2024 April through September Hwy 33 Construction Alert
***ROAD CONSTRUCTION ALERT***
Guardrail replacement. limited grading work and complete highway pavement removal and replacement is underway on Highway 33 between Ontario, WI and Hillsboro. The project is scheduled to be complete by September. The highway will remain open but to local traffic only during construction. Local traffic includes visitors to Wildcat Mountain State Park; however, visitors should expect single lane closures and flagging operations which will likely result in delays in accessing the park.
Wildcat Mountain History Video
Wildcat Mountain History Video
Leading up to the celebration of Wildcat Mountain State Park’s 75th Anniversary on September 16th a new video has been produced documenting some of the key moments and features of the park. Many thanks to Karen Parker and Megan Espe for their efforts in producing this! Check it out on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptkG05r5GOw
Leading up to the celebration of Wildcat Mountain State Park’s 75th Anniversary on September 16th a new video has been produced documenting some of the key moments and features of the park. Many thanks to Karen Parker and Megan Espe for their efforts in producing this! Check it out on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptkG05r5GOw
Hemlock Trail Reroute is Complete
After 6 years of being half closed due to heavy erosion and storm damage the Hemlock trail fully re-opened Friday evening, June 24th as a loop trail. A nearly $12,000 Knowles-Nelson grant matched by the Friends of Wildcat Mountain State Park, great work by the trail contractor Willie Bittner of Great Lake Trailbuilders, and many volunteer hours made this possible. In addition to creating several hundred feet of new trail route to avoid future erosion many areas of the existing route were improved. Most noticeable are the new steps at the base of the trail. Previously heavily eroded log steps made the start of the route very tough. Willie set new stone steps by hand to make the start of the trail a real joy.
The Friends assisted with removal of the old material along the trail route and perhaps most importantly have invested more than 100 hours to date transplanting native vegetation from over 650 linear feet of the new route into the old route. We are keeping it alive by ferrying water in using firefighting backpack sprayers. It’s been successful so far and we ask you to please stay on the new trail route to protect the transplants. Thanks to Dan, Liz, Marla, Scott and Steve for the help!
After 6 years of being half closed due to heavy erosion and storm damage the Hemlock trail fully re-opened Friday evening, June 24th as a loop trail. A nearly $12,000 Knowles-Nelson grant matched by the Friends of Wildcat Mountain State Park, great work by the trail contractor Willie Bittner of Great Lake Trailbuilders, and many volunteer hours made this possible. In addition to creating several hundred feet of new trail route to avoid future erosion many areas of the existing route were improved. Most noticeable are the new steps at the base of the trail. Previously heavily eroded log steps made the start of the route very tough. Willie set new stone steps by hand to make the start of the trail a real joy.
The Friends assisted with removal of the old material along the trail route and perhaps most importantly have invested more than 100 hours to date transplanting native vegetation from over 650 linear feet of the new route into the old route. We are keeping it alive by ferrying water in using firefighting backpack sprayers. It’s been successful so far and we ask you to please stay on the new trail route to protect the transplants. Thanks to Dan, Liz, Marla, Scott and Steve for the help!
Hemlock Trail Fully Closed!
The Hemlock Trail is fully closed May 23-26. The trail contractor has removed the steps and is installing stone steps in their place. Please do not enter the Hemlock Trail area this week!
The Hemlock Trail is fully closed May 23-26. The trail contractor has removed the steps and is installing stone steps in their place. Please do not enter the Hemlock Trail area this week!
Dark Sky Lights - Why Bother?
Wildcat Mountain, Kickapoo Valley Reserve and Tunnelville Cliffs are moving steadily to getting accredited as an International Dark Sky Park. But why bother spending so much time - literally years now - on this effort? Why spend so much time educating and assisting surrounding home and business owners, counties and villages about ways to make their lighting “full cutoff” and make other small changes to reduce glare and light spill? There are several answers but perhaps none as obvious as the one demonstrated by this photograph taken this week by Dave Delap of the Milky Way appearing over Mt. Pisgah in Wildcat Mountain State Park. It’s safe to say that it’s awe inspiring to realize such beauty at night is accessible to those of us who live here and those who visit. Hopefully it inspires you to learn what “Dark Sky” lighting is and to buy the right fixtures and use them appropriately so these views don’t become history but instead are able to awe the generations not yet born. Thank you Dave for sharing your incredible talent with us by capturing this image and others!
