Since its establishment in 1996, Friends of Wisconsin State Parks (FWSP) has been dedicated to preserving, protecting, promoting and enhancing Wisconsin’s state parks, forests, trails, and recreation areas. Our singular purpose is to support these natural places so that they will be sources of inspiration for generations to come.

Why Do Wisconsin Parks Need Our Help?

Wisconsin’s state parks rely primarily on entrance and user fees to support their operations. These fees do not fully support the services and activities provided or the maintenance of buildings, roads, trails, bathrooms and other infrastructure that is required at these sprawling properties. With visitation at record levels, the demands on park services and infrastructure are increasing as well. As a consequence, parks rely heavily on the contributions and efforts of a large collection of dedicated volunteers to help create the park experience that we all love.

What We Do

Friends of Wisconsin State Parks works in collaboration with local Friends groups and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to improve the park experience for the millions of people who visit each year and to ensure that millions more will be able to enjoy Wisconsin’s natural beauty in the future. FWSP has coordinated thousands of hours of volunteer efforts, contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to support vital park improvements, provided an outlet for local Friends groups to solve common problems and served as a public voice for our state’s outdoor treasures in the legislative process.