Things to Do at High Cliff State Park

Accommodations, activities, dining, events, and more:

Calumet County [exit DNR]
Appleton [exit DNR]
Fox Cities [exit DNR]
Kaukauna [exit DNR]
Sherwood[exit DNR]

For more information, see Calumet County Tourism [exit DNR].

Biking: Bicycles are allowed on all park roads. Bikes are retricted to the horse trail and the Red Bird Trail. The horse/bike trail is open for biking about May 1 through November 15.

The High Cliff State Park Marina provides slips for 100 boats.
DNR Photo

Boating: Lake Winnebago offers unlimited opportunity for boating. Call (920) 989-1349 for marina slip reservations. Occupants may remain overnight aboard boats moored in the marina.

Camping: The family campground has 112 campsites (32 with electric and two accessible) and eight group sites. A sanitary dump station and recycling /garbage station are available. Reservations are recommended for weekend camping May through October. A specially designed cabin for campers with disabilities is available May through mid-October.

Cross-Country Skiing: The Red Bird Trail is a designated ski trail when snow covered. The trail is groomed for traditional skiing and is suitable for beginning to intermediate skiers. Pets are not permitted on ski trails.

Fishing: Fishing on Butterfly Pond may yield large mouth bass or panfish. Lake Winnebago provides the opportunity to catch walley, perch or white bass. Fishing poles can be signed out at the park office at no cost.

Friends of High Cliff State Park [exit DNR] is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting a greater appreciation of High Cliff State Park. Anyone can become a member. Your help in planning and staffing special activities in the park is always welcome.

Hiking: High Cliff hiking trails offer different levels of challenge to hikers. All trails are looped and vary in length. See map for more information.

Horseback Riding: High Cliff has 8.5 miles of bridle trails, looping the length of the park. Horse rentals are not available at the park.

Hunting is not allowed in the park except during the gun deer season by permit only.

Nature programs: The General Store Museum/Nature Center is open from 1 to 5 p.m. on weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day. For a complete list of coming programs, see the Friends of High Cliff State Park [exit DNR] Web page.

Observation Tower: From the vantage point of the cliff, and especially from the 40-foot observation tower, you can see the cities of Appleton, Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha, and Kaukauna.

Pets are welcome in the park when pet owners observe the rules.

Picnicking: High Cliff has four picnic areas with tables, grills, water, and rest rooms.

Playgrounds: Two picnic areas have swings, merry-go-rounds and slides, and wooden playground equipment is available in the campground.

Snowmobiling: A 3-mile snowmobile through the park connects Lake Winnebago with the Calumet County snowmobile trail system. Call (920) 849-1494 for trail conditions.

Snowshoeing/Winter Hiking: Snowshoeing is permitted anywhere in High Cliff except on ski trail when snow covered. We recommend the Forest Management Trail for winter hiking and snowshoeing. Snowshoe rentals are available on a first-come, first-served basis when the park office open.

Summer Sports: A baseball diamond, a sand volleyball court and a grass volleyball court are available for summer sports enthusiasts. Volleyballs and nets can be signed out at no cost.

Swimming: High Cliff offers an unguarded sand beach. The bathhouse has flush toilets, showers, changing areas and open shelters.

Volunteer: High Cliff has volunteer opportunities in many aspects of park operations, including maintenance, invasive species control, interpretation and camphosting. Call today for more information on volunteering at High Cliff State Park!

Watchable Wildlife: The most common mammals observed here are fox and gray squirrels, raccoons, skunks, opossums, deer, woodchucks, 13-striped ground squirrels, chipmunks, mice, shrews, and bats. Present, but rarely seen, are red fox, weasels, and mink. High Cliff is a premier area to watch the warbler migration in the spring. The park is also home to several purple martin colonies.

For more information, ask:

High Cliff State Park
N7630 State Park Rd.
Sherwood, WI 54169
(920) 989-1106

Linda Guelig, Visitor Services
Jason Wiese, Park Manager