It’s no secret that I love challenges and checklists. In 2017, my family ice skated, hiked, picnicked, and played our way through all of the Waukesha County Parks. In the summer of 2019, I visited 16 libraries within Waukesha County, taking me to new parts of the county and marveling at all of the free resources available with a free library card. During the fall of 2019 and the winter of 2020, I visited local coffee shops sponsors of Lake Country Family Fun, tried new drinks, and munched on yummy pastries. In 2020, I learned about Ryan Park in Pewaukee, which was not a formal park in 2017, so we went back to check it out.

So you can imagine my excitement when I learned about the Wisconsin Friends Explore Challenge 2021 taking place March 20 to September 20, 2021. This challenge encourages people to experience our numerous state parks and trails whether you want to stay close to Lapham Peak State Park in Delafield or venture to Big Bay State Park on Madeline Island. While the challenge is free, there is a fee for required state park admission stickers for the state parks and/or trail passes.

Some Wisconsin Friends Explore Challenge activities include:

Visiting the same park once a month now through September
Taking pictures of examples of Indigenous Cultures at various state properties
Biking 50 miles
Camping
Geocaching (just a GPS or free smartphone app required)

From Lake Country, we’re less than an hour’s drive to Lapham Peak, Mukwonago River, Aztalan, Ottawa Lake, and Pike Lake State Parks – perfect for last minute adventures. We also have easy access to the Glacial Drumlin State Trail.

Are you planning to take part in the Wisconsin Friends Explore Challenge 2021? How many state parks has your family explored? We can’t wait to see the adventures you have and the memories you make!