Richard Bong State Recreation Area facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard Bong State Recreation Area
Richard Bong State Recreation Area in Kenosha County
Richard Bong State Recreation Area Location in Wisconsin Show map of Wisconsin Richard Bong State Recreation Area Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States
Area	4,515 acres (18.27 km2)
Established	1963
Named for	Richard Bong
Governing body	Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Sign for the recreation area on Interstate 94

Richard Bong State Recreation Area is a 4,515-acre (1,827 ha) unit of the state park system of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is located in the town of Brighton, in Kenosha County. This managed prairie contains 8.3 miles (13 km) of mountain bike trails. Other recreational activities include high power rocketry, swimming, dogsledding, falconry, ATV sports, land sailing, horseback riding, hunting, fishing, camping with amenities, and ultralight aviation. There is a wildlife preserve where great egrets, sandhill cranes, and great blue herons are known to nest.

The Richard Bong SRA is one of the centerpieces of the proposed Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge.

Richard Bong Air Force Base

The park is on land once intended for the Richard Bong Air Force Base, whose namesake is World War II veteran aviator Maj. Richard Ira Bong. Part of what was intended to be the 12,500-foot (3,800 m) main airstrip is still visible from aerial photos of the site.