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

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.

✨ Night creatures come out to play with the setting of the sun! Bats flutter in the dusk air, and coyotes call to the st...
09/10/2026

✨ Night creatures come out to play with the setting of the sun! Bats flutter in the dusk air, and coyotes call to the stars. Come and join us for a hike to find these friends and see the for-est in a new light!

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

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

📝 Journalers are encouraged to spend time documenting what they observe. Basic supplies of a simple journal, colored pen...
09/08/2026

📝 Journalers are encouraged to spend time documenting what they observe. Basic supplies of a simple journal, colored pencils, watercolor paint and paper will be available. Participants are welcome to bring their own journal and supplies if they wish.

This event will be held rain or shine.

🔗Learn more: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/events/129611

❓ Questions? Contact Amanda Kutka at [email protected] or 262-594-6200

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

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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