Music in the Park

Ryan Meisel

June 29 7PM

Blending his background in jazz with the sounds of indigenous music from around the globe, Ryan's music honors his deep spiritual connection to the earth and nature while providing a context for his personal expression through organic sound. Ryan performs live saxophones, Native flutes, indigenous woodwinds, whistles, and electronic wind instruments, to his pre-recorded accompaniment of drums, shakers, bells, rattles, world percussion and electronics. Ryan's show is thought provoking, energetic, and accessible to all ages.

Music in the Park

Steve Lankford

June 15 7 PM

Steve’s music is a combination of some of that Bluegrass style mixed with many popular, old style Country tunes, Merle Haggard. Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, as well as some 70s type singer/songwriters like John Prine, Jim Croce, John Denver, James Taylor, and of course, Gordon Lightfoot, my personal favorite. There might even be a little fancy guitar picking thrown in as well. Hopefully, there will be something for everyone. Looking forward to a fun time.

Bird Hike

June 8th 7AM

Join local birder Kelly Rueckheim for a morning of birding. If you just want to learn about birding or if you’re looking to add a few birds to your life list, you are welcome to join us. All skill levels are welcome to attend. We will be looking for a variety of birds that breed in the area. Bring your binoculars. See you there.

Meet at the Ice Cave Lot

Learn to Fly Fish Session 2:

LEARN TO FLY FISH SESSION 1: TIE ONE UP

Universe in the Park:

Bring along friends and family to join park staff and the Friends of Wildcat Mountain State Park for this fun annual stewardship event and celebration of Earth Month.

Participate in individual and family friendly activities that help enhance Wildcat Mountain State Park.

Activities may include tree planting, campground and trail clean up, invasive species removal, picnic table maintenance and litter clean-up. Bring sturdy footwear, and some work gloves. Refreshments

will be provided by the Friends of Wildcat Mountain State Park.

After volunteering, we encourage you to stay and recreate in the park for the afternoon!

Hike, snowshoe, or ski a 1.5 mile torchlit trail, warm up around a roaring campfire, and gaze up at the stars. Refreshments will be available courtesy of the Ontario Community Club. John Heasley of Driftless Stargazing, LLC will be hosting a stargazing activity, weather permitting. Bring binoculars and learn to use them for stargazing. Programs may be canceled due to inclement weather. A park pass is required and they will be available for purchase that evening at the entrance station.

****UPDATE**** The Guided Hike event tonight will still happen but without moon and stargazing due to the forecast for completely overcast skies. Temperatures will be chilly (36 degrees) with a 50% chance of snow showers so be prepared for those conditions. The trail will likely be slippery in places.

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Meet at Park Amphitheater

Enjoy Wildcat under the full moon by joining this guided hike along the Starlight Trail. The hike will be about 1.5 miles along mostly level trails with some uneven terrain. There will be opportunities for star and moon gazing before, during, and after the hike. Sturdy shoes are recommended.

If it is clear, we plan to hike without external lighting using all our senses and the moon to guide our way so we can fully enjoy the park at night.

A park admission sticker is required to enter the park.

This invasive tree has taken over many natural areas in Wisconsin. Help us stomp it out at Wildcat before it can spread through our woodlands. This is an ideal time of year to spot it, as well as invasive honeysuckle, since they both keep their leaves longer than native trees and shrubs.

Meet at the Lower Picnic Area Shelter (canoe launch). Wear sturdy footwear and bring drinking water and gloves. No experience or expertise is needed, just a willingness to make a difference!

A state park admission sticker is required for vehicles entering the park.

Time 8:00 am to 10:00 pm

Events will be occurring park wide. Park admission is free for the day!

Here is the schedule in text form so you can copy/paste into your calendars. See you there!

Wildcat Mountain 75th Anniversary Celebration

Saturday, September 16th

8 am to 10 pm

8:00 am Birding Hike

8:00 am Registration for 5K fun trail run/walk

9:00 am 5K fun trail run/walk starts.

10:00 am Cheyenne Settler’s Heritage Program

10:00 am – 5:00 pm Naturalist Programs

Nature Journaling, All About Bobcats, Find Out about Fish, Backpacking Basics

11:00 am – 1:00 pm Meet a Horse in the Park

11:00 am – 2:00 pm Horse Drawn Wagon Rides

12:00 pm Picnic in the Park

1:00 – 2:00 pm 75th Anniversary Celebration - Speakers, Cake and Refreshments

1:00 – 5:00 pm Kids Activities

Pumpkin carving, Outdoor Games, Arts & Crafts

3:00-5:00 pm Music on the Mountain

Maggie Mae, Eric Nofsinger, and Tor

5:00 pm Picnic in the Park

5:00 – 7:00 pm Songs at Sunset

Steve Lankford

6:30 – 10 pm Star Party

Family Friendly Night Sky Intro, Moon Phases, Sunset and Moonset Viewing, Binocular and Telescope Astronomy, Star Stories and Guided Constellation Tour

7:00 – 10:00 pm Jack O’ Lantern Jaunt Night Walk

Time TBD

Location: Group Camp

 Join the Northwest Suburban Astronomers to view the sun.  Look through special telescope lenses to get a glimpse of the sun’s surface.

