Wisconsin’s Highway 33, which runs from Port Washington to the east and Lacrosse to the west, provides a unique glimpse into the state’s disparate landscapes. This especially becomes pronounced on the western edge of the 200-mile stretch of roadway that approaches the Mississippi River.
Wildcat Mountain State Park, located within Vernon County, is one of multiple scenic stops along the Highway 33 route. As fall approaches, the park is a popular natural destination for anyone looking to enjoy the best of Wisconsin’s autumnal color from the unique vantage point. At its peak, the park site has an elevation that reaches as high as 1,027 feet.
The 3,643-acre park is located within the Kickapoo Valley and features many of the immediate area’s characteristics, including limestone-topped bluffs and close proximity to the Kickapoo River.
The unique archeological features interspersed throughout the park site and surrounding areas come by virtue of the park’s designation as a Driftless area. In other words, this particular area is not believed to have been covered by glaciers in the last ice age.
The park site stands out for several reasons, including its distinction of having areas that never have been touched by man. This especially is true of Mount Pisgah, an area adorned with old-growth hemlock and white pine trees. Neither logging nor livestock grazing are believed to have taken place within the area at any time in recorded history.
Established as an official state park in 1948, Wildcat Mountain offers a number of amenities for visitors considering a stay within its confines for a few hours – or a few days.
Throughout its grounds, Wildcat Mountain State Park features a total of 21 miles of trails that loop through various notable points. The trails offer accommodations for hiking and equestrian travel. For people with horses, a total of 15 miles of trails are available by way of three distinct color-coded loop systems.
Camping accommodations also are possible within the park, with designated areas for families, groups and horseback riders.
In the depths of winter, Wildcat Mountain State Park takes on a new persona and becomes a hot spot for such cold-weathered sporting activities as cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Other notable amenities within the park include an amphitheater, picnic areas and an outlook viewing tower that provides a clear view into Kickapoo’s lower valley and adjoining river.
Birding is another popular activity within Wildcat Mountain State Park. The area ecosystem, powered by the Kickapoo River, provides abundant opportunities to enjoy this time-honored spectacle.
Bird species that frequent the park include – but are not limited to – bald eagles, Canadian geese, great blue herons, red-tailed hawks, sandpipers, tundra swans and wild turkeys.
Visitors stand a good chance of seeing other species within the park as well. Various species of snakes call the park site home, as do beavers, muskrats, red squirrels and white-tailed deer.
