Welcome to a Wisconsin summer and the first weekend is on us. So start planning. The Free Fun Weekend is June 7 and 8.
Wisconsin residents and visitors can fish for free, get into state parks and forests for free, bike state trails for free, and ride their ATV and UTV free on public trails open to such use.
This year, for the first time, admission to state parks and forests is free both days of the weekend.
So get out and enjoy – whether you want to stay close to home or make it a weekend get-away.
Get more information on the DNR web site. Go to dnr.wi.gov and search “free fun.”
One of my favorites is Pattison State Park, which is holding a “Building Partners” open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the main shelter building on June 7. Area fire departments, Boy Scout troops, the Friends of Pattison and Amnicon Falls, and the North Country Trail Association, have all been invited.
Bruce Routh, a member of the CCC Camp Pattison, will attend from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. He helped build the main shelter in 1941.
The 12th annual Outdoor Extravaganza will be held at Les Voight State Fish Hatchery, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., June 7. The event includes fly casting and tying, archery lessons and free food and beverages – while supplies last.
The parks are in full bloom and the waterfalls, thanks to recent heavy rains, are spectacular. Copper Falls State Park near Mellen, is a great place to enjoy a picnic and take in the rugged natural beauty of the Bad River Gorge and associated waterfalls. Make sure to ask about the Red Granite Fall Trail while at the park. The Red Granite Falls is a hidden gem at the park.
These state operated parks, forests and trails are ours, yours and mine. All it takes is a pass, which you can get for the day, or, as many prefer, the season. A pass will admit you not only to northern destinations, but any of the state’s 113 parks, forests, trials and recreation areas.
And if you haven’t ventured out for a while, or if you have never experienced the Badgerland’s natural beauty, we have a free, no strings attached, opportunity and you can pack in all fun you and your family wants in one weekend.
So wet a line, pitch a tent, dip a paddle, or hit the trail by bike, foot, ATV or UTV. I hope to see you in the woods or on the water this summer.