Peace and Quiet in Wisconsin State Parks

Peace and quiet are among the things visitors appreciate most about Wisconsin state parks and forests.

A quiet scene at High Cliff State Park
DNR Photo

To keep the parks and forests quiet, the Department of Natural Resources prohibits operation of any sound truck, loudspeaker, generator, chainsaw, air conditioner or other device that produces excessive, loud or unusual noises without a written permit from the department.

Generator Use

Portable generators, particularly the older models, produce noise at levels that may offend other visitors. Park and forest managers must balance the needs of visitors asking to use generators with the serenity that other guests expect. Managers have full discretion for generator use.

Any camper who needs to operate a generator because of a health condition will be required to take an electrical site if any is available and not use the generator unless an outage occurs. Because the available electric site is not in a preferred location is not valid justification for the camper refusing to accept that site assignment.

If no other electrical site is available, the camper will be assigned to an accessible campsite with electrical service. If no electrical sites at all are available, the property manager or designee will try to find and assign the camper to the site where the noise of a generator will be least disruptive to other guests. The camper may be allowed to operate the generator there only under special conditions so the resulting noise will not bother other campers. Only under unusual circumstances will evening generator use be allowed.

Day-use guests may use a generator within the property in areas where the property manager determines that the noise will not be offensive to other guests.

A camper or day user who can not accept these conditions or procedures will be directed to another property, either public or private.

Other Rules

No one may engage in violent, abusive, indecent, profane, boisterous, unreasonably loud or otherwise disorderly conduct, or conduct which tends to cause or provoke a disturbance or create a breach of the peace.

Hunting is allowed only under certain circumstances. See Parks With Hunting Areas and Parks With No Hunting.

The department may expel from state parks or forests anyone who violates these or other rules.