Tower Climbs and Lake Swims: A Perfect Day at High Cliff State Park

Last week I shared that we met my daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren in Little Chute Wisconsin for a mini-vacation for us while our son-in-law lectured at a conference.  On day one, we visited The Green Bay Botanical Gardens.    The next day we headed over to High Cliff State Park.

Imagine standing forty feet in the air, looking out over the sparkling waters of Lake Winnebago and the surrounding vistas, then taking a dip in those same waters later in the day.  Wisconsin's High Cliff State Park is one of the few places where you can experience both a panoramic canopy climb followed by a refreshing lake swim.  

The first thing we did when arriving at the park was to head over to the tower.  The boys ran up the tower so fast, but Alethea was nervous and took it slowly because she said she was afraid of heights.  I didn't know that about her and I was surprised to hear that.  I'm always a little nervous around heights too so I gave her some advice on how to conquer her fear;  she didn't seem to want to hear it. 😆

The tower is a 40 foot wooden frame with two lookout decks.  You can access it from the parking lot so there is no hiking involved if you just want to see the views from the tower.  But if you want an enjoyable hike, the park's popular Red Bird Trail is a 3.4 mile level loop that begins right at the tower parking lot.  Because we had small children with us, we didn't hike in the park that day, but I would love to return someday and give it a go.

The tower offers massive, unobstructed views looking west across Wisconsin's largest inland lake.  It really is a nice view.  So many towers were built before the trees grew tall and their views have become obstructed;  not this one!  Just look at this view!

It also provides clear sightline of the surrounding cities, farmland and the park marina below.  Here's an interesting fact:  Under clear conditions at night, you can look 30 miles north to see the lights of the Green Bay Packers Stadium.

And did you know Lake Winnebago is Wisconsin's largest inland lake?  I sure didn't! At 137, 700 acres it is the largest lake entirely in the state covering an area about 30 miles by 10 miles within 88 miles of shoreline (Wikipedia).

A short walk from the tower is the Chief Red Bird Statue It is a majestic 12 foot granite monument dedicated to the Ho-Chunk leader.  

There is a lovely observation deck over here too;  for those who may not be up for climbing the tower. 

After our tower climbing we headed over to the "beach", which to our disappointment wasn't much of a beach, but the kiddos still had fun!

The swimming area at High Cliff State Park provides a scenic escape directly along the lower easter shoreline of Lake Winnebago.  

A shallow sandbar stretches out up to 200 feet into Lake Winnebago, allowing swimmers to wade out far while still touching the sandy bottom.

I can't swim, so I was a bit nervous when the grandchildren went too far out because there weren't any ropes designating when the water got deep.  

The actual sandy beach strip is narrow and runs roughly 250 feet long against the waterline.  That didn't stop baby Lazarus from enjoying playing in the sand though!

We were so excited when we saw a pelican!  You don't see those everyday in Wisconsin!

A large open grassy lawn stretches down to the water, offering plenty of space for picnic baskets, lawn chairs, and a frisbee.

We gave the grandchildren some time to play in the play area.  There is nicer, more elaborate playground equipment than what is shown in the photo below, I'm just standing in front of it taking a picture of Laz and the lake. What a great spot for a swing set though eh?  You can enjoy swinging and looking at the lake at the same time. 

We had a little extra time one evening, so we decided to stroll "downtown" Little Chute.  This windmill was located right across the street from our hotel;  I could see it from my hotel room window.  The Little Chute Windmill is an 100 foot authentic 1850s Dutch design built in the Netherlands, disassembled, and reassembled on site.  It represents the towns right Dutch Catholic immigrants from the mid-1800s.  It is now a Visitor Center but it opened late everyday (11:00 am) so we never got to go inside.  I'm sorry, but that is way too late for a Visitor Center to open as the day is half over already.  We like to arrive at Visitor Center early in the morning so we can plan our day.

Little Chute sits halfway between the larger cities of Green Bay and Oshkosh.  It is known for its authentic Dutch bakeries, riverside trails, and the iconic windmill.  I wish I would have known about those bakeries before my trip, I would have sought them out!  I did see the riverside trail when we were driving by, but we didn't have time to explore that.

The Village Hall is the administrative center for Little Chute.  It houses various governments departments and serves as a venue for municipal court and community meetings.

Like most downtowns, all the businesses were closed in the evening, so it was very quiet and although we missed not being able to go into Seth's Coffee or The Carpenter (a specialty Christian shop),  we enjoyed the peacefulness of the streets on a beautiful early summer evening.

Timeless Vintage and Consignment specializes in antiques, collectibles, housewares, and seasonal decor.

I loved the street lanterns; they are so ornate and pretty and the attached banners are just lovely.

Main Street Plaza hosts several local women-owned businesses and community events such as the annual "Market on Main" street fair.  I would have loved to have visited that Quilt Shop had they been open.   Other businesses inside the plaza include "Creative Simplicity" (a boutique featuring unique gifts and handmade items), "Winivago Woods" (a custom woodworking, decor craft shop), a photography business, and more!

I was happy to see the patriotic spirit of the town!

This was my favorite building in this town, I love the colors and the ivy growing on it.   Such an interesting old building.  The structure dates back to the late 19th or early 20th century.  It was originally constructed to support the booming logging, agricultural, and paper mill industries.

The vintage 120 year old red brick structure with the word "Bank" on the window is the bank's original home built in 1906.  Next to it is the larger, mid-century brick facility built in the 1950s.

 We stayed at a newer hotel (2021) in Little Chute called Cobblestone Hotel and Suites.  It was very nice, the grandkids enjoyed swimming in the pool every night, but grandma missed the pool area not having a hot tub.  I don't know why, but it seems less and less hotels have hot tubs these days and I really appreciate them after a long day of hiking.

The boys sure do love their grandpa!

What a cutie, eh?

As I said earlier, I don't swim, so I just watched everyone else have fun.

 

Have A Great Day!  Amy

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