05/22/2026
Weekend Recreation Update:
TRAIL STATUS:
Equestrian and bike trails are OPEN. Remember to share the trail with other users. Brush up on trail etiquette on our website. Always check trail status prior to heading out. https://kvr.state.wi.us/.../TrailEttiquette-KVRprintOnly...
VISITOR CENTER HOURS:
The Kickapoo Valley Reserve Visitor Center is open Monday - Saturday 8am to 4:30pm and Sundays and Holidays 10am to 4pm. In case of EMERGENCY, dial 911. All other inquiries should call the main line and leave a message. KVR Staff will return your call. 608-625-2960. If you are reporting a non-emergency issue with immediate needs on the property, text or call 608-606-5701.
KICKAPOO RIVER WATER TRAIL STATUS:
Expect cold water. There is a total blockage with difficult portage between Landing 12 and Bridge 13 and a total blockage between Bridge 16 and Bridge 18. Crews are working on blockages as conditions allow. Stay safe and wear a PFD.
DOGS:
Dogs are welcome on the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. However, ALL dogs are required to be on leash between April 15 and July 31 to protect nesting birds and new arrivals. This doesn’t mean other people’s dogs. It means your dog. This includes in campsites, on trails, at trail heads. Clean up after your pet. Bagging the dog waste is great, why then leave the bag at the trail head or on the ground in the parking lot. Respect the property and others please.
CAMPING:
All campsites are full for the holiday weekend Call the Visitor Center if you would like to be put on a wait list. 608-625-2960
FLOWER LOOKERS:
Spring ephemerals are starting to wind down. Orchids may be showing their beauty and a few hearty trilliums. Wild Geranium is nice to see now. Keep an eye out for Dame's Rocket, it is a Phlox look alike but with only 4 flower petals instead of 5. Dame's Rocket is an invasive. Pulling it and bagging it is the method we would use at this stage. We supply bags if you find some! Volunteers are welcome, just make sure you have a positive ID before you pull!
BIRD WATCHERS:
More and more birds arriving! The goslings and sandhill colts are growing so fast. There are warblers of all kinds to see and hear! Bring your binoculars! It is a grand time! Check out this very useful bird ID app https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/
ROAD CONSTRUCTION:
Road construction continues on State Road 131 between La Farge and Ontario. Visitors to the KVR and Kickapoo River are considered local traffic. kickapoovalley.wi.gov
As of noon on Friday, May 22 the bridge over Jug Creek on State Road 131 is open for Local Traffic Only. The approaches to the bridge are likely bumpy, take it easy!
LEAVE NO TRACE:
Clean up after yourself, your pets and your animals. Leave the Kickapoo Valley Reserve cleaner than when you found it. Do not burn trash in fire pits. Absolutely no glass is allowed on the river. Pack it in, pack it out!
VOLUNTEER:
We received a grant for live milkweed plants again this year from Monarch Watch and the plants have arrived! If you would like to help plant, call the Visitor Center. We will be planting them beginning on Tuesday next week! There are over 1500 plants to get into the ground! Anyone willing and able is asked to spend some time pulling Garlic Mustard and Dame's Rocket while visiting the KVR. Plants should be pulled, root and all and bagged, because the seed is already viable. We supply the bags and the locations and will retrieve filled, tied shut bags from the woods if you let us know where they are! A huge thank you to all who spend a little time helping us with this aggressive invasive species.
VISITOR PASS:
Don't forget your KVR specific day or annual pass. You can get a pass online or at the Visitor Center. KVR passes are required. State Park and State Trail passes do not apply on the Kickapoo Valley Reserve.
kickapoovalley.wi.gov
"Their ultimate sacrifice was the highest act of love for their country. We honor their courage and memory today."
Stay safe and enjoy Memorial Day Weekend.
