Last year was a big one for Wisconsin state parks.
It was the 125th anniversary of the Wisconsin state park system, the start of new 12-month state park passes and the highest number of overall visitors since 2021.
Nearly 21 million people – an estimated 20,838,733 – visited state parks, forests and trails in 2025, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
That’s an increase from the last few years. In 2024, an estimated 19,858,150 visitors explored the state’s park system, and, in 2023, there were an estimated 20,296,960 visitors.
While the DNR can only estimate the precise numbers of visitors at each park, the figures can provide insight into the most popular parks to visit and which may offer more solitude.
Which Wisconsin state parks were visited most in 2025?
As in previous years, the most popular of Wisconsin’s 50 state parks in 2025 was Devil’s Lake State Park in Baraboo. With its scenic bluffs alongside a 360-acre lake and ample opportunities for hiking, rock climbing, swimming and paddling, Devil’s Lake remains a favorite destination for Wisconsinites – and visitors to the state.
Throughout the year, Devil’s Lake had about 2.3 million visitors, according to DNR data – over 800,000 more visitors than the second-most visited state land, Kettle Moraine State Forest’s Southern Unit.
Its most popular month was July – which is also the most popular time for visits for the state park system overall, followed closely by August.
Here are the 10 most-visited Wisconsin state parks and forests of 2025, and their DNR visitor estimates:
They were the same most-visited parks as in 2014, though in a slightly different order.
Which Wisconsin state parks were visited least?
While they receive less hype than the more popular destinations, Wisconsin’s least-visited state parks offer a unique experience of quiet reflection in nature and uncrowded hiking trails.
Here are the 10 least-visited state parks, forests and trails of 2025, according to DNR estimates:
How did the Wisconsin state park system celebrate its 125th anniversary?
Last year was the 125th anniversary of the establishment of the first Wisconsin state park, Interstate Park in St. Croix Falls. Since that time, the system has grown to include 50 state parks, 44 state trails and 15 state forests.
The Wisconsin state park system celebrated its “quasquicentennial year” with a variety of events, according to a Facebook post from the Wisconsin DNR. It also completed multiple projects in 2025, including some that improved accessibility, like the installation of universal kayak launches at several parks and a mobility mat at Governor Thompson State Park.
The DNR’s new 12-month state park passes also increased passes’ lifespan for most park visitors, encouraging more visits. While previously, passes ran out at the end of the calendar year, they’re now valid for 12 months from purchase.
The Wisconsin State Park System also introduced a special 125-year-anniversary line of merchandise, which included T-shirts, tote bags, mugs and more. It also began selling a new Adventure Journal – which allows park visitors to keep track of their experiences on state park properties – for the first time in 25 years, according to the DNR.
Contact Kelli Arseneau at (920) 213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @ArseneauKelli.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What were Wisconsin’s most and least visited state parks of 2025?
Reporting by Kelli Arseneau, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