A park admission sticker is required to enter the park.

Northwestern Suburban Astronomers Eclipse Presentation

Learn about different types of solar eclipses. This fascinating experience is not to be missed! See an annular solar eclipse on October 14, 2023, and a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024

Continue your journey at our star party using telescopes to personally experience the wonders of space and see first-hand how the universe is connected to you: Start your journey at neighboring planets and end at distant galaxies. Be introduced to a wide range of galactic wonders, from the rings of Saturn to colliding Galaxies!

Gather fun facts and greater perspective. Meet at the Amphitheater.

A park admission sticker is required for vehicles entering the park.

Learn some special techniques to improve a wet section of the Orange multi-use trail which help prevent horses from sinking into the mud and hikers from getting wet feet as they travel through this challenging area. If time allows, work will also be done to improve the single-track portions of the trail. Please note, the scope of this project may change if conditions are wet.

Location: Blue Trail Billings Creek Bridge (horse trail) on CTY HWY F, look for the sign.

Bring: Sturdy footwear, drinking water, and leather gloves. You can bring your preferred shovel or garden tool, but special trail equipment will be provided for use.

No experience or expertise is needed, just a willingness to make a difference!

Photo Credit: Glenn Sanderson

Location: Lower Picnic Area

Join Chris and Laura Zahm for an exploration the unique geology of Wildcat and the Driftless area.

A park admission sticker is required to enter the park.

Workshop starts at 5:30 p.m. Show at 7:00 p.m.

Location: Amphitheater

Join Summit Players Theater Company for a workshop and mini performance of Macbeth for free this summer at Wildcat. The workshops are specifically designed for children ages 8 and up, but younger children and "fun adults" can still have plenty of fun and learn things they never knew about Shakespeare! The workshops are about practical skills and "learning by doing" - even adult members of our audience can embrace their inner child by playing Shakespeare's characters and experimenting with his text. The workshop will be followed by a fast paced, energetic adaptation of the Shakespeare’s classic drama Macbeth. Three witches visit brave warrior Macbeth with a vision of the future: he will be crowned king of Scotland. Determined to do whatever it takes to make this prophecy come true, he embarks on a ruthless quest for power. A web of secrets, trickery and danger entangles Macbeth, his wife Lady Macbeth, his rival Macduff and countless others as he claws his way to the top. Six actors play all the parts in this spooky, all-ages play.

A park admission sticker is required to enter the park.

Help us find and eradicate a recent nonnative invader in the park, Japanese abrberry. This thorny little shrub can take over the understory and shade out our beautiful native plants and shrubs. In this work day, we will take a hike to areas where this invader has started to take over and will work together to remove it before the berries have a chance to ripen and spread further.

Meet at the amphitheater parking area. Please wear long pants and sturdy footwear, and bring drinking water and leather gloves. No experience or expertise is needed, just a willingness to make a difference!

A state park admission sticker is required for all vehicles entering the park.

Jeff Moorhouse from the La Crosse Area Astronomical Society will be presenting an astronomy program. Telescopes will be available for viewing. Meet at the Amphitheater.

A state park admission sticker is required for all vehicles entering the park.

Terry Visger is a professional storyteller who weaves stories for all ages. With her high energy performances, Terry engages her listeners, educates and takes them on a journey of the imagination.

Join Terry around the campfire as she tells folktales and scary stories. This event is sponsored by Friends of Wildcat Mountain State Park.

Vehicle admission sticker is required.

Location: Amphitheater

Join musician, Ryan Meisel, as he performs music from his new album “Wandering Spirit”- original compositions performed to field recording soundscapes of his favorite Midwest nature areas.

Ryan's music honors his deep spiritual connection to the earth and nature while providing a context for his personal expression through organic sound. Ryan performs live saxophones, Native flutes, indigenous woodwinds, whistles and electronic wind instruments.

This event is sponsored by Friends of Wildcat Mountain State Park.

Vehicle admission is required.

Location: Amphitheater

Location: Meet at the Ice Cave parking lot

Join local birder Kelly Rueckheim for a morning of birding. If you just want to learn about birding or if you’re looking to add a few birds to your life list, you are welcome to join us. All skill levels are welcome to attend. We will be looking for a variety of birds that breed in the area. Bring binoculars if you have them. See you there!

Join Abbey Krumrie from River Valley Raptors for an interactive program about raptors. Meet some live raptors and learn about the differences between their adaptations.

Please, no pets, because they may scare the raptors. This event is sponsored by Friends of Wildcat Mountain State Park. Park admission sticker is required for vehicles entering the park.

