There is a General Store Museum that is open in the afternoons on Saturdays in the summertime. High Cliff State Park has both family camping and group camping available. The campground area is somewhat pushed off in a separate area than most of the park. This keeps the area quiet. The campground is clean and well-maintained. There is a 40-foot tall observation tower at the top of the escarpment that is definitely worth the climb and provide panoramic views of northern Lake Winnebago and the northern lakeshore. The marina at High Cliff State Park offers more than 100 slips available for rent. Winter boat storage is available as well as basics like on-site gas and power to each slip. All in all, this is a great place to spend a day (or a few days, if camping). With skiing trails available, it's also a park that is truly a year round playground.
J RJ R
00
It is a standad state park on the shores of Lake Winnebago. We were actually pretty bored with our 6, 8, and 10 year old after a few hours. I think the issue was that during the summer, there's too much cover from trees and overgrown invasive vegetation to see much of the rock formations or the views of the lake from the Lime Kiln trail. Also, there's really no lake access outside of the marina and the beach, which is just a patch of grass on the lake and had a warning against algae, like all Lake Winnebago beaches do this time of year. The trails that are shown on the lake's edge are almost 40 feet higher on a ledge; several of the other trails through the established natural area are not easily reached without a hike of several miles first. Those didn't look like they were by the lake either, but perhaps they had better views of the lake, forest or wildlife. The lime kiln trail was too long for our inexperienced hiking family, so we just at went far enough to see the creek flowing down the hillside. The mound trail was an easy hike and showed very limited, but better views of the lake and natural limestone formations in the summer; the mounds were interesting and the forest surrounding them was quite nice. The butterfly pond trail was quite popular, as it was paved and accessible; there were many seniors and those in wheelchairs using it. It has tons of wildlife and native flowers. We drove through the campground, which was standard, although they had a separate area for group camping that would be fantastic for scouts. They were in a totally different area than the beach/marina/tower areas and you'd need bikes or a car to get around if staying. The observation tower and nearby playground were nice, but only good for 15-20 minutes of fun. Like many parks, they either lack the budget/staffing or refuse to trim the trees, so the entire upper level/overlook area views are invisible except from the top of the tower. There were stone steps that descended into a natural crack in the stone that would have been fun to explore but they were fenced off and not entirely safe (no handrails, etc.) It would be a great feature to make a few improvements and open that area. They had huge shelters for rent throughout the park for parties. I think my biggest complaint is that the whole thing was build on an old lime processing plant, which was expanded into a quarry later; the campground and other parts of the park were clearly farmland. That means there's almost no trees older than 60 years old; the lime kiln ruins even say that they clearcut the trees to run the furnaces; those operations ceased in 1957. The mound trail says the quarry destroyed most of the mounds on site and a huge portion of the upper park remains paved from the use as a quarry-unsure when it stopped being a quarry, but it seems as if it was only a few decades ago. I like to see undisturbed nature when I go to parks like this and the footprint of human industry is still very prevelent in the entire park and not in an interesting way. Its good for a casual afternoon trip, and may be more interesting in the early spring or fall/winter, but would have been miserable if it would have been a hot summer day.
Bridget Van LaanenBridget Van Laanen
10
Great place to visit, will not camp here again.. if you don't mind your entire campsite being overrun with racoons, not being able to safely make it to the bathroom and the water spigot being a car ride away, you might be good.. I liked the camp spot itself, but there wasn't much privacy. Lights have been deactivated at night to reduce bug activity, so you are encouraged to bring a flash light. If you don't have one, your out of luck. The toilets are pits, as most are.. but there are so many bugs, you won't want to use the ones near your campsite. Lake Winnebago is beautiful but dirty this year. The beach hasn't been cleaned and there is a ton of debris.. there are hardly any signs to guide you on the trails, barely anything to show you just how amazing this place is. Check out the Indian mound trail for bluffs and quarry history. Again, it's self guided with barely any information available. The trails Are VERY poorly marked in some spots. Use caution! They are beautiful though. There is a "general store" they have closed indefinitely for "structural issues" the signage that is all over the park and the country club is old and dilapidated. The observation tower is beautiful as can be and safe! Be careful where you park, because some of the brush is covering handicapped signs. We almost parked in one by mistake. They are big on park security here.. I saw the preservation wardens truck as well as county sheriff's several times.. Yet they have a massive raccoon problem. They also don't do anything about loud parties and noise late into the evening. I'll be back to visit, but not to camp.
