Wisconsin's 10 Best State Parks According To Visitor Reviews

Wisconsin is blessed with some incredible natural spaces that are preserved as state parks, managed by the Wisconsin DNR. Some of these parks draw millions of visitors each year!

While some of the Badger State's most-visited parks tend to be closer to the state's biggest population centers. some of the best-rated parks by visitors might be considered more "off the beaten path", but definitely worth the trip!

Before we get into what the best-rated parks are according to visitors on TripAdvisor, here are the most-visited parks of the last full calendar year, according to the Wisconsin DNR.

Wisconsin's most-visited state parks

Photo by Jonathan J. Castellon on Unsplash

While I can't say there are any "bad" state parks, sometimes you might just visit one because it is nearby or because of a specific event, activity, or attraction. When you compare the most-visited list with the best-rated list below, you'll see what I mean.

Here are the 5 most-visited Wisconsin state parks of 2023, the most recent data from the Wisconsin DNR (via Milwaukee Journal Sentinel):

5) High Cliff State Park: More than 686,000 visitors each year. Nearest "large" cities within 30 miles include Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh, and Fond du Lac.

4) Governor Dodge State Park: Almost 690,000 visitors each year. Nearest "large" city is Madison, only 35 miles away.

3) Peninsula State Park: About 1.2 million visitors each year. The nearest "large" cities are a little further away, being this park is on a peninsula, with Green Bay being only 60 miles away and smaller Sturgeon Bay being a little over 20 miles away.

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2) Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit: About 1.5 million visitors each year. Nearest "large" cities within 30 miles include Milwaukee, Janesville, and Lake Geneva.

1) Devil's Lake State Park: About 2.4 million visitors each year. Nearest "large" cities with 30 miles include Madison and Wisconsin Dells.

Wisconsin's best-rated state parks

For me, this is what matters most in a state park. Like I said earlier, there really aren't any "bad" state parks. There's a reason each state park exists. It has some cool thing that draws people. That said, some are just way cooler than others.

Here are the best-rated state parks in Wisconsin, according to visitors on TripAdvisor.