Mornin' to everyone getting ready for the Brewer’s opening day (April 2) against the Twins! This is the Wiscampsin Weekly - the email that gets you in the know on the Wisconsin outdoors in 5 minutes or less. New reader? Subscribe here.

This week’s weekly:

• State park passes valid for one full year 🙌 

• WI campsite ranks top 10 ⛺️

• Merrill - Wausau bike path 🚴 

New changes makes State Park passes valid for one full year

Call your grandma! Call your friend! Call your neighbor ‘da Bears fan!

Starting 2025, State Park passes will be valid for an entire year (vs a calendar year)!

No longer will we have to pony over $28 for an annual pass in August, knowing that it’s technically only valid for another 4 months.

Victory for ‘Scons

• Currently, park passes expire every Dec 31

• This change makes passes valid for 12 months after purchase

• Recreational passport system is also in discussion (more below)

How it works

Starting January 2025, state park passes will be valid for a full orbit around the Sun from the date of purchase.

It’s pretty simple: Each sticker will (presumably) have a place on it for a date signaling the expiration the following year.

Passes will still be available for purchase at pay stations at most parks, but instead of a sticker, you’ll just get a receipt.

If you want the actual sticker (who wouldn’t!), you’ll have to head into a state park office and exchange your receipt.

What’s the cost of this new system? About $158,000/year.

(Don’t worry—apparently park pass prices will not increase as a result.)

Pros vs cons: TBD

If you remember way back when in August, we discussed the pros and con (singular) to making state park passes valid for 12 full months.

The pros:

• More bang for your buck

• Incentivizes folks to buy a state park pass at any time of year

• Could increase revenue for state parks overall

However, some thought it could go the other way, decreasing revenue as folks only need to buy the pass once in a 12 month period (vs buying in September and again after Jan 1).

We’re in the former camp: We think that more ‘Scons will be willing to purchase a pass knowing it’s good for an entire 365 days.

Recreational passport system

Another idea being tossed around to boost state park visitation: The recreational passport system. OoOoOo.

Used by other states like Michigan, it allows you to renew your annual state park pass every time you renew your car’s registration.

The results are clear—about 40% of Michigan residents buy an annual state park pass compared to just 15% in Wisconsin.

What do we think

The last national state park report showed that Wisconsin ranked 48th for state funding of our state parks.

But our visitation? 19th in the nation!

Translation: We rely on visitation (day passes, annual passes, camping fees, etc) to fund and maintain our state parks.

Overall, we think the new park pass expiration and programs like the recreational passport system are a good thing.

By removing barriers to the outdoors, we can get more ‘Scons out ‘der and increase revenue for outdoor efforts.

Now get out der!

Help support the Wiscampsin Weekly by checking out the Wiscampsin shop!

Wisconsin State Bird Art Print: “Very nicely made, great colors and design. It looks amazing in my home. Keep it up Wiscampsin ❤️” - Peggy

Wiscampsin Badgers Tee: “It’s the perfect t-shirt to show off my love for camping and Wisconsin at the same time :)” - Emily

Wiscampsin Recycled License Plate Frame: “Love it! Get out der! Makes my Mazda look even better” - Alex

Wiscampsin Mug: “Awesome mug, very lightweight, the mug doesn't get piping hot if you need to microwave your coffee either.” - Matthew

Other great Wiscampsin reads…

State Park Sticker Design Winner Announced

Rock Climbing Devil's Lake State Park

Wisconsin's Forgotten State Park

Wiscampsin Weekly Poll

Last week’s trivia was a bit of a softball… 82% of you were right—Vermont produces the most maple syrup in the US annually. Last year they produced 2M+ gallons with New York following up with 750k gallons of maple syrup.

Nuts and Seeds 🌰 

🚴 Bike trail to connect Merrill to Wausau: Cyclists, rejoice! The Merrill - Wausau bike trail received more funding from the River District Development Foundation of Merrill. The path would take a 100 year old easement for a trolley car that would have connected the two cities. Roughly 95% of the bike path would be along this easement.

🏕️ Camping or Glamping?: The Dyrt just released its 2024 Glampy Awards, and Sailor Springs Glamping of Bayfield ranked #10 in the nation! A-Frame cabins and canvas tents sit creekside just a mile off Lake Superior, and give its guests great access to the Apostle Islands. Whatever it takes to get out ‘der, right?

🎣 Sport fish carry new diseases: Researchers at UW-Madison have found a host of new viruses in 5 “sport” fish: bluegills, brown trout, lake sturgeon, northern pike and walleye. None pose any real threat to humans, though one is a coronavirus associated with birds (again, no real threat), found in 11 of the 15 tested walleye in the study. The Wisconsin Sea Grant-funded study is the first of its kind in North America.

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Meme of the Week 😂

A review from the trail… We’re glad you’re here, neighbor!