Wildcat Mountain, Kickapoo Valley Reserve and Tunnelville Cliffs are moving steadily to getting accredited as an International Dark Sky Park. But why bother spending so much time - literally years now - on this effort? Why spend so much time educating and assisting surrounding home and business owners, counties and villages about ways to make their lighting “full cutoff” and make other small changes to reduce glare and light spill? There are several answers but perhaps none as obvious as the one demonstrated by this photograph taken this week by Dave Delap of the Milky Way appearing over Mt. Pisgah in Wildcat Mountain State Park. It’s safe to say that it’s awe inspiring to realize such beauty at night is accessible to those of us who live here and those who visit. Hopefully it inspires you to learn what “Dark Sky” lighting is and to buy the right fixtures and use them appropriately so these views don’t become history but instead are able to awe the generations not yet born. Thank you Dave for sharing your incredible talent with us by capturing this image and others!
SOS Wildflowers! Progress Update
The skies were gray for our May 6th work/play day but the bright beauty of the wildflowers in their prime more than made up for it. Many of the areas where we worked were Garlic Mustard free this year thanks to past efforts. Work will continue on protection of native species throughout the year but we want to pause here and especially thank Kati, Liz, Marla and Mary for their work searching for and removing invasive Garlic Mustard in Hemlock Hardwoods State Natural Area. Combined, Friends members and other volunteers have invested 77 hours managing Garlic Mustard in the SNA and other selected sites in the park in just the past three weeks!
While surveying this year Mary discovered a "river" of garlic mustard in a waterway that we conquered before it could spread to a much larger area. We have about 3 more weeks before the Garlic Mustard matures enough that any we pull would have to be bagged and removed from the site to prevent seed formation. Our efforts are focused in April and May to avoid that extra step.
The more volunteers that step up the more native species rich areas we can protect for the next generation so reach out to us at FriendsofWildcatMountain@gmail.com if you want to explore this wonderful SNA up close with a guide and help preserve it at the same time.
The skies were gray for our May 6th work/play day but the bright beauty of the wildflowers in their prime more than made up for it. Many of the areas where we worked were Garlic Mustard free this year thanks to past efforts. Work will continue on protection of native species throughout the year but we want to pause here and especially thank Kati, Liz, Marla and Mary for their work searching for and removing invasive Garlic Mustard in Hemlock Hardwoods State Natural Area. Combined, Friends members and other volunteers have invested 77 hours managing Garlic Mustard in the SNA and other selected sites in the park in just the past three weeks!
While surveying this year Mary discovered a "river" of garlic mustard in a waterway that we conquered before it could spread to a much larger area. We have about 3 more weeks before the Garlic Mustard matures enough that any we pull would have to be bagged and removed from the site to prevent seed formation. Our efforts are focused in April and May to avoid that extra step.
The more volunteers that step up the more native species rich areas we can protect for the next generation so reach out to us at FriendsofWildcatMountain@gmail.com if you want to explore this wonderful SNA up close with a guide and help preserve it at the same time.
Tree Planting Team
On a windy Earth day with snow, sleet and graupel (you’ll have to look that one up) several hardy souls spent the day digging holes at Wildcat Mountain in the campground and picnic area. 12 native shrubs and 47 trees were planted and watered-in to start the recovery of shade and habitat that has been lost due to storm damage and the loss of Ash trees. These were purchased with donations from generous individuals through the ongoing tree challenge fundraising and matched dollar-for-dollar by the Friends. 43 additional trees will be arriving soon. Thank you to Ben, Dan, Linda, Liz, Marcy, Marla and Scott for the volunteer time. Thank you to Chris for the prep and working side-by-side with us.
The Friends will continue to care for these trees throughout the growing season with regular watering to help ensure good survival. If you visit Wildcat this summer use care around our new plantings so they have a chance to grow and live a long life.
On a windy Earth day with snow, sleet and graupel (you’ll have to look that one up) several hardy souls spent the day digging and extracting rock from holes at Wildcat Mountain in the campground and picnic area. 12 native shrubs and 47 trees were planted and watered-in to start the recovery of shade and habitat that has been lost due to storm damage and the loss of Ash trees. These were purchased with donations from generous individuals through the ongoing tree challenge fundraising and matched dollar-for-dollar by the Friends. 43 additional trees will be arriving soon. Thank you to Ben, Dan, Linda, Liz, Marcy, Marla and Scott for the volunteer time. Thank you to Chris for the prep and working side-by-side with us.
The Friends will continue to care for these trees throughout the growing season with regular watering to help ensure good survival. If you visit Wildcat this summer use care around our new plantings so they have a chance to grow and live a long life.
Hero Award!
