Horicon Marsh is a 33,000 acre Wetland of International Importance and Globally Important Bird Area. The southern third (11,000 acres) is owned and operated by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as a State Wildlife Area. The northern two-thirds (22,000 acres) is owned and operated by the USFWS as the Horicon National Widlife Refuge.
The Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center is the gateway to the Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area and what is referred to as the great hunting grounds. A life-size Wooly Mammoth and pre-historic hunter will great you as you enter the property and set the stage for your experience.
New exhibits called the Explorium will further tell the amazing story of Horicon Marsh and the great hunting grounds. From the great glaciers that carved the basin, to Native American people that once hunted the large megafauna that roamed the marsh. European settlers then turned the marsh into a lake and wildlife was later devastated to overhunting in the 1850's-1900's. Ditching and draining efforts for farming further harmed the marsh before local conservationists led by Louis (Curly) Radke led the campaign to "Restore Horicon Marsh". After its restoration it is now an amazing resource for all to enjoy!
For more information about the Explorium including hours and fees please visit here. Don't forget to check out the airboat simulator in the Explorium!
For more information about the Horicon Marsh state Wildlife Area visit www.dnr.gov and keyword search "Horicon Marsh" or visit www.horiconmarsh.org.
For more information and reuglations for the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge, please visit here.
The Geocache Notification Form has been submitted to Liz Herzmann of the Wisconsin DNR. 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 at: http://dnr.wi.gov/files/PDF/forms/2500/2500-118.pdf
