Sherwood, Wisconsin
High Cliff is the only state-owned recreational area on Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin's largest lake. The park has a marina, historic sites, a campground, picnic areas and shelters, a beach, watchable wildlife, an observation tower, and play areas. Many facilities including a specially-designed cabin, are accessible for people with disabilities.
High Cliff gets its name from the limestone cliff of the Niagara Escarpment, which parallels the eastern shore of Lake Winnebago. This ledge extends northeasterly to the Door County peninsula and on to Niagara Falls, New York.
From the vantage point of the cliff, and especially from the 40-foot observation tower, you can see the cities of Appleton, Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha, and Kaukauna.
A 125-acre area within the 1,147-acre park is designated as a state natural area, recognizing its excellent cliff environments, an undisturbed wet-mesic forest, and more than a mile of Lake Winnebago shoreline. Effigy mounds are important archaeological features.
Things to Do
Picnicking: High Cliff has four picnic areas with tables, grills, water, and rest rooms. Three open-air shelters and an enclosed pavilion may be reserved for a fee.
Nature programs: The general store museum/nature center is open from 1 to 5 p.m. on weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day. High Cliff offers educational field trips for groups, by reservation, during the fall, winter, and spring.
Watchable wildlife: The most common mammals observed here are fox and gray squirrels, raccoons, skunks, opossums, deer, and woodchucks, 13-striped ground squirrels, chipmunks, mice, shrews, and bats. Present, but rarely seen, are red fox, weasels, and mink.
High Cliff is a premier area to watch the warbler migration in the spring. A bird brochure is available at the park office.
Play: High Cliff has a volleyball court, ball diamonds, and play equipment.
In the area: For more information, see Calumet County Tourism [exit DNR].
For Visitors with Disabilities
High Cliff provides a cabin, campsites, picnic areas, and a hiking trail that are accessible to people with disabilities. Toilets at the visitor center, pavilion, lower shelter, and campground are accessible.
How to Get There
High Cliff State Park is 9 miles east of Menasha on State Highway 114. (From Menasha, Highway 114 starts as US Highway 10 and branches off to the southeast.) Turn south off Highway 114 at Pigeon Road and go about 1.6 miles to the State Park Road. Turn left (east) on State Park Road to the park entrance.
To reach the park from the south, take US Highway 151 north from Fond du Lac about 18 miles. Continue north on Wisconsin Highway 55 to Sherwood. Turn left (west) on State Highway 55/114. Stay on Highway 114 for about 2 miles to Pigeon Road. Turn left (south) on Pigeon Road and go about 1.6 miles to the State Park Road. Turn left (east) on State Park Road to the park entrance.
High Cliff State Park
N7630 State Park Rd.
Sherwood,
WI 54169
(920) 989-1106
joseph.hennlich@wisconsin.gov