Today Chrissy Oelke, President of the Board of The Friends of Wisconsin State Parks, was at our annual meeting with a wonderful surprise…The Friends of Wildcat Mountain State Park received the 2022 Hero Award! The award is given for “Outstanding Friends Group: In appreciation and thanks for your vision and dedication to Wildcat Mountain State Park and its many visitors”. The Friends of Wildcat are grateful for the award and especially grateful for the grant funding the park has received for multiple projects here! Pictured L-R are Andrew Haffele - Superintendent of the Wildcat Mountain work unit, Chrissy Oelke, Dan Catherman - President of the Friends of Wildcat Mountain, and Christina Lake - Park Manager
Today Chrissy Oelke, President of the Board of Friends of Wisconsin State Parks, was at our annual meeting with a wonderful surprise…The Friends of Wildcat Mountain State Park received the 2022 Hero Award! The award is given for “Outstanding Friends Group: In appreciation and thanks for your vision and dedication to Wildcat Mountain State Park and its many visitors”. The Friends of Wildcat are grateful for the award and especially grateful for the grant funding the park has received for multiple projects here! Pictured L-R are Andrew Haffele - Superintendent of the Wildcat Mountain work unit, Chrissy Oelke, Dan Catherman - President of the Friends of Wildcat Mountain, and Christina Lake - Park Manager
There are many more great things coming to Wildcat in 2023 including scheduled completion of the Hemlock Trail, a full slate of programming, many opportunities for you to volunteer in a myriad of ways and much more! Stay tuned for updates on all of these topics and we look forward to seeing many of you this year.
Buckthorn and Barberry Blast
Spread over 3 days of work, 3 teams of volunteers surveyed over 30 acres of Wildcat Park for 2 nasty invasive species; Common Buckthorn and Japanese Barberry. When identified, these invasive shrubs/trees were pulled or cut and stump treated to kill the plant and prevent further spread. Many thanks to Catherine, Gavyn, Mary, Ben, Ryan, Emily, Scott and Marla for their effort to stop these invasives and preserve the beauty and diversity of native ecosystems at Wildcat. Special thanks to ISG of La Crosse for allowing their employees to participate in this effort as part of their community Impact Day volunteer efforts.
Spread over 3 days of work, 3 teams of volunteers surveyed over 30 acres of Wildcat Park for 2 nasty invasive species; Common Buckthorn and Japanese Barberry. When identified, these invasive shrubs/trees were pulled or cut and stump treated to kill the plant and prevent further spread. Many thanks to Catherine, Gavyn, Mary, Ben, Ryan, Emily, Scott and Marla for their effort to stop these invasives and preserve the beauty and diversity of native ecosystems at Wildcat. Special thanks to ISG of La Crosse for allowing their employees to participate in this effort as part of their community Impact Day volunteer efforts.
Nebulae and Monarchs
What do astronomy and butterflies have in common?
Answer: They both were feature presentations at Wildcat Mountain
The Friends-supported programming continues to provide top notch educational opportunities right here at the park for visitors and local residents. Last night Karen Oberhauser shared with us her fascinating knowledge gained over 37 years working with monarch research and conservation.
Last weekend the Northwest Suburban Astronomers generously shared their large telescopes with us after a great program. The views of the rings of Saturn and the M13 Hercules Cluster were amazing.
Programs continue with the next being the re-scheduled Wolf presentation on September 17th. Hope to see you there!
What do astronomy and butterflies have in common?
Answer: They both were feature presentations at Wildcat Mountain
The Friends-supported programming continues to provide top notch educational opportunities right here at the park for visitors and local residents. Last night Karen Oberhauser shared with us her fascinating knowledge gained over 37 years working with monarch research and conservation.
Last weekend the Northwest Suburban Astronomers generously shared their large telescopes with us after a great program. The views of the rings of Saturn and the M13 Hercules Cluster were amazing.
Programs continue with the next being the re-scheduled Wolf presentation on September 17th. Hope to see you there!
Visitor Experiences
We’ve had some park visitors share their experiences on the trails in the park via YouTube that will give you a good sense of Wildcat. Here is one on horse camp and horseback riding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztU7EevEiRM
Tree Challenge!
Wildcat has lost more than 50 Ash trees to the Emerald Ash Borer in the park campgrounds and picnic areas in the past two years. Help us to “re-shade” your favorite place. The Friends of Wildcat Mountain State Park will match your donation up to $2000 to plant replacement trees. Drop your donation off at the park office or mail it to Wildcat Mountain State Park, E13660 State Hwy 33, Ontario, WI 54651. Thanks!
Wildcat has lost more than 50 Ash trees to the Emerald Ash Borer in the park campgrounds and picnic areas in the past two years. Help us to “re-shade” your favorite place. The Friends of Wildcat Mountain State Park will match your donation up to $2000 to plant replacement trees. Drop your donation off at the park office or mail it to Wildcat Mountain State Park, E13660 State Hwy 33, Ontario, WI 54651. Thanks!
Raptors at Wildcat
The raptor program was enjoyed by nearly 60 campers and local residents on June 25th. Check out the events calendar and join us for some great programs nearly every Saturday.
The raptor program was enjoyed by nearly 60 campers and local residents on June 25th.. The Friends of Wildcat Mountain are funding the 2022 series of nature programs and we thank River Valley Raptors for providing a great opportunity to experience and learn about raptors right here in the park. Check out the events calendar and join us for some great programs nearly every Saturday.
