Newport Wilderness Society

08/07/2026

See the universe come into view after sunset!

Join presenter Eli Sofovich (UW Madison Astronomy Department) on August 12, 2026 at 8:30 PM for a free, in-person, rain or shine Universe in the Park event hosted by Newport State Park in Ellison Bay, WI (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources) No registration required to attend!

Learn more: https://hubs.li/Q04dKxnS0

08/06/2026

Thank you, Kylie!

An easy one-mile hiking loop, the Poetry Trail at Newport State Park offers views of the state park and a chance to embrace your poetic appreciation. You can take out paper and a pencil to try your own writing, or simply read the work of others while you hike.

Poems displayed along the trail were written by members of a series called “Telling the Truth of Our Lives,” a Write On mentoring program for women who want to write. The display cases have been maintained year-round by Write On, Door County since 2016, with different writers and poets featured quarterly.

To read the full story, click HERE>>doorcountypulse.com/following-the-poems-at-newport

08/01/2026

Some of today’s visitors to the squirrel-planted sunflower.

07/20/2026

Rockstar Elise (literally) released our first monarch last week!

06/21/2026

Newport State Park would not be the wilderness park it is today without the land preservation legacy of Ferdinand Hotz (1868-1946) and his descendants. NWS recently installed interpretive signage at the site of the cottage overlooking Europe Lake built by Hotz in 1920. Hotz's great-grandsons, Ed and Eric Apfelbach, and their families joined us for the unveiling.

Location of sign in map graphic below.

06/19/2026

See us in the parade and come visit our booth!

Ellison Bay Day & Parade 2026

06/07/2026

Last night we did our bat count and here are some of the helpers waiting for the bats to leave their roosts. The bat count went very well, with a total of 91 bats counted at four locations. This bat count is done statewide the first weekend of June, before the pups leave the roost, and mid July after they are flying on their own. The hope is that the count increases from June to July. The past few years we’ve seen an increase in our bat counts, which has been very encouraging. These numbers are reported to the state and is very important to give them a snapshot into the bat population. Thank you to the volunteers that came out and helped. Go bats!

06/01/2026

Need some joy? Yellow Lady Slippers are in full bloom at Newport. Find them on any 'woodsy' trail in the park. (But please don't pick them. Leave them for everyone to enjoy.)

03/30/2026

Protecting Night Skies from Light Pollution

On clear nights in northern Door County, the Milky Way still splashes across the sky – a view that’s growing measurably fainter, pushing Newport State Park closer to the edge of losing its rare, certified darkness.

In response, the Town of Liberty Grove passed a resolution on March 4 to preserve dark skies, reduce light pollution, protect wildlife and promote energy-efficient lighting. Motivated by concern for Newport’s rare designation as a Dark Sky Park, it may be the first formal local effort to limit the advance of artificial light beyond some lighting controls for signs and a few case-by-case conditions.

“Everybody sees the threat; everybody sees something has to be done,” Town Board Chair Nancy Goss said.

The resolution calls for developing outdoor-lighting guidelines, converting town-owned lights to dark-sky-friendly standards and working with neighboring communities to preserve the peninsula’s night skies.

To read more, click HERE>> doorcountypulse.com/protecting-night-skies-from-light-pollution