Parks + Recreation News & Events

April 18: Great Sauk State Trail Event

Notice: There will be an event on the Great Sauk State Trail on Saturday, April 18 from 9:30 a.m. until noon. This event will take place on the segment between the Ruth Culver and George Culver Libraries. The trail will remain open during this time.

Lazy Beaver Canoe + Kayak Race

Check it out! The Friends of the Baraboo River are hosting the Lazy Beaver Canoe + Kayak Race on Satuday July 25, 2026. Visit The Friends of the Baraboo River website to register. See the event flyer at the bottom of this page for details.

2025 Annual Report Recap

2025 was a busy year for us - take a look at the Annual Report Recap PDF at the bottom of this page to take a look at some of our highlights! Thanks for a great year!

New Event: Poetry Path!

We're turning Earth Day into Earth Month with our new Poetry Path event!

The Willie Walsh Nature Trail has transformed into a poetry haven for this event. Walk this half-mile (round trip) trail and read nature-based poems that will be posted along the way. The poetry will be centered around nature, conservation, parks, and other similar themes. Ponder the poems as you stroll through the woods, and reflect on what Earth Day is all about!

Then, combine creative and outdoor exploration by writing your own nature-based poem! There will be a poetry station at each end of the trail where you can write and submit a poem for the chance to win a prize. 

Official rules and details:

1. Eligibility: Open to all ages. Multiple entries allowed. 

2. Submission: Poems can be original and submitted in the deposit box on the Willie Walsh Nature Trail, emailed to parks.rec@saukcountywi.gov or delivered to the Sauk County Parks + Recreation office at S7995 White Mound Drive, Hillpoint, WI 53937. Typical office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM CST. Poems should reflect themes of parks, nature, conservation and recreation. 

3. Deadline: All poems must be submitted by 1:00 PM CST on May 14, 2026. The winner will be announced on May 19, 2026.

4. Judging: Poems will be reviewed by Sauk County staff. Criteria may include creativity, originality, representation of park, nature, conservation and/or recreation.

5. Prize: One winning artist will receive recognition on social media and the Sauk County website. Their choice of a free weekend of camping, a 2026 Sauk County annual sticker or one free hour of paddle sport rental for two people. Prizes must be claimed by December 31, 2026.

6. Rights & Usage: By submitting a poem, entrants grant Sauk County permission to use, reproduce the poem for promotional and official park purposes. By submitting a poem, entrants understand that no copyright infringements have been made by their poem. The author will always be credited where possible.

7. General conditions: Inappropriate or offensive content will not be accepted. Sauk County has the right to cancel or modify the event at any time. Entrants agree to the official rules and consent to Sauk County using their poem, name and likeness for publicity and promotion. This contest is not sponsored, endorsed, associated or administered by Facebook or Instagram.  No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited.

8. Accessibility: Any person who has a qualifying disability that requires this event to be in an accessible location or format should contact Sauk County Parks and Recreation at 608-355-4800 between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday, exclusive of legal holidays, at least 48 hours in advance of participation in the event so that reasonable arrangements can be made to accommodate each request. Please call our office at 608-355-4800 with any questions.

Project RED: Riverine Early Detectors Training

Heads up! Project RED is conducting a training session on riverine early detectors on June 27th, starting at 9AM. Visit uppersugar.org/news or email info@uppersugar.org to register. Event flyer with more details is attached as a supporting document at the bottom of this page.

Event Reminder: You Can Design Our 2027 Park Pass Sticker!

The contest to design our 2027 park pass sticker is still ongoing! We have received some amazing designs so far and would love to see more! Submissions will be accepted until May 4, 2026. Please see directly below for all event rules and details, or scroll down on this page to see the original event announcement. We can’t wait to see your wonderful creations!

Official rules and details:

1. Eligibility: Open to all ages. One entry per person.

2. Design Requirements: Design must be original artwork created by the entrant. Artwork should reflect themes of parks, nature, conservation and recreation, native to Sauk County. The design must fit into the blank square on the provided template - found below. The language and font on the provided cannot move or be altered besides color. Only 3 solid colors allowed. 