Location: Amphitheater

Photo Credit: Herbert Lange

Warning! If you have never gone fly fishing before, you may find these workshops to be life-changing! Retired Wisconsin State Park Naturalist John Carrier first picked up a fly rod in 1978 and has been hooked ever since. John builds and repairs rods, ties his own flies, and fishes every chance he gets. A few years ago, he fished 300 days out of the year!

1. This program is rain or shine. We begin with a one-hour intro to equipment, followed by “ground school,” where you’ll learn the art of casting.

In the event of rain, we’ll substitute ground school with a hands-on workshop in tying flies.

2. The final segment will be a demonstration of fishing in Billings Creek and your opportunity to borrow a rod and give it a try. If you have your own waders, bring ‘em. If not, be prepared to get wet and cold! Wear a hat and polarized sunglasses if you have them.

Segment 1:

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the lower picnic shelter

Segment 2:

2 hours, late afternoon, the presenter will announce the start time of segment 2. Location for segment 2 will be CTY HWY f Old Billings Creek Bridge on Blue Horse Trail (turn Norh/left on CTY HWY F from ST HWY 33)

A park admission sticker is required for vehicles entering the park.

Photo credit: iStock/petrenkod

Come celebrate National Trails Day and work alongside park staff and other volunteers to improve a section of park trail by clearing encroaching brush and cutting and treating invasive species along the Old Settlers Trail.

Meet at the amphitheater parking lot. Please bring sturdy footwear, drinking water, and leather gloves. Equipment will be provided for use. No experience or expertise is needed, just a willingness to make a difference!

A park admission sticker is required for vehicles entering the park.

University of Wisconsin-Madison students will present an astronomy program. A telescope will be available for viewing the night sky. Meet at the Amphitheater.

A park admission sticker is required for vehicles entering the park.

Learn some basic theories of trail building and maintenance as you work alongside park staff and other volunteers to improve a section of the Hemlock Natural Trail. Please RSVP the Friends of Wildcat Mountain State Park by sending an email to: friendsofwildcatmountain@gmail.com

Meet at the lower picnic area kiosk (canoe launch). Please bring sturdy footwear, drinking water, a sack lunch (if staying all day) and leather gloves. You can bring your preferred shovel or garden tool, but special trail equipment will be provided for use. No experience or expertise is needed, just a willingness to make a difference! Note: no cell service at meeting location. Check the Friends Facebook page or Friends website if raining to see if the event is cancelled.

Where: Wildcat Mountain State Park/Mt. Pisgah Hemlock Hardwoods State Natural Area, Hemlock Trailhead

When: 9 am to 3 pm. You do not need to come for the full time, but if you are not there at 9 am, you may have to look for us along the return trail route (This is a "lollipop trail", we will be working on the East half of the loop, on the left side beyond the trail junction.)

What: A section of the Hemlock Trail that has been closed due to prior damage is being rerouted. Come out and help us as we rescue native plants from the new trail route and transplant them to revegetate the abandoned section of trail. You will also have the opportunity to learn some new skills as a professional trail contractor leads volunteers in establishing the new trail and taking steps to permanently abandon the old route. No experience or expertise is needed, just a willingness to make a difference!

Wear long pants and sturdy shoes as we will be working on significant slopes. Bring a water bottle, work gloves and, if you have them, hand trowels and a large pail. Bring a sack lunch if you plan to spend the entire day. There are bathrooms, water and a picnic area on site.

Please note cell service is unreliable in this area. Feel free to RSVP in advance to the park office at 608-337-4775 or the Friends of Wildcat Mountain at friendsofwildcatmountain@gmail.com especially if you would like more details on getting to the work site.

Check the Friends FB page or website at FriendsofWildcatMountain.org for updates if the weather is uncertain.

Where: Wildcat Mountain State Park/Mt. Pisgah Hemlock Hardwoods State Natural Area, Hemlock Trailhead

When: 9 am to 3 pm. You do not need to come for the full time, but if you are not there at 9 am, you may have to look for us along the return trail route (This is a "lollipop trail", we will be working on the East half of the loop, on the left side beyond the trail junction.)

What: A section of the Hemlock Trail that has been closed due to prior damage is being rerouted. Come out and help us as we rescue native plants from the new trail route and transplant them to revegetate the abandoned section of trail. You will also have the opportunity to learn some new skills as a professional trail contractor leads volunteers in establishing the new trail and taking steps to permanently abandon the old route. No experience or expertise is needed, just a willingness to make a difference!

Wear long pants and sturdy shoes as we will be working on significant slopes. Bring a water bottle, work gloves and, if you have them, hand trowels and a large pail. Bring a sack lunch if you plan to spend the entire day. There are bathrooms, water and a picnic area on site.

Please note cell service is unreliable in this area. Feel free to RSVP in advance to the park office at 608-337-4775 or the Friends of Wildcat Mountain at friendsofwildcatmountain@gmail.com especially if you would like more details on getting to the work site.