Deep Time Travel
About 50 of us traveled back 500 million years to learn about the rock we so casually walk past on the Ice Cave Trail at Wildcat Mountain State Park.
About 50 of us traveled back 500 million years to learn about the rock we so casually walk past on the Ice Cave Trail at Wildcat Mountain State Park. Chris and Laura Zahm shared their incredible depth of knowledge about the geology of the Driftless area in a compelling story. Weaving together the patterns of weathering and deposition of grains of sand with information about the realm of dinosaurs; water movement and its effects and putting the epoch of human habitation in perspective made for a great morning. Many thanks to Laura and Chris!
Burdock
The Friends were at work in Horse Camp this week cutting taproots and pulling out Common Burdock (Arctium minus), Bluntleaf Dock (Rumex obtusifolius) and Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) to help reduce their spread along the trail system.
The Friends were at work in Horse Camp this week cutting taproots and pulling out Common Burdock (Arctium minus), Bluntleaf Dock (Rumex obtusifolius) and Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa). All three are invasive species and we are working to keep these as contained as possible. When they are present in camp they get spread along the trail system so containing them at the source is the first line of defense. If you are able to help us with this task, even if only for a few minutes during a camping stay, please contact us and we can get you started! We use a special shovel created by The Prairie Enthusiasts called a “Parsnip Predator” to speed the process but a flat spade does the trick as well. Dress appropriately if you work on Parsnip though - contact with the plant sap will make your skin very sensitive the sun and can lead to severe skin burns.
Bird Hike Success!
Bird Hike Success!
A dozen early risers had great success observing 23 bird species on the Ice Cave trail Saturday morning. Thank you to Kelly Rueckheim for sharing his vast knowledge of birds with us! If you missed the hike but want to know what was found check out the list with descriptions here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S113188974
A dozen early risers had great success observing 23 bird species on the Ice Cave trail Saturday morning. Thank you to Kelly Rueckheim for sharing his vast knowledge of birds with us! If you missed the hike but want to know what was found check out the list with descriptions here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S113188974
Rescue Training
Large animal rescue training for Wildcat Mountain Friends and staff
Friends of Wildcat Mountain members took time last weekend to train with the experts learning methods of rescue of large animals. The training was held at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve next door and we thank them for hosting. With the many miles of horse trails in Wildcat Mountain through some challenging terrain having the skills to help when things go wrong is vital. Members of the local volunteer fire and rescue departments, Wildcat State Park staff and Kickapoo Valley Reserve staff were all in attendance as well.
Beauties and the Beasts
We bear witness to the beauty while battling the beasts
The spring Garlic Mustard control season is winding down as the “Garlic Mustard beast” flowers give way to seeds and the window to easily find the plants closes. But, the Friends of Wildcat Mountain have been working diligently and progress is very evident. The beauty is all around us and reminds us why we continue the work each year. As Spring Beauties and Hepatica flowers disappear until next year the next native flowers step up to continue the spectacular show. Too many to mention by name in fact! The next “beast” up on the list is Japanese Barberry. We’ll be working on that and non-native Honeysuckle until it’s time for round two with Garlic Mustard in the fall. If you want to really get to know Wildcat Mountain join us and witness the ever changing landscape. Email us at friendsofwildcatmountain@gmail.com if you want to get involved.
Universe in the Park
Universe in the Park was great!
The amphitheatre was full with 73 people attending the high-energy presentation on Galaxies by Melissa and 21 taking part in the telescope viewing with Melissa and Allison afterward. A lot of great questions from people of all ages in the audience. A surprise bonus was seeing the international space station pass directly overhead while the telescopes were out. A park visitor with his own scope set up and 3 or 4 people were lucky enough to view the ISS through that before it passed out of site. Thank you to Jere and Anne Fluno for bringing UitP to Wildcat again!
Check out the events listing for additional astronomy programs coming up yet this summer.
Universe in the Park was great!
The amphitheatre was full with 73 people attending the high-energy presentation on Galaxies by Melissa and 21 taking part in the telescope viewing with Melissa and Allison afterward. A lot of great questions from people of all ages in the audience. A surprise bonus was seeing the international space station pass directly overhead while the telescopes were out. A park visitor with his own scope set up and 3 or 4 people were lucky enough to view the ISS through that before it passed out of site. Thank you to Jere and Anne Fluno for bringing UitP to Wildcat again!
Check out the events listing for additional astronomy programs coming up yet this summer.
The Hemlock Trail!
Will rise again!
The Friends of Wildcat Mountain are excited to announce that we provided $11,000 and committed volunteer labor to secure a nearly $12,000 Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Grant.
After five years of the return loop being closed due to landslides from repeated torrential rains the Hemlock Trail will be re-routed and repaired in time for the 2023 hiking season.
The work will begin in the fall of 2022 - look for updates later this year!