Camping
High Cliff State Park offers a heavily wooded, well-shaded camping experience located just a short distance from the park's trailheads and the sweeping shores of Lake Winnebago.
Camping Options
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Family Campground: The main campground features over 110 sites, with roughly half offering electrical hookups. The area is heavily forested, which provides a natural canopy, cooling shade in the summer, and a good amount of visual privacy between sites.
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Group Camp: A secluded, tent-only camping area designed for organized groups. It features a handful of large sites that can accommodate up to 60 people each, complete with large fire rings and picnic tables.
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Accessible Cabin: A dedicated, ADA-compliant rustic cabin available by reservation. It is equipped with a wheelchair ramp, a specialized accessible bathroom, electrical outlets, and basic furnishings for campers with disabilities and their families.
Campground Amenities
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Restrooms & Showers: The family campground includes separate modern shower buildings and flush toilets, which operate during the warmer months. Vault toilets are distributed throughout the grounds and remain open year-round.
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RV Support: A sanitary dump station and fresh drinking water fill-up are located near the campground entrance.
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Supplies: Firewood and ice are typically available for purchase on-site during the peak summer season through the friends group or camp host.
Logistics and Planning
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Reservations: Camping at High Cliff is incredibly popular, especially on summer weekends. Reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance through the Wisconsin DNR’s reservation system and are highly recommended.
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Park Admission: In addition to the nightly camping fee, all vehicles entering the park must display a valid daily or annual Wisconsin State Park admission sticker.
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Pets: Dogs are welcome in the campgrounds but must be kept on a leash no longer than 8 feet. They are not allowed in buildings, picnic shelters, or on the designated swimming beach.
Hiking
High Cliff State Park features a network of nearly 20 miles of trails, highlighting the dramatic geography of the Niagara Escarpment and the expansive views over Lake Winnebago. The trail system offers options for all skill levels, ranging from paved, accessible paths to rugged, rocky climbs.
Featured Trails
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Red Bird Trail (3.4 miles): The park's signature hike. Following the crest of the limestone escarpment, this trail delivers sweeping, panoramic views of the lake. Along the route, hikers can climb the 40-foot observation tower, view the Chief Red Bird statue, and walk alongside a 1,500-year-old Native American effigy mound complex. The trail is mostly flat but features a rocky, uneven surface.
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Lime-Kiln Trail (1.7 miles): A more rugged hike connecting the upper outcroppings with the lower park. This trail features stone staircases, rocky descents, and winding dirt paths through dense hardwood forests. The highlight is a pass by the historic, 19th-century stone lime kiln ruins built directly into the side of the bluff.
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Indian Mound Trail (0.6 miles): A short, heavily shaded loop in the upper park. It provides an up-close look at the panther and water spirit effigy mounds, featuring interpretive signage that details the history and cultural significance of the site.
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Forest Management Trail (1.3 miles): A quiet, peaceful loop meandering through the eastern woodland. This easily navigable, grass and dirt path highlights different stages of forest growth and is an excellent choice for a secluded nature walk.
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Butterfly Pond Trail (0.4 miles): A fully paved, accessible loop located in the lower park near the main entrance. Circling a small, scenic pond, it is perfect for strollers, wheelchairs, and visitors looking for a flat, easy stroll. It includes a small boardwalk and observation deck.
Seasonal Multi-Use
During the winter months, portions of the trail system—including the Forest Management Trail—are groomed for classic and skate cross-country skiing. Other trails, like the Red Bird, remain open for snowshoeing and winter hiking.
Equestrian and mountain biking routes are also available on an adjacent 8.5-mile trail network, completely separated from the main hiking paths to ensure safety and preserve the terrain.
Swimming
High Cliff State Park has a small but popular sandy beach on the western shore of Lake Winnebago, located at the base of the escarpment near the marina. Swimming is permitted in the designated beach area during the summer season, though the park does not provide lifeguards, so you swim at your own risk.
The beach is best suited for casual wading and swimming rather than serious distance swimming — Lake Winnebago is a shallow, wind-prone lake, and conditions can change quickly. Water clarity varies throughout the season; mid-summer algae blooms are not unusual on Winnebago, so it's worth checking conditions before you go. The lake also sees heavy boat traffic, especially on weekends, which is another reason to stay within the marked swim area.
Amenities near the beach include restrooms, picnic tables, and a playground, making it a solid family destination. The marina is right next door, so the area can get busy on warm weekends. Parking is available close to the beach, and the boat launch is a short walk away.
A few things to keep in mind: the beach is only open seasonally (roughly Memorial Day through Labor Day), and the park gates close at 11 PM. A vehicle sticker is required to enter — either a daily pass or the annual Wisconsin State Parks sticker. No alcohol is permitted on the beach, and pets must be leashed in all park areas including the beach.
For the best experience, aim for a weekday morning when the crowds are thin and the water tends to be calmer. The view from the beach looking back up at the limestone cliff face is genuinely striking — it's one of the more scenic swim spots in northeast Wisconsin.