These are the most popular Wisconsin state parks

(NEXSTAR) — Over the last 5 years, Wisconsin’s state parks have served more than 240 million visitors.

In 2020, amid the COVID pandemic, many state parks were closed (though only for a short time) by Governor Tony Evers. That didn’t hamper attendance much — that same year, nearly 20 million visitors were recorded across the state’s parks, according to data obtained by Nexstar.

It was the most visitors the parks had ever seen — until 2021, when data from the Department of Natural Resources shows attendance surpassed 21 million. That still stands as the highest yearly attendance on record, with 2023 falling about 1.2 million shy.

One trend remains true: there are some parks that attract more visitors than others.

That’s not to say the less-visited state parks aren’t worth visiting. Take Harrington Beach State Park, for example. Spanning more than 700 acres in Ozaukee County, Harrington Beach has more than a mile of beach along Lake Michigan, expansive grasslands, and a stunning limestone quarry lake.

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It did, however, report an attendance of almost 213,000 in 2023, far less than the five most-visited parks. (It’s worth noting that some parks aren’t always tracking attendance.)

So what are the five most visited state parks over the last five years? Take a guess!

We’ll even knock out a few Northeast Wisconsin state parks to make it easier for you.

High Cliff State Park in Sherwood ranked among the top 10, serving nearly 3.3 million between 2019 and 2023. Its best year was 2020 when it had a record-setting attendance of over 706,500.

Two in Door County — Potawatomi and Whitefish Dunes — failed to make the top 10, despite the influx of tourists the areas see every summer. Manitowoc County’s Point Beach State Forest and Sheboygan County’s Kohler-Andrae State Park also fell short.

Have your guesses ready now? Here are the five most-visited Wisconsin state park areas over the last five years.

5. Willow River State Park

Located near the Wisconsin-Minnesota border, just 24 miles outside Saint Paul, Minnesota, Willow River State Park offers views of a waterfall and a river gorge. Visitors can bike, hike, camp, fish, kayak, boat, canoe, swim, and picnic at the park in the warmer months, and snowshoe, dog sled, ski, sled, and ice fish in the winter.

In recent reviews posted to Google, visitors commended Willow River’s waterfalls, with one person calling it a “hidden gem.”

It’s hard to say how “hidden” the park really is, though: Willow River has seen more than 3.8 million guests since 2019. In the year before the pandemic, a record 1 million visitors explored the park.

4. Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit

Covering a whopping 30,000 acres, the northern unit is the largest of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, though not the most-visited over the last five years (more on that in a moment).

Located just outside of Campbellsport, this section of the forest offers three beaches, biking trails, ski trails, wooded hills and prairies, and part of the Ice Age Trail.

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Overall, 4.3 million have visited the northern unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. Its highest attendance was nearly 1.5 million in 2020, a year after serving roughly 587,000. After another million visits in 2021, the park’s popularity dropped in 2022 (482,000) and 2023 (597,000).

3. Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

Similarly to its northern companion, the southern unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest is covered in trails for hiking, biking, and even horseback riding. You’ll also find another portion of the Ice Age Trail in the 22,000-acre park.

About 13 miles south of Oconomowoc, this part of the state forest saw nearly 6.4 million guests between 2019 and 2023. According to attendance data from the DNR, the southern unit actually saw attendance dip in 2020 and 2021 — though visitation data was not available for multiple months in both years.

2. Peninsula State Park

If you live in Northeastern Wisconsin, you don’t have to travel far to enjoy the second-most visited state park. Found between Fish Creek and Ephraim, Peninsula State Park is “considered Wisconsin’s most complete park,” according to the DNR.

It’s hard not to agree after you visit the park’s campsites, summer theater, golf course, beach, bike trails, lighthouse, and the recently completed Eagle Observation Tower.

During each of the last five years, Peninsula has seen at least 1 million visitors, totaling over 6.6 million. That spiked in 2021, when a record 1.6 million explored the Door County property.

1. Devil’s Lake State Park

Spend a warm summer day at this Baraboo state park and you’ll understand why Devil’s Lake State Park ranks at the top of this list. Visitors can explore more of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, bluffs with the iconic Devil’s Doorway, and its 360-acre lake.

Since 2019, almost 11.7 million have visited Devil’s Lake — that’s nearly twice as much as Peninsula, and more than at the northern and southern units of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. Devil’s Lake hasn’t seen less than 2 million in annual attendance since 2013 but has remained the most-visited state park every year.

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If you’re traveling to the park, the DNR warns you should expect long lines to get in, limited parking, and crowds from May through October, especially on weekends and holidays.

Did any of those units surprise you?

If you’re curious, the five other most-visited state parks since 2019 were Governor Dodge, High Cliff, Lapham Peak Unit Kettle Moraine State Forest, Kohler-Andrae, and Rib Mountain.

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