BenjaminBenjamin
130
Made the 90 minute drive from home during a rare kid free weekend. This park pretty much has it all: tons of hiking from challenging for very fit people, to gentle walks, lots of playgrounds for kids, beaches for swimming (with showers), clean restrooms, plentiful parking, observation towers, history, and geography. It was an awesome way to spend an afternoon. We started with the Lime Kiln trail. Approximately a 2 mile hike that is flat and easy if you stay on the lower portion near the water, and turns into something very challenging but spectacular if you take the upper at the base of the Niagara Escarpment. I love running the ice age trail, and this was challenging but well worth it. The face of the escarpment was majestic and something to behold. From here we walked up the trail to the observation tower. It was a paved path, maybe a third of a mile long but up a moderate slope. The climb was worth it, the observation tower was maybe 50' tall, on top of the escarpment which affords tremendous views of the neighboring landscape and Lake Winnebago. Lastly we took a drive up to the Indian Mound trails for a gentle walk. It was a bit underwhelming, but offered new landscape and beautiful views. We probably only saw about a fifth of what the park has to offer. There were many more hiking trails and amenities we didn't get a chance to experience. We'll eventually be back next time we have a full day to kill.
Dan KDan K
30
This smaller state park is a very beautiful place to hike and camp, there is a small beach here but it is quite rocky and woody. You can go out in the water quite a ways before it gets deep so it's a nice place for the kids to play. They have several miles of hiking trails that are very beautiful and the park is also quite stunning in the winter also. The park has an observation tower that is 40ft tall and is quite fun to get to the top and take pictures. Also if you climb to the top on a clear night looking up at the stars is absolutely stunning. If you are looking for a nice day of hiking, some sunbathing and/or swimming, or a weekend of camping, High Cliff State Park is the place for you for sure. They also have this trick or treating Halloween event, usually a couple weeks before Halloween, and the campers come every year and they go all out decorating their campsites and it is absolutely awesome. Our family has made it a yearly trip now because it is so cool. I would highly recommend it to anyone, you don't even necessarily have to have kids either, alot of the campers usually offer "adult trick or treating" that usually encompasses homemade shots, home brewed beer, Jello shots, etc... It is just a blast for the entire family.
Dave OldsDave Olds
00
Had a family reunion here. Very nice view of the lake. I wish there was a closer bathroom for the pines shelter. We had to drive to the restrooms in another pavilion for my great grandfather and carry him through the grass because it was uneven from mowers mowing in the mud. There playground has tiny rocks which are nice and cheap but my 3 year old wanted to put them in her nose. And there is a lot of weeds that have thorns in the gross. Crab grass? Well the spikey ones and I was wearing sandals walking a several yards to the restrooms and was getting poked and scratched by the spikey leaves on this plant. There was hardly any litter. Lots of big scary spiders in the pavilion along with a bee nest so if you're really in touch with nature and like all these things you've found your destination. There is also plenty of feathers for your children to chase around so bring your hand sanitizers.
Christina CurrieChristina Currie
00
Nearby Restaurants Of High Cliff State Park
Papa B's Pizza & Barbecue

Papa B's Pizza & Barbecue
5.0
(52)Click for details
Basic Info
Address
N7630 State Park Rd, Sherwood, WI 54169
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Phone
(920) 989-1106
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Website
dnr.wisconsin.gov
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4.7
(1.4K reviews)
Ratings & Description
outdoor
adventure
family friendly
pet friendly
Description
High Cliff State Park is a 1,187-acre Wisconsin state park near Sherwood, Wisconsin. It is the only state-owned recreation area located on Lake Winnebago.
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