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.
Wisconsin bought the land for High Cliff State Park in 1956 and opened the park in 1957. Even before High Cliff became a state park, the land had a rich natural and cultural history.
Earliest Times
The Niagara Escarpment, often called "the ledge," was formed by the settling and hardening of limy ooze at the bottom of the Silurian Sea, which covered much of Wisconsin nearly 400 million years ago. Later, the flat-lying dolomite was tilted downward to the southeast by earth forces, leaving its higher western edge exposed at the earth's surface.
Between 1,000 and 1,500 years ago, nomadic Siouan Indians built effigy mounds in what is now the park. There are four panther-shaped mounds, two buffalo-shaped mounds, conical mounds, and a linear mound.
As long ago as the 1880s, this area was noted for its breathtaking views of Lake Winnebago.
Quarry Years
Kiln ruins From 1895 to 1956, a limestone quarry and a kiln to extract the lime from the stone operated here. Workers drilled holes in the stone and used dynamite to blast it loose. The lime extracted in the kiln was sent throughout the Midwest for use in plaster and cement and to apply to soil to reduce acidity. Other limestone from the quarry was used for brick mortar and crushed into gravel. Horses pulled dump wagons of limestone to an area above the kiln until 1946, when they were replaced by a dump truck.
As many as 40 people worked at the operation, including drillers, a blasting specialist, stone crushers, teamsters, barrel makers, laborers, and a blacksmith. Many were recent immigrants from Hungary. In its heyday, the lime industry supported a small "company town" consisting of 16 houses for workers, a store (including a post office, telegraph office, and company office), and a tavern, all owned by the Western Lime and Cement Co.
Photo of general store
In the general store, you can find a collection of more local history as well as refreshments.
Wisconsin bought the land for High Cliff State Park in 1956 and opened the park in 1957. Even before High Cliff became a state park, the land had a rich natural and cultural history.
Earliest Times
The Niagara Escarpment, often called "the ledge," was formed by the settling and hardening of limy ooze at the bottom of the Silurian Sea, which covered much of Wisconsin nearly 400 million years ago. Later, the flat-lying dolomite was tilted downward to the southeast by earth forces, leaving its higher western edge exposed at the earth's surface.
Between 1,000 and 1,500 years ago, nomadic Siouan Indians built effigy mounds in what is now the park. There are four panther-shaped mounds, two buffalo-shaped mounds, conical mounds, and a linear mound.
As long ago as the 1880s, this area was noted for its breathtaking views of Lake Winnebago.
Quarry Years
Kiln ruins From 1895 to 1956, a limestone quarry and a kiln to extract the lime from the stone operated here. Workers drilled holes in the stone and used dynamite to blast it loose. The lime extracted in the kiln was sent throughout the Midwest for use in plaster and cement and to apply to soil to reduce acidity. Other limestone from the quarry was used for brick mortar and crushed into gravel. Horses pulled dump wagons of limestone to an area above the kiln until 1946, when they were replaced by a dump truck.
As many as 40 people worked at the operation, including drillers, a blasting specialist, stone crushers, teamsters, barrel makers, laborers, and a blacksmith. Many were recent immigrants from Hungary. In its heyday, the lime industry supported a small "company town" consisting of 16 houses for workers, a store (including a post office, telegraph office, and company office), and a tavern, all owned by the Western Lime and Cement Co.
In the general store, you can find a collection of more local history as well as refreshments.
High Cliff is just a great place to spend a weekend or even a few hours.
We have camped here many times, even though it is only a very short distance from home.
This park is very popular and is very difficult to get weekend camping reservations.
With the price of gas as it seems to be, we may just utilize this park more often for camping even during the work week
When I was younger I would bike the trails , a great stress reliever after work.
here is a tree I found in the camp ground.
Try to find it on your next visit to this park.
...Them's got ears, let them hear
Them's got eyes, let them see
Turn your eyes to the lord of the skies
Take this airline plane
It'll take you home again
Friends of High Cliff have taken on the project of restoring the Butterfly Pond at the park. The Butterfly Pond is a nature observation area that has been disrupted by the breach of an old earthen dam.
This is a multi-phase, multi-year project taken on by The Friends Of High Cliff.
For more information on the project, and volunteer information, see the website at the highlighted text link.
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