About the Park

The 52-acre park is located south of Hackbarth Road and west of Hwy K, just west of the new Alpine Meadows subdivision. A small parking lot is located at the end of Aspen Drive. Access is also available through town-owned land on Bramble Bush Lane.

The park has a pond, an ephemeral pond, a tall and short grass prairie, and a woods, with part being restored to a bur oak savanna. The park has three distinct areas which can be easily discerned from the map. The southern third and highest part of the park is an upland oak-hickory woods, part of which is being restored to a bur oak savanna. 

The town is rejuvenating the 14.5-acres by removing invasive species such as box elder, buckthorn and honeysuckle, which shade out many flowering native plants as well as young oak and hickory trees. 

Moving northward down the hill, the middle 17 acres was seeded to wildflowers and grasses in the Fall of 2004. Then volunteers planted 1000 shrubs around the prairie. The northern third of the property is a 20-acre wetland with two natural ponds. The town volunteers built a pier in the southeast corner of the east pond. This has been named Wanie’s Pond. This will allow visitors to view this haven for the many migrating waterfowl and the flocks it attracts from Lake Koshkonong and the Rock River. Sandhill cranes, great blue heron, and green herons are frequently seen here, as well as mallard, blue-winged teal, shoveler, wigeon, American black duck, canvasback, and many species of songbirds. Deer, wild turkey, and other common Wisconsin wildlife species are seen as well. 

The Fort Atkinson Chamber of Commerce’s Project Lead Class of 2006 equipped the park with four fascinating interpretive signs to help you understand the beauty. See how the park is coming along on the photo page. The park is easy walking on mowed trails and one packed gravel path. Area residents can use the property for hiking, cross country skiing, bird watching, nature study, and photography. There are some trails; more are being added.

No motorized vehicles are allowed except for mowing or habitat improvement projects. Bike lanes lead to the park on Alpine Drive. Bike trails in the park are not planned at this time.