Hiking and Ski Trails at Roche-A-Cri State Park

There are more than 5 miles of hiking trails at Roche-A-Cri. They are named for some of the wildlife and natural features you'll see from them:

Spring Peeper Trail

This quarter-mile trail is named for the small frogs that abound in this area of the park. The trail goes through mature oak and maple woods adjacent to Carter Creek. In season, you'll see dragonflies, swallowtail butterflies, nesting birds, marsh marigolds, turk's-cap lilies, and cardinal flowers. The trail may be closed during high water.

Acorn Trail

This 3.55-mile trail makes a meandering circle around the entire Roche-A-Cri Mound. This wide mowed trail is used for cross-country skiing in winter.

Mound Trail and Stairway

This is a short trail connecting the Acorn Trail to a hand pump, the kiosk area, and the stairway to the top of the mound.

The wooden stairway allows users to reach the top of the 300-foot high Roche-A-Cri Mound. Two rest areas along the way up feature splendid views and interpretive signs.

An observation platform on top of the mound offers a safe bird's-eye view of the area. On a clear day, you can see features in 10 counties, some 50 to 60 miles away. Interpretive signs help you identify numerous land features easily seen from this platform area.

Photo displays, featuring views from the mound stairway, are in the informational kiosk shelter at the base of the stairway.

Turkey Vulture Trail

This .9-mile loop branches off the Acorn Trail. The Turkey Vulture Trail leads through pine, oak, and maple woods and out onto a restored prairie. This is the best place to watch the vultures soaring between Roche-A-Cri and the Friendship Mound a half mile to the south. The birds are most active between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Chickadee Rock Trail

This accessible trail with a crushed gravel base follows a game path through oaks and jack pines. Blueberry and huckleberry bushes and various ferns grow along the trail. Chickadee Rock is a rock formation that rises about 25 to 30 feet above the trail. A bench near the base of the rock is a nice place to rest and listen to the sounds of the surrounding woods.

Hike Safely and Protect the Environment

Stay on the trails while hiking in the park. Poison ivy can be found throughout the woods.

Areas on top of and around the mound are closed to protect visitors, wildlife habitats, and natural vegetation.

Please do not disturb the wildflowers.

Snakes are common in the woods and fields. None of them are poisonous.

For more information about Roche-A-Cri State Park, please call (608) 565-2789 or email Joe Stecker-Kochanski, Buckhorn/Roche-A-Cri State Parks.