(This story was updated to add new information.)
The Lime Kiln Trail restoration project at High Cliff State Park in Sherwood is finally complete.
Friends of High Cliff State Park gathered on June 12 with donors and community partners to formally dedicate the Lime Kiln Trail Waterfall Area and Stairs and call the project complete.
Here’s what you need to know about the project:
Friends of High Cliff State Park spent years on project
In 2022, an organization called The Friends of High Cliff State Park started multi-year, phased project to address long-standing safety, accessibility, and deferred maintenance issues.
“Friends of High Cliff State Park is a group of volunteers who enjoy, help preserve, and enhance this natural resource, and find so much in this Park to appreciate,” said Gary Vaughan, president of Friends of High Cliff State Park Board of Directors in a recent news release. “Having the support from donors and community partners to improve the visitor experience for over 700,000 park users each year is wonderful.”
The new stairs were built in a series of several projects, completed with different structures allowing more accessibility to separate parts of the park.
[There are] trail improvements at the Waterfall Area,” said Greg Burns, Friends’ member and project leader in an interview with the Post-Crescent. “Including the creation of an Observation Lobe with council stones for rest and reflection overlooking Lake Winnebago. The other stair, located at the junction of the Red Bird Trail and the Lime Kiln Trail near the Family Campground is referred to as the Upper Stair and was completed at the end of May. It provides the only access to the Lime Kiln Trail from the top of the Niagara Escarpment.”
The Friends organization was established in 1997 as a non-profit corporation, organized for the charitable and educational purpose of supporting, assisting, and promoting the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources with interpretive, scientific, historical, educational, and related visitor service.
“We would not be able to make these much-needed updates without our many supporters and we are so thankful. We want as many people as possible to enjoy this community treasure that includes a 125-acre State Natural Area supporting rare and sensitive plant and animal communities,” said Burns, in a press release.
What’s next for the park and its trails?
While expressing his gratitude for all those helping to bring this project to completion, Curt Detjen, president and CEO of the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, announced additional funding to support the next phases of the Lime Kiln Trail restoration project and enhancements to the Indian Mound Trail, including trail rerouting, new surfacing, and interpretive signage that will help visitors better understand and appreciate the Native American history and ongoing cultural connection to the park.
“The Community Foundation and the David L. & Rita E. Nelson Family Fund are pleased to see the completion of the stairs replacement project, an important investment in both visitor safety and accessibility,” said Detjen. “High Cliff State Park is a treasured community resource, attracting visitors who come to experience its unique natural beauty and the area’s rich historical significance. We are thrilled to continue to partner in projects that inspire people to explore, learn, and connect with all that is offered at High Cliff State Park.”
Burns detailed more of these plans in with exact dates in mind.
“These milestone trail improvements will be followed by additional phases of trail work: Upper Leg Trail Segment in fall 2026; South Connector Trail Segment in fall 2027, and Lower Leg Trail Segment along Lake Winnebago in fall 2028, marking the completion of the Lime Kiln Trail Remediation Project,” said Burns.
History of the trail led to decades of preservation
Wisconsin bought the land for High Cliff State Park in 1956 and opened the park in 1957. The 1.7-mile Lime Kiln Trail runs alongside Lake Winnebago’s eastern shoreline and traverses steep slopes below the geologically unique and globally significant Niagara Escarpment. High Cliff gets its name from the limestone cliff of the Niagara Escarpment. The ledge extends northeasterly to the Door County peninsula and all the way to Niagara Falls, New York.
High Cliff Escarpment is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1982.
To learn more about the project, the work of the Friends of High Cliff State Park, and how you can get involved, visit friendsofhighcliff.org.
Emma Johnson is the Appleton Post-Crescent’s summer intern. Reach her at ejohnson@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: High Cliff State Park completes major trail improvements
Reporting by Emma Johnson, Appleton Post-Crescent / Appleton Post-Crescent
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By Emma Johnson, Appleton Post-Crescent | USA TODAY Network
