Friends of Mirror Lake State Park

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Friends of Mirror Lake State Park

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Friends of Mirror Lake State Park, E10320 Fern Dell Road, Baraboo, WI.

06/11/2026

Here are the events and programs coming up over the next couple of weeks. Make sure to mark those dates now. :)

06/09/2026

Nature break! Grey sky today, but the forests are lush and green.
(Newport & Northwest Trails at Mirror Lake State Park)

06/03/2026

This weekend is a great time to visit Mirror Lake State Park. 🌲

June 6-7 is Wisconsin's Free Fun Weekend — no admission sticker, fishing license, or trail pass required. Just show up.

And...

Park naturalist Eliana Hudock has programs running both days:

Sat. June 6
Animal Trivia — 1-3 PM at the beach. Test your knowledge and try some hands-on crafts.

Sun. June 7
Echo Rock Stroll — 10 AM, meet at the Blue Water Bay Shelter. A walk covering the park's geology, views, and history.

Forest Giants — 1-3 PM at the beach. Learn about trees with some fun activities. Look for the Naturalist flag.

All programs are free with park admission.

Questions? Contact Eliana at [email protected] or 608-254-2333.
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Did you know? Naturalist programming at the park is funded in part by Friends of Mirror Lake State Park.

06/02/2026

🪣 Work day tomorrow at the park!

Dan Frisch is leading a picnic table crew this Wednesday, June 3 at 10 a.m. at the maintenance building. Tasks include rebuilding, repairing, and touch-up painting.

Please give Dan a heads-up if you plan to come — he needs a headcount to plan effectively. You can reach him at 608-843-0562 or email - [email protected]

05/29/2026

It’s a beautiful Friday morning and the lake is definitely doing its mirror thing. 😉

05/22/2026

🌿 Last Minute Drop - Naturalist Programs

The park naturalist has a full lineup of programs this Memorial Day weekend: wildflowers on Pioneer Trail Saturday morning, animal tracks at the beach Sunday, fish printing, bat talks, pond critters, and more.

Most programs are drop-in and free with your park admission sticker. Details on times and locations are in the flyer below.

🔗 Questions? Contact the park office at 608-254-2333 or email [email protected].

05/21/2026

Heading to Mirror Lake this Memorial Day weekend? Here's what to know before you go.

The boat landing remains closed as part of the ongoing construction project. Two alternatives are available nearby:

🚣 Canoe/Kayak Launch — Hwy 23
🚤 Town of Delton Boat Launch — Lakeview Rd off Hwy 23

The beach has been closed this week for retaining wall work, with plans to reopen this weekend. We'll have an update once we know it's clear.

Trail Closures: The Wild Rice Trail is closed through the completion of the lake dredging project, which will continue into 2026. The Echo Rock Trailhead is closed during the construction project.

For the latest before you head out:
🔗 https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/mirrorlake/conditions

See you out there! 🏕️

05/18/2026

A few clouds weren't enough to keep people away from Turtleville Trail on May 9, and it paid off. 🦋

Twelve species of butterflies in a single morning is a solid count for early spring. The two target species were the Olympia Marble and Eastern Pine Elfin, both tiny, both with short flight windows of just a few weeks each year, and both at home in the sandy barrens habitat along Turtleville Trail. Rock cress was in bloom along the trail, and that's where the group found them feeding.

Neither is easy to spot. The Marbles are restless fliers. The Elfins are barely thumbnail-sized. But they were there: 9 Marbles and 3 Elfins on the morning. 🌿

The full list: Black Swallowtail, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Cabbage White, Olympia Marble, Clouded Sulphur, Eastern Pine Elfin, Spring Azure, Mourning Cloak, American Lady, Silver-spotted Skipper, Juvenal's Duskywing, and Common Roadside-Skipper.

Thanks to everyone who came out, and to trip leaders Tod Highsmith and Pam Skaar, and our co-sponsors, Southern Wisconsin Butterfly Association & the Southern Wisconsin Birding Alliance.

05/14/2026

🔥 What looks like fire is actually maintenance.

You may have noticed the prescribed burn on one of the native prairies on the southern side of Mirror Lake State Park, the same prairie that Friends of Mirror Lake State Park helped create about 20 years ago through grants, donations, fundraising, and a lot of volunteer hours.

Prescribed burns are a regular part of managing this habitat today. The heat promotes germination of native plants and helps hold back invasive species that would otherwise crowd them out. DNR wildlife biologists and foresters work closely with the park to keep the full range of habitats, and the species that depend on them, in balance.

The prairie doesn't return by accident. And it doesn't remain healthy without ongoing work.

05/12/2026

It's not every day you see pelicans at Mirror Lake.

White pelicans were once common in Wisconsin, but overhunting and habitat loss pushed them out for most of the 20th century. No nesting pairs were recorded in the state until they reappeared in Green Bay in 1994.

Today, they're a regular sight on the Wisconsin River and around Lake Wisconsin. And as you can see, they're making their way to Mirror Lake too. 🦢

Address

E10320 Fern Dell Road
Baraboo, WI
53913

Telephone

+16082542333

Website

http://www.friendsofmirrorlake.org/

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