Midwest Adventurers

Camping trip at Kettle Moraine Southern Unit - Pinewoods Campground Group Site A

This camping trip is open to all. Covering more than 22,000 acres of forested glacial hills, kettle lakes and prairies, the Southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest is interlaced with more than 100 miles of mountain biking, horseback riding and hiking and many nature trails. Paddling, boating, swimming, fishing, hunting and winter sport opportunities are all available. It’s located about 37 miles southeast of Milwaukee.

The term “kettle moraine” is actually a geological description that comes from how the area was created. A moraine is an accumulation of rock and soil that comes from a glacier, while a kettle is a shallow body of water formed by a retreating glacier. You don’t need a degree in geology to figure out that this means the area is filled with rolling hills, valleys and ridges.

Pinewoods group camp offers four large sites (A, B, C and D) that accommodate up to 40 people and 20 vehicles per site. We have reserved Pinewoods group site A for this trip. The Pinewoods Campground has vault toilets near the group sites - the park will not have water turned on yet - so please come with plenty of water. Electricity is not available at the campsites.

Pinewoods Campground
Group Campsite A
W348 S4695 Waterville Rd.
Dousman, WI 53118

We’ll plan on hiking the Scuppernong Green & Observation Loop. It is a well marked trail with beautiful scenery. Considered a moderate hike, the loop totals 5.3 miles and would be perfect to do on Saturday. The trail features small hills, plenty of birdwatching, and a combination of sand, gravel, and rocky paths. It can get muddy during this time of year, so be sure to bring an extra pair of hiking boots, just in case. It’s also a good idea to bring your trekking poles in case some of the trails are a little gnarly:)

Weather
This is a late winter trip, please check the weather forecast and come prepared for cooler temperatures.

Friday
We will be at group site A both nights. Arrive any time after 3pm. Have dinner, get your tent set up and relax. We will probably go in town for our usual Friday night fish fry if you would like to join.

Saturday
Have breakfast and start exploring the park. We can plan a hike, and enjoy the day.

Sunday
Check out is at 1pm. We’ll have breakfast, and we can do another hike. You can venture off on your own, pack up and visit the surrounding area for the day, or head home when you are ready.

Fees
Your $15.00 meetup fee covers $10 in 2 nights of camping costs, $3 in Meetup fees and $2 in firewood. The fee DOES NOT cover personal equipment or food. You will need a WI state pass to enter the park. Payment is due 48 hours after signing up. Full refunds will be honored if notified by April 20th. Please send your fee by Venmo @Danielledomnitz or by Zelle at 414-759-6317. When you make your payment, please let us know what trip this is for since we have many trips scheduled, and only a few organizers handling the funds. Thank you

This event is open to everyone! If you have never heard of Mackinac Island, it is known as the Crown Jewel of the Great Lakes, it is right between Michigan’s two peninsulas. Because Mackinac Island is surrounded by water with no bridge to the mainland, we will be arriving by ferry. Motor vehicles are prohibited on the island, so the taxis are horsepower. Bicycles are a popular mode of transportation around town and a great way to experience the miles of trails through Mackinac Island State Park, which makes up more than 80% of the island. Because the island measures less than 4 miles it is very walkable. You can walk all the way around the island in a couple hours.

The island has a huge variety of different things to do. There is a variety of restaurants, shops, museums, horseback riding, rent and drive your own horse carriage, a butterfly house to explore, haunted theater, guided haunts, kayak tours, “Forge a Memory Shop” where you can make your own knife or arrowhead necklace, rent a bike for getting around the island, and lots more. Anyone see the movie “Somewhere in Time” with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour? Remember The Grand Hotel in the movie, it’s there on the island. You can do a self guided tour of the hotel, and also eat there.

Campsites
We will be camping at Straits State Park sites, 5, 6, 12 and 14 in the lower section by the beach lake access. We will have a great view of the Mackina Bridge. There are 4 buildings with showers and bathrooms you can use. The park is half a mile from the ferries that travel to and from the island. We will ferry over Saturday morning and spend the day at the island and then ferry back in the evening.

Carpooling would be a fun option if anybody wants to plan that with others attending.

