Forever a Friend of Wisconsin State Parks
Since its founding in 1996, the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks (FWSP) has been committed to its mission of preserving, protecting, promoting and enhancing Wisconsin’s state parks, trails, forests and recreation areas. We’ve grown from a small group of volunteers to a network of over 50 local Friends groups representing more than 5,000 individuals across the state. We are the only organization solely dedicated to supporting Wisconsin parks and their Friends groups.
Why Do Wisconsin State Parks Need a Friend?
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
FWSP 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. Since its founding, FWSP has:
- coordinated thousands of hours of volunteer efforts
- contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars for campground and trail improvements, interpretive displays, naturalist programming and accessibility projects
- provided a forum for local Friends groups to solve common problems
- served as a voice for educating the public and legislators about issues critical to our state’s outdoor treasures.
Learn more about our impact here <Link>.