Rocky Arbor State Park

Rocky Arbor State Park
Wisconsin State Park
Entrance at Rocky Arbor State Park
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Counties	Juneau, Sauk

Location	Wisconsin Dells
- coordinates	43°38′31″N 89°48′21″W / 43.64194°N 89.80583°W / 43.64194; -89.80583Coordinates: 43°38′31″N 89°48′21″W / 43.64194°N 89.80583°W / 43.64194; -89.80583

Area	244 acres (99 ha)

Founded	1932
Management	Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

IUCN category	V - Protected Landscape/Seascape

Rocky Arbor State Park is a 244-acre (99 ha)^[1] Wisconsin state park in the Wisconsin Dells region. The park was established in 1932 to protect sandstone outcrops eroded into picturesque walls and ledges.

Natural history

The region is formed from Late Cambrian sandstone deposited 500 million years ago at the bottom of shallow inland seas. Much later the Wisconsin River flowed over this tract of land, carving channels into the sandstone. The river has since changed course, now running 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the east, leaving the rock walls of its former gorge exposed. A small creek now flows through the park, though in the opposite direction as the river once did.

Recreation

Situated in a major tourist area, Rocky Arbor State Park has well-developed visitor amenities despite its small size. There is a campground with 89 campsites (18 of them with electrical hookups), showers, flush toilets, a playground, dump station, and picnic area. A single loop trail provides views of the rock ledges, with a spur trail to the campground. The park is open to vehicle traffic only in the summer. During the off-season visitors can park at the gate and enter the grounds on foot.

Images

Sandstone outcrops jut from the greenery of a mixed pine forest in Rocky Arbor State Park.

Ranger Station
Sign
Outcrop

References

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Rocky Arbor State Park signage, brochures, and website.

↑ "Rocky Arbor State Park". Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources State Parks.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rocky Arbor State Park.

Protected areas of Wisconsin

Federal

National Park Service	Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Ice Age National Scientific Reserve Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway

National Forests	Chequamegon-Nicolet

National Wildlife Refuges	Driftless Area Fox River Gravel Island Green Bay Horicon Marsh Necedah Trempealeau Upper Mississippi River Whittlesey Creek

National Trails	Ice Age Trail Timms Hill Trail North Country Trail

National Estuarine Research Reserves	Lake Superior

National Wilderness System	Blackjack Springs Gaylord Nelson Headwaters Porcupine Lake Rainbow Lake Whisker Lake Wisconsin Islands

State

State Parks	Amnicon Falls Aztalan Belmont Mound Big Bay Big Foot Beach Blue Mound Brunet Island Buckhorn Capital Springs Copper Culture Copper Falls Council Grounds Devil's Lake Governor Dodge Governor Nelson Governor Thompson Harrington Beach Hartman Creek Heritage Hill High Cliff Interstate Kinnickinnic Kohler-Andrae Lake Kegonsa Lake Wissota Lakeshore Menominee River Merrick Mill Bluff Mirror Lake Natural Bridge Nelson Dewey New Glarus Woods Newport Pattison Peninsula Perrot Potawatomi Rib Mountain Roche-a-Cri Rock Island Rocky Arbor Straight Lake Tower Hill Whitefish Dunes Wildcat Mountain Willow River Wyalusing Yellowstone Lake

State Natural Areas	Abraham's Woods Bayshore Blufflands Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie Black Tern Bog Dells of the Wisconsin River Dorothy Lake Dunnville Barrens Gibraltar Rock Grandma Lake Kangaroo Lake Moquah Barrens Parfrey's Glen Pewits Nest Rush River Delta Spread Eagle Barrens Spruce Lake Bog Twin Lakes Bog Two Creeks Buried Forest Wind Pudding

State Recreation Areas	Browntown-Cadiz Springs Chippewa Moraine Fischer Creek Hoffman Hills Menominee River Richard Bong

State Forests	Black River Brule River Coulee Experimental Flambeau River Governor Knowles Havenwoods Kettle Moraine - Lapham Peak Unit Kettle Moraine - Loew Lake Unit Kettle Moraine - Northern & Southern Units Kettle Moraine - Pike Lake Unit Northern Highland-American Legion Peshtigo River Point Beach

State Wildlife Areas	Buena Vista Marsh Crex Meadows Dewey Marsh Horicon Marsh Mead

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, October 13, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.