3. Submission: Submissions may be digital or hand-drawn. If digital, submissions must be emailed to parks.rec@saukcountywi.gov; acceptable file formats include JPG, PNG or PDF. If hand-drawn, submissions must be delivered to the Sauk County Parks + Recreation office at S7995 White Mound Drive, Hillpoint, WI 53937; Typical office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM CST; Entries must be able to be scanned or photographed clearly.

4. Deadline: All entries must be submitted by 4:00 PM CST on May 4, 2026. The winner will be announced May 20, 2026.

5. Judging: Designs will be reviewed by Sauk County staff and narrowed down to the top 5. Judging criteria may include creativity, originality and representation of park, nature, conservation and/or recreation. Only one final design will be chosen by the general public via social media messages, comments, emails, votes cast at and over the phone to the Sauk County Parks + Recreation office.

6. Prize: One winning design will be featured on the 2027 Sauk County annual sticker. The winning artist will receive recognition on social media and the Sauk County website, a free 2027 Sauk County annual sticker and a $50 gift card to Sauk County Parks + Recreation. Prizes must be claimed by December 31, 2026.

7. Rights & Usage: By submitting a design, entrants grant Sauk County permission to use, reproduce and modify the artwork for promotional and official park purposes, including printing and digital use. By submitting a design, entrants understand that no copyright infringements have been made by their design. The artist will always be credited where possible.

8. General conditions: Inappropriate or offensive content will not be accepted. Sauk County reserves the right to make minor adjustments to the winning design. Sauk County has the right to cancel or modify the event at any time. Entrants agree to the official rules and consent to Sauk County using their design, name and likeness for publicity and promotion.  This contest is not sponsored, endorsed, associated or administered by Facebook or Instagram.  No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited.

Great Sauk State Trail Update

The Great Sauk State Trail is coming to Devil's Lake State Park!  Sauk County has officially partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to develop the trail within the park’s boundaries, and to help the project along, Congressman Mark Pocan secured a special federal funding allocation of 1.2 million to help us get the project started!  How are we doing this? Well, keep checking this page for more updates!

Boat Landing Piers Are In!

We’re excited to announce that all of the Sauk County boat landing piers have been installed! This includes the North End Boat Landing on Lake Redstone, Summer Oaks Boat Landing on Lake Wisconsin, and the White Mound Boat Landing on White Mound Lake.

White Mound County Park Campground NOW OPEN!

Hey happy campers, welcome back! The White Mound County Park campground is now open for the season (not including horse or rustic camping). Call (608) 355-4800 or visit the Camping Reservations page to make a booking. Please be aware that the water is not turned on yet, meaning that the showers, bubblers, sinks and dump station water are unavailable until the weather warms up. In the meantime there is water available at the spout at the edge of the office parking lot.

Accessible Hunting Blind Applications Now Closed

The period to turn in applications to use our accessible hunting blind at White Mound County Park this year is now closed. Thank you to everyone interested who turned in an application, please stay tuned to hear the lottery results!

Egg Hunt official rules and details:

1. Eligibility: Open to all ages. One entry per person. 

2. Submission: Eggs must be turned into the Sauk County Parks + Recreation office during office hours. Typical office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM CST.

3. Prizes: One prize will be awarded to each person who finds an egg. There are 5 eggs total. Winners will receive their choice of a 2026 Sauk County annual sticker, Sauk County Parks + Recreation mug, one free hour of paddle sport rental for two people or a children's prize. Prizes need to be claimed by December 31, 2026.

4: Deadline: April 7, 2026 at 4:00 PM CST.

5: General conditions: Sauk County has the right to modify or cancel the event at any time. No purchase necessary; however, there is an entrance fee required for motorized vehicles at White Mound County Park and Lake Redstone County Park. Void where prohibited. This event is not sponsored, endorsed, associated or administered by Facebook or Instagram. Entrants agree to the official rules.

6. Accessibility: Any person who has a qualifying disability that requires this event to be in an accessible location or format should contact Sauk County Parks + Recreation at 608-355-4800 between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday, exclusive of legal holidays, at least 48 hours in advance of participation in the event so that reasonable arrangements can be made to accommodate each request. Please call our office at 608-355-4800 with any questions.

Event: Rock Painting
It's time to "rock" at White Mound County Park!

