Current & Upcoming Events | Friends of Willow River and Kinnickinnic State Parks

Upcoming Events

Backyard Buffet: Suet Making For Woodpeckers

Saturday, January 10 at 1 pm. Meet at the Willow River State Park Nature Center.

Join Master Naturalist Jodi Karshbaum at the Willow River Nature Center where you'll learn all about the secret lives of woodpeckers in this hands-on, nature-inspired workshop!

During the workshop, you'll learn how to make suet to take home and place out for your beloved backyard winter bird friends, and you'll get to know our 4 most common Wisconsin Woodpeckers while your suet chills. This program timeframe is roughly 2 hours long to ensure chilling time for your suet.

Seats are limited for this workshop. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/suetmakingwillow

This event costs $5/person and vehicle admission into the park is required.

Naturally Crafty- Track Stamps & Clay Impressions

Sunday, January 11th anytime from 10-11 am. Meet at the Willow River State Park Nature Center.

Discover the fascinating world of animal tracks and signs through art, exploration, and a bit of detective work. Join us for this free-flowing, family-friendly program where you can:

Compare and contrast predator and prey tracks — learn how to tell who’s hunting and who’s hiding!
Create your own track stamp booklet using ink prints of local wildlife.
Make air-dry clay impressions of animal tracks to take home — a lasting reminder of your outdoor adventure.
Test your wildlife smarts by matching fake scat to the animals who made it!

Seats are limited for this event. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/Trackstampclay

This event costs $5 per person and vehicle admission into the park is required.

Snowshoe Demo at Kinnickinnic State Park!

Sunday, January 11 anytime from 1-3pm. Meet at the parking lot just down the hill from the entrance station at Kinnickinnic State Park.

Looking for a new winter hobby to enjoy this winter? Try out snowshoeing! We'll provide basic guidance such as, choosing the right size snowshoe, how to maneuver in them, and more. Then we’ll send you off to explore the park's snowshoe trails! The program will be run on a first come, first served basis.

This event is free to attend, but vehicle admission into the park is required.

Let’s Go Ice Fishing! (Free Fishing Weekend)

Saturday, January 17 from 1:00-3:00pm. Park at the beach/Nature Center parking lots and meet us out on the lake.

Join us at Willow River State Park on the statewide free fishing weekend as we drill into the ice on Little Falls Lake. We’ll have all the necessities needed to help you, or your child catch a fish.

While out on the ice, you'll also learn basic ice safety tips, how to use a variety of ice fishing equipment, fish identification skills and more!

Spots are limited for this event. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/icefishwillow11726

This event is free to attend, but vehicle admission into the park is required.

Snowshoe Demo at Willow River State Park!

Saturday, January 17 anytime from 1-3pm. Meet at the Willow River Nature Center.

This event is free to attend, but vehicle admission into the park is required.

Questions?

Email:

wrsnowshoe@gmail.com

Text/Call: (715) 869-3695

Let’s Go Ice Fishing!

Saturday, January 24 from 1:00-3:00pm. Park at the beach/Nature Center parking lots, then walk out and meet us on the lake.

Join us at Willow River State Park as we drill into the ice on Little Falls Lake. We’ll have all the necessities needed to help you, or your child catch a fish.

While out on the ice, you'll also learn basic ice safety tips, how to use a variety of ice fishing equipment, fish identification skills and more!

All you need to bring is your favorite warm beverage, a bucket or chair to sit on and water-proof winter gear to help you stay warm! Like our true grit ancestors, we will be sitting directly out on the ice without shelters/shacks. If you are 16 years of age or older, you'll need to bring a valid WI fishing license, or purchase one prior to fishing.

Spots are limited for this event. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/icefishwillow12426

This event is free to attend, but vehicle admission into the park is required. $5 donations are greatly appreciated. This event is weather-dependent and can/will be cancelled if weather is severe.

Skulls, Pelts, Tracks & Scat!

Sunday, January 25 anytime from 1-3pm. Meet at the Willow River Nature Center.

Get up close and personal to numerous animal skulls, pelts, and more! Identify different animal tracks and scat and learn interesting facts about several Wisconsin animal species. Then grab a Track Rubbing Booklet and hit the ½ mile Hidden Ponds Nature Trail to collect 10 different colorful animal track rubbings.

This event is free to attend, but vehicle admission into the park is required.

Let’s Go Ice Fishing

Saturday, January 31 from 1:00-3:00pm. Park at the beach/Nature Center parking lots, then walk out and meet us on the lake.

Join us at Willow River State Park as we drill into the ice on Little Falls Lake. We’ll have all the necessities needed to help you, or your child catch a fish.

While out on the ice, you'll also learn basic ice safety tips, how to use a variety of ice fishing equipment, fish identification skills and more!

Spots are limited for this event. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/icefishwillow13126

This event is free to attend, but vehicle admission into the park is required. This event is weather-dependent and can/will be cancelled if weather is severe.

PLEASE NOTE:

Some events are free, others incur a fee in support of our mission.

Vehicle admission into the park is required for all events.

Friends Members get into events for free (except special events).

All outdoor events are weather-dependent.

Questions? Email: naturecenter@willowkinnifriends.org