Friends of the Kettle Moraine State Forest Southern Unit

Friends of the Kettle Moraine State Forest Southern Unit Dedicated to preserving, restoring, and supporting the Kettle Moraine State Forest - Southern Unit
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The Friends of the Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit is dedicated to preserving, restoring, and supporting the Kettle Moraine State Forest through fundraising, education and promotion of a greater appreciation of the cultural and natural history of the Southern Unit.

09/01/2026

☀️ Summer views in the Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit

From peaceful lakes and lush green forests to sunny trails and scenic overlooks, summer gives us plenty of reasons to stop and appreciate the beauty of the KMSFSU.

🌼Explore the blooming prairies of the Southern Unit. Meet at the Forest Headquarters and caravan to where the blooms are...
08/31/2026

🌼Explore the blooming prairies of the Southern Unit. Meet at the Forest Headquarters and caravan to where the blooms are best. Wear waterproof shoes/boots and expect uneven terrain. Total hiking distance will be less than 1 mile with many stops to admire the native plants of the prairie.

This event is weather-dependent.

Learn more: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/events/129821

Questions? Don Dane, [email protected], 262-594-6200

🐕 Looking for a dog-friendly adventure in the Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit?Pet-Friendly Locations:✅ Left ...
08/26/2026

🐕 Looking for a dog-friendly adventure in the Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit?

Pet-Friendly Locations:
✅ Left side of the boat launch at Ottawa Lake
✅ Behind the paved path at Ottawa Lake
✅ Oak Hallow Pet Area
✅Right side of the boat launch at Rice Lake
✅Ice Age Trail
✅Scuppernong Trail System
✅John Muir Trail System
✅Emma Carlin Trail
✅ Nordic Trails

Restricted Areas
🚫 Inside park buildings
🚫 Designated swimming beaches
🚫 Marked nature trails including Scuppernong Springs Nature Trail and Paradise Springs

🔗 Learn more:
https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/kms/recreation/pets

*Dogs must remain on a leash of 8 ft or shorter

A new interpretive sign has been installed at the Gotten Cabin! In the mid-1850s, Prussian immigrant Henry Gotten built ...
08/24/2026

A new interpretive sign has been installed at the Gotten Cabin!

In the mid-1850s, Prussian immigrant Henry Gotten built this log cabin. He constructed it using nearby White Oak, hauling the logs with oxen and horses. He flatted and squared (hewed) the logs by hand with an axe.

This cabin is typical of German-style log structures, featuring grayish-white mortar (chinking) between the logs and gable ends finished with rough sawn boards.

Henry, his wife Barbara, and their four children lived and farmed here until 1870, when they moved to the Village of Eagle. Both Henry and Barbara are buried at St. Teresa’s Cemetery.

08/21/2026

⛱️ Whitewater Lake Beach is a great place to swim, fish, paddle, picnic, and enjoy nature!

📍 N7660 State Park Dr, Whitewater, W

Oak openings were once the dominant plant community of the Kettle Moraine, but today they are the rarest. An oak opening...
08/18/2026

Oak openings were once the dominant plant community of the Kettle Moraine, but today they are the rarest.

An oak opening contains a scattering of trees (mostly oaks), with a prairie understory. Grazing by cattle, plowing, and cessation of annual fires caused the oak openings to disappear by permitting trees and shrubs to invade these areas.

Small remnants of oak openings have survived on steep southwest-facing slopes and rocky hilltops of the Kettle Moraine.

Visit the Kettle Moraine Museum of Natural History to learn more about history, landscapes, & native plants/animals.

📍 S91 W39091 State Hwy 59, Eagle, WI 53119

08/14/2026

🧺 The Dr. O.R. Rice Memorial Picnic Area is a scenic, oak-filled peninsula jutting into Rice Lake. It is a popular spot for shore fishing, picnics, and launching kayaks.

📍 N7681 State Park Road, Whitewater, WI

📅Upcoming free events in your neck of the woods! A valid state park pass is required. Learn more: https://buff.ly/3tWLCh...
08/11/2026

📅Upcoming free events in your neck of the woods!

A valid state park pass is required.

Learn more: https://buff.ly/3tWLChK

Questions? Contact Katelyn Whitstone, [email protected], 262-594-6200

Address

S91 W39091 Highway 59
Eagle, WI
53119

Opening Hours

Monday 6am - 11pm
Tuesday 6am - 11pm
Wednesday 6am - 11pm
Thursday 6am - 11pm
Friday 6am - 11pm
Saturday 6am - 11pm
Sunday 6am - 11pm

Telephone

+12625946200

Website

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