Friday
Arrive when your time allows at the Straits State Park have dinner either in town - St. Ignace or fix your own at our campsite once you have your tent set up. I plan to be there by 3 PM.

Saturday
Have breakfast and then we will ferry over to the island with Arnold Transit Company Mackinac Island Ferry. The ferry tickets are open time so you can head over to the island whenever you would like. There’s also no return time so you can stay as long as you like.

Sunday
Have breakfast, pack up and head back to Wisconsin, or if you like on your own time, explore the city of St. Ignace home to lots of gift shops, restaurants, or bring your fishing pole, and do some fishing by the bridge.

Fees
Your $60 Meetup fee covers $23 in camping cost, $2 in Meetup fees and $35 for round-trip ferry tickets. The fee does not cover personal equipment, food, or any extra activities you want to do when you arrive at the island. Please look into the activities you are interested in so you have an idea of cost or if reservations are needed. You will need a Michigan Recreation Passport to enter the state park, you can get this online. The daily pass is $11, a annual one is $40. You can also get it when you arrive. Remember it may take a couple weeks to receive the pass in the mail. Please send your fee by Venmo @Sherri-Lockwood or you can send it through Zelle at 414-759-6317. Payment is due within 48 hours of signing up. Refunds will be honored if notified by May 1.

Weather
This is a spring trip weather could be anything please come prepared for various temperatures. Check the weather forecast for the island before you start packing to ensure you’re prepared. 

This event is open to everyone. High Cliff State Park is a 1,187 acre park situated above and below the limestone cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment, this park is the only state-owned recreation area on Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin's largest inland lake. One visit and you’ll understand why this is one of the state’s most highly utilized parks! High Cliff is situated high above the water on the Niagara Escarpment, a large limestone arc stretching through Niagara Falls and into Canada. Enjoy cliff faces, wooded areas with hiking, biking and equestrian trails, spectacular lake vistas, and beautiful sunsets. Learn about famed leader Chief Redbird, the limestone village that once stood in the park, or visit the effigy mounds found in the park. Amenities include a swimming area in the lower park, showers, firewood sales, a concession store, and bustling marina. At the park, you are in within a short walking distance to golf, food, and ice cream.

There are 2 bike trails, one loops the park, the other travels along the top of the Niagara Escarpment which features panoramic views of Lake Winnebago, the observation tower, the Chief Red Bird statue and limestone quarries. The park has four developed boat launches. Windsurfers, kite boarders, and paddlers enjoy access to the lake using the undeveloped boat launch. There is a swim area. The bathhouse has flush toilets, showers, changing areas and open shelters. Both the Butterfly Pond and Lake Winnebago have fishing opportunities. The pond may yield largemouth bass and panfish. Fish for walleye, white bass and perch on the lake. A Wisconsin fishing license is required to fish at both locations. Anglers of any age may check out basic fishing equipment free of charge at the park office. The hiking trails offer different levels of challenge to hikers. All trails are looped and vary in length. From the vantage point of the cliff and especially from the 40-foot observation tower, you can see the cities of Appleton, Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha and Kaukauna.

Directions
High Cliff State Park N7630 State Park Rd, Sherwood, Wisconsin

Weather
This is a summer trip, please check the weather forecast and come prepared for various temperatures.

Friday
We will be at group site #205 both nights. Arrive any time after 3pm. Have dinner, get your tent set up and relax. We will probably go in town for our usual Friday night fish fry if you would like to join.

Saturday
Have breakfast and start exploring the park. We can plan a few hikes, take the kayaks out, do a bike trail, jump in the water to cool off after hiking, go lay out on the beach, have lunch by the water.

Sunday
Check out is at 1pm. We’ll have breakfast, and we can do another hike, you can venture off on your own, pack up and visit the surrounding area for the day, more time relaxing on the beach, do some more fishing or head home, lots of options.

Fees
Your $15.00 meetup fee covers $10 in 2 nights of camping costs, $3 in Meetup fees and $2 in firewood. The fee DOES NOT cover personal equipment or food. You will need a WI state pass to enter the park. Payment is due 48 hours after signing up. Full refunds will be honored if notified by May 30th. Please send your fee by Venmo @Sherri-Lockwood or by Zelle at 414-759-6317.