Blue Mound State Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Blue Mound State Park
The East Observation Tower on the Blue Mound
Blue Mound State Park Location in Wisconsin Show map of Wisconsin Blue Mound State Park Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Iowa and Dane, Wisconsin, United States
Area	1,153 acres (4.67 km2)
Established	1959
Governing body	Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Website	Blue Mound State Park

Blue Mound State Park is a fun place to visit in Wisconsin, United States. It's built on top of the biggest hill in the southern part of the state. You can find it close to the village of Blue Mounds. This park is huge, covering about 1,153 acres. It has two tall towers where you can see amazing views. From these towers, you can look out over the Wisconsin River valley and the Baraboo Range to the north. You can also see the rolling hills and forests of the Driftless Area to the south and west. To the east, you'll spot flat plains and the city of Madison.

What Makes Blue Mound Special?

The main hill in the park is called West Blue Mound. It's about 1,716 feet (523 meters) high. This hill rises around 450 feet above the land nearby. But if you look at it from far away, it seems even taller, like 600 to 950 feet high!

Blue Mound is a special type of hill called a monadnock. This means it's a single, isolated hill that stands out from the flat land around it. It's made of a strong rock called dolomitic limestone. Over many, many years, the softer rocks around it wore away due to erosion. But the hard dolomite rock resisted the weather, leaving Blue Mound standing tall.

Fun Things to Do at the Park

Blue Mound State Park has lots of activities for everyone. You can find a big open field, perfect for playing games. The park also has a swimming pool, which is the only one in a Wisconsin state park! There are picnic shelters and places to go camp.

The park has many miles of trails. You can go hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing. There's also a nature center near the picnic area. It has cool exhibits about the local plants and animals. During the summer, park naturalists offer special programs to teach you more about nature.

The Military Ridge State Trail runs along the southern edge of the park. This trail follows a natural ridge from Fitchburg to Dodgeville.

The park is also known for being the finish line of the Horribly Hilly Hundreds bicycle challenge. This is a tough bike ride! Blue Mound State Park was even considered as the finish line for the road cycling race if Chicago had hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Friends of Blue Mounds State Park

The Friends of Blue Mounds State Park is a group of volunteers. They work to help the park by protecting its natural resources. They also organize activities and projects to make visits better for everyone. The Friends group helps with many special events. These include the yearly Candlelight Ski, an annual campout, building new trails, and giving talks about the park's history and nature.

Places to Explore

When you visit Blue Mound State Park, here are some cool spots to check out:

• East viewing tower
• West viewing tower
• Pleasure Valley
• Picnic area (at the top of the Hill and the top of several hiking trails)
• Pool and splash pad (open in summer only)
• Indian Tree Marker

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