Winter is a great time to visit Mirror Lake State Park!
Mirror Lake Park is open all four seasons of the year, so if you are visiting the area in winter, read on to find what the park has to offer in this cold but invigorating time of year.
The cold has settled in and in most years there is snow on the ground by the time that winter officially arrives. Just because a lot of the animals hibernate during the winter months, that doesn't mean that outdoor enthusiasts need to do the same. Mirror Lake State Park stays open all winter, but with limited amenities. A few campsites are made available to those hardy souls who want to spend a winter's night in the park, but most winter users of the park prefer to stay in one of the many nearby lodging establishments.
As the ice on Mirror Lake thickens, ice anglers venture out on its surface to drill some holes and drop some lines. Panfish are the most common catch, but sometimes a sluggish bass, walleye, or northern will take the bait. Hikers and snowshoers will also walk on the lake to explore spots and views that they may have been unable to enjoy before the season of hard water. It is a good idea to check on ice conditions before walking on the lake. Parts of the early winter see some hunting, so it is advisable to know when and where this is allowed, and this link will tell you.
While some birds and animals may have migrated south or gone into hibernation for the winter, there is still quite a bit of wildlife to see. A good snow cover makes it easy to track the passage of animals, and this would be the time to test your knowledge of animal tracks. The tracks of deer and turkey are quite common, but spotting the trail of a little mouse on top of the snow is just as exciting. If you see any tracks that you don't know take some good photos of them with some other item in the picture for scale, then check with park personnel or go online to see what it was that was out in the woods with you.
Mirror Lake is a local "hot spot" for cross-country skiing in the winter. Most of the trails are groomed, and many have tracks for both classical and skate skiing. There are trails for all levels of skill, and there are enough hills to add some excitement to a day of skiing in the park. Hiking and snowshoeing are not allowed on the groomed ski trails, but staying completely off the trail corridor and walking in the woods or open areas parallel to the trails is one way for non-skiers to enjoy the trails when there is snow on the ground. In January or February the Friends of the Park host a candlelight/torch ski/snowshoe/hike that is a different way to enjoy the park in winter. Hot cocoa and a big bonfire will help take the chill out of a cold night.
And don't forget... Winter is a great time to go geocaching. No ticks, no bugs, no poison ivy... and you quite often will have the place to yourself. Just dress for the cold and don't overdo.
Winter is a great time to visit Mirror Lake State Park!
This cache is in an area of the park where hunting is allowed. Maps and dates for hunting in Mirror Lake SP can be found here: map If you choose to look for this cache during those times, wear appropriate blaze orange and be aware of your surroundings.
This cache is also along a cross-country ski trail. If there is snow on the ground and the trails are groomed, you MUST stay off the trail corridor entirely. Hike or snowshoe parallel to the trail in the trees or on the open land.... or find it while you are skiing!
The Geocache Notification Form has been submitted to park manager Rebecca Green of the Wisconsin DNR and MIrror Lake State Park. Geocaches placed on Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource managed lands require permission by means of a notification form. Please print out a paper copy of the notification form, fill in all required information, then submit it to the land manager. The DNR Notification form and land manager information can be obtained by looking at this page on the WGA website.