We are excited to introduce a new long-term event, which is a rock painting station inside of the Sauk County Parks and Recreation office. Put on your creative cap to paint a design on your rock, then place it on the path outside of the office for everyone to see!

This station will be available during office hours until September 18, 4:00 PM CST. Supplies, including rocks, will be provided. 

Rock on, everyone!

Check Out Our 2026 Events!
Take a look at our 2026 events schedule at the bottom of this page! We have many new ones that we’re excited to share with you!

All details and rules will be posted on this page on the start date of each event. Please email parks.rec@saukcountywi.gov or call us at (608) 355-4800 with any questions.

Any person who has a qualifying disability that requires an event to be in an accessible location or format should contact Sauk County Parks and Recreation at 608-355-4800 between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday, exclusive of legal holidays, at least 48 hours in advance of participation in the event so that reasonable arrangements can be made to accommodate each request.

We look forward to seeing you!

Event: Design Our 2027 Park Pass Sticker!
Design our 2027 park pass sticker! 

We're excited to invite our community to help shape the design of our 2027 Sauk County annual sticker. This sticker will help represent our parks and the users who love them, and this year, you can design it! 

Artists of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to participate. Whether you draw by hand, design digitally or paint your vision, we want to see what our parks inspire in you. 

We'll narrow down the designs to the top 5 based on creativity, originality and representation of Sauk County Parks + Recreation, but then we'll ask you to vote on the final design. The winning design will be featured on our official 2027 Sauk County annual sticker! 

Official rules and details:

1. Eligibility: Open to all ages. One entry per person.

2. Design Requirements: Design must be original artwork created by the entrant. Artwork should reflect themes of parks, nature, conservation and recreation, native to Sauk County. The design must fit into the blank square on the provided template - found below. The language and font on the provided cannot move or be altered besides color. Only 3 solid colors allowed. 

3. Submission: Submissions may be digital or hand-drawn. If digital, submissions must be emailed to parks.rec@saukcountywi.gov; acceptable file formats include JPG, PNG or PDF. If hand-drawn, submissions must be delivered to the Sauk County Parks + Recreation office at S7995 White Mound Drive, Hillpoint, WI 53937; Typical office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM CST; Entries must be able to be scanned or photographed clearly.

4. Deadline: All entries must be submitted by 4:00 PM CST on May 4, 2026. The winner will be announced May 20, 2026.

5. Judging: Designs will be reviewed by Sauk County staff and narrowed down to the top 5. Judging criteria may include creativity, originality and representation of park, nature, conservation and/or recreation. Only one final design will be chosen by the general public via social media messages, comments, emails, votes cast at and over the phone to the Sauk County Parks + Recreation office.

6. Prize: One winning design will be featured on the 2027 Sauk County annual sticker. The winning artist will receive recognition on social media and the Sauk County website, a free 2027 Sauk County annual sticker and a $50 gift card to Sauk County Parks + Recreation. Prizes must be claimed by December 31, 2026.

7. Rights & Usage: By submitting a design, entrants grant Sauk County permission to use, reproduce and modify the artwork for promotional and official park purposes, including printing and digital use. By submitting a design, entrants understand that no copyright infringements have been made by their design. The artist will always be credited where possible.

8. General conditions: Inappropriate or offensive content will not be accepted. Sauk County reserves the right to make minor adjustments to the winning design. Sauk County has the right to cancel or modify the event at any time. Entrants agree to the official rules and consent to Sauk County using their design, name and likeness for publicity and promotion.  This contest is not sponsored, endorsed, associated or administered by Facebook or Instagram.  No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited.

Rustic Sites
Exciting news, everyone!

White Mound County Park will have 3 rustic sites available for camping next year! These are defined as hike-in, hike-out sites without water, electricity, or bathrooms. Each rustic site will accommodate tents, and they each have a picnic table, fire ring, utility post, and boulder seating.

- Rustic Campsite #1 is southwest of the Parks maintenance building, approximately 0.6 miles from nearest parking lot
- Rustic Campsite #2 is north of the horse campground, approximately 0.7 miles from the horse campground parking lot
- Rustic Campsite #3 is southeast of the boat landing, approximately 0.3 miles from the boat landing parking lot

These are available to be reserved for the 2026 camping season. For more information about rustic campsites and making reservations please see our Rustic Camping and Reservation Policy pages.