Two Door County state parks recently received $20,000 grants each through the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program to enhance visitor experiences, as reported by the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Friends of Peninsula State Park will use their grant to build an outdoor gathering area at the trailhead of the park’s new mountain bike trails. The project supports the park’s larger effort to create 18 miles of purpose-built mountain bike trails, with the first 9-mile phase for advanced riders completed in November.
At Newport State Park, the Newport Wilderness Society plans to create a 100-seat natural amphitheater for the park’s popular dark sky programs. Newport is Wisconsin’s only certified International Dark Sky Park, making it a premier destination for stargazing. “The project also plans to add enhancements to the area, such as an observation deck overlooking the lake” and accessibility improvements.
Both Door County grants were among 32 awards to friends groups statewide, totaling over $430,000. The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program provides these grants to help friends groups improve state parks, trails, and forests. With matching contributions from local organizations, this round will support $3.4 million in improvements across Wisconsin.
The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program has been protecting Wisconsin’s natural places and outdoor recreation for over 30 years, funding projects in every county.
Featured image by Guillaume Jaillet, 2017
