A good friend from La Crosse, Tom Link, joined me for an afternoon snowshoe hike at a small, yet geologically unique, park, Roche-A-Cri State Park, near the central Wisconsin village of Friendship. Fresh snow covered the area that day. Temperatures were in the upper 20s and the trails were beckoning our snowshoes.

Neither of us had ever been to Roche-A-Cri. We were surprised that amidst forest and farmland lay this 605-acre park. With a trail map in hand, we headed out on snowshoes to explore the nearly six miles of trails meandering through a mixed deciduous and pine forest.

From around the park’s parameter, we could see a huge geological rock structure standing out like the nose on someone’s face. This 300-foot-high mound was once a rocky island in a vast glacial lake, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Entering the south end of the park from the Czech Avenue parking lot — the only winter access parking area — we hiked across an open snow-covered prairie to a scenic footbridge over Carter Creek. We soon came upon the south end of the Roche-A-Cri mound and found the fairly well-known American Indian pictographs and petroglyphs. Although faded by time, they were historically magnificent and an exciting find.

Snowshoeing the trail that circumnavigates the mound, we came to a series of tall staircases leading to the summit. At the top a wooded walkway took us to a lookout deck providing us a fabulous view of the landscape to the north and northwest of the park. In the distance, we could see the smaller Chickadee Rock formation.

The three-and-a-half-mile circular Acorn Trail and others in the park offer an excellent day’s worth of hiking. Although the park is not groomed for cross-country skiing, it is open to skiers. So if you come across ski tracks, stay to the left or right of them.

Roche-A-Cri is not the smallest of Wisconsin’s state parks. That distinction belongs to the 48-acre Copper Culture State Park near Oconto that I recently hiked too. Although there are no designated hiking trails on the property, the park does have an open prairie area, woodlands and the oldest cemetery site in the state. This park is the site of a nearly 6,000-year-old Indian burial ground for the Copper Culture People.

The largest of Wisconsin’s parks lays just south of Baraboo. Devil’s Lake State Park is 9,217 acres and boasts of 23 miles of hiking trails. It is home to the 360-acre, spring-fed Devil’s Lake, partially bordered by quartzite rock cliffs up to 500 feet high. The park is also a unit of the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve and has a segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail running through it. According to the DNR, 1.2 million to 1.4 million people visit the park annually, making it the most visited Wisconsin park.

When there’s enough snow at Devil’s Lake State Park, skiers enjoy 17 miles of groomed trails. Several miles of separate trails are also available for snowshoeing, and a segment of the Devil’s Lake campground is open for winter camping.

Link and I also visited this scenic park for a day of snowshoeing. We drove into the park on State Highway 123. The visitor center is located not too far in from the park’s north entrance. There we picked up trail maps and my annual park sticker.

The ranger recommended we snowshoe the East Bluff and West Bluff trails. Starting at the north shore of Devil’s Lake, we hiked up the West Bluff Trail. This 1.4-mile stretch provided a good workout and superb panorama of Devil’s Lake. Stretches of trail can be slippery, so be careful around the drop-offs.

The Tumbled Rocks Trail follows the west bank of the lake. Ambitious snowshoers can circumnavigate the lake, a distance of three and one half to four miles.

Because of the size of the park, there are many more trails and areas to snowshoe. For more information about Devil’s Lake State Park, call the visitor center at 608/356-8301.

Be sure to get your annual Wisconsin State Park sticker. The 2009 sticker costs $25 for Wisconsin residents. If you’re 65 or older, you pay only $10. Nonresidents pay $35. You can purchase the annual sticker at some park self-registration stations, order them by phone at 608/266-2181 or send a check made out to Wisconsin DNR Parks and Recreation, P.O. Box 792, Madison, WI 53707. Daily passes for residents are $7 and one-hour passes are $5.

Wisconsin is fortunate to have 100 different state parks, forests, recreation areas and trails with a wide variety of terrain for snowshoeing; more than one can imagine.

Among large state forests there’s the Northern Highland-American Legion Forest spread over three counties in northern Wisconsin. Thirty-nine miles of hiking trails crisscross its 225,000 acres. The Kettle Moraine Forest, both northern and southern units, provide a whopping 190 miles of hiking trails over a 52,000-acre area. Of those 190 miles of trails, roughly 84 miles are available for snowshoeing.

Back on the smaller end, Havenwoods State Forest is a 237-acre green space in the city of Milwaukee offering six miles of hiking trails.

The state’s largest and first “recreation area” is the Richard Bong State Recreation Area near Burlington. Sixteen miles of hiking trails, 10 of which are designated for snowshoeing, snake through its 4,515 acres. Fisher Creek State Recreation Area located near Manitowoc is the smallest of its kind with 123 acres and a mile of Lake Michigan shoreline that’s hikeable.

Snowshoeing is welcome on 234 miles of trails in 19 state parks, three state forests, three recreation areas and on two state trails, according the website www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/LAND/parks/trails/snowshoe.html.

Snowshoeing considerations

What should snowshoers look for when planning to snowshoe on Wisconsin public lands? For economic reasons, first consider snowshoeing close to home. Save gas by picking a park or forest trail you can get to with less than two hours of driving. Second, consider the level of difficulty of the trails you want to hike. Many park maps rate a trail as easy, moderate or difficult.

Third, carry a backpack on any snowshoe trek likely to take you a few hours or longer. Include in that pack a map, compass, whistle, flashlight, knife, first-aid kit, emergency thermal tarp/blanket, matches and candle, food, water and additional clothing. Be sure to dress for winter weather and dress in layers to best manage your body temperature.

A fourth consideration is to select a state property that has special interests such as beautiful landscapes, excellent views and unique geological or archeological features. I enjoy snowshoeing at Rib Mountain State Park, for example, not only because it is a 25-minute drive from my home, but because of its unique quartzite boulder formations and fabulous views of Wausau and the surrounding countryside from above.

Fifth, check the Silent Sports calendar for candlelight and moonlight snowshoe hikes, snowshoe races and others winter festivities. There are over 30 candlelight hike and ski events scheduled by the Wisconsin DNR for the 2009 winter season. You can select your chosen events by going online to http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/news/candlelight.htm.

Jim Joque is coordinator of disability services for the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He is also an adventure education instructor teaching courses on camping, backpacking and snowshoeing, and a trip leader for the university’s wilderness orientation program. He is also a member of the Wisconsin Governor’s State Trails Council.

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