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Nature reserve · Wisconsin

Cross Plains State Park

Cross Plains State Park from directly overhead

Cross Plains State Park is a nature reserve in Wisconsin, at a modelled elevation of 290 m. Blue Mounds stands 524 m to the west-southwest, 13 miles off. The nearest named place is Spring House, a spring 0.2 miles away. Lower Wisconsin River Road Scenic Byway passes 14 miles off. 33 named summits stand within 25 miles.

Visiting

What to expect

Operated by
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Official site

Getting there

How to reach it

Driving directionsPlan a drive around it
Coordinates43.08398, -89.61393
Around it

Named places within 25 miles

Nature reserves
Parks
  • Cherrywood Acres Park: 1.9 mi
  • Voss Park: 2.0 mi
  • Westview Park: 2.1 mi
  • Pioneer Park: 2.2 mi
  • Spruce Hollow Park: 2.4 mi
Historic sites
  • Haney's Tavern: 2.3 mi
  • Taylor M. Dunn: 5.3 mi
  • Middleton Community Veterans' Tribute: 6.5 mi
  • Springdale Lutheran Church: 6.7 mi
  • Union Cemetery: 7.7 mi
Gardens
  • Forward Garden: 2.4 mi
  • Native American Garden: 2.5 mi
  • Theme Garden: 2.5 mi
  • Rain Garden: 2.5 mi
  • Emmett Schulte Garden: 4.0 mi
Artworks
  • Toy Soldier: 6.2 mi
  • St Andrew's Mary Statue: 7.4 mi
  • Bison Prairie Gateway Bisons: 8.6 mi
  • Allied Community Obelisk: 8.6 mi
  • Community: 8.7 mi
Attractions: 44
  • Riley Wishing Tree: 4.2 mi
  • Richardson Cave: 4.5 mi
  • Black Hawk's Cave: 8.5 mi
  • Raymer's Ravine: 8.8 mi
  • Little Norway: 9.7 mi
Peaks: 33
Beaches: 27
  • Spring Harbor Beach: 7.3 mi
  • Fireman's Beach: 8.2 mi
  • Indianola Beach: 9.7 mi
  • Willow Beach: 9.8 mi
  • Circle Bench: 10.0 mi
Museums: 26
Cliffs: 16
Springs: 9
  • Spring House: 0.2 mi
  • Riley Spring: 4.2 mi
  • Springs: 7.0 mi
  • Merrill Spring: 7.4 mi
  • Ho Nee Um Spring: 9.4 mi
Picnic sites: 4
  • Tribal Council Picnic: 6.3 mi
  • Picnic Table and Gazebo: 10.6 mi
  • Williams Knoll: 21.1 mi
  • MacKenzie Picnic Area: 24.8 mi
Rest areas: 3
  • Train Car: 6.4 mi
  • Poynette Rest Area 12: 24.5 mi
  • Portage Rest Area 11: 24.8 mi
Waterfalls: 1
  • Cascade Aerator: 8.3 mi
On the horizon

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 25 miles of Cross Plains State Park. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Blue MoundsWSW 252°524 m12.7 mi
Happy HillNNW 330°451 m24.7 mi
Sauk PointN 355°449 m23.9 mi
Sauk HillNNW 342°445 m23.2 mi
Bunker HillWSW 258°371 m24.3 mi
Indian CastleW 269°354 m14.4 mi
Sugarloaf HillNNW 345°346 m14.9 mi
Liberty Pole HillSSE 149°338 m20.4 mi
Conditions

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:0318:3319:11
June solstice05:2019:5920:42
September equinox06:4618:2018:58
December solstice07:2815:4116:27

Local time (America/Chicago).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Sep.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F182233465868727062503624
Precip in1.51.62.44.14.65.54.74.13.62.92.22.0

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Charmany Farm, 7 mi away.

Wildlife nearby
  • Ghost Pipe61 obs
  • sharp-lobed hepatica52 obs
  • red columbine51 obs
  • eastern shooting star45 obs
  • Jack-in-the-Pulpit42 obs
  • bloodroot42 obs
  • wild geranium40 obs
  • Solomon's plume38 obs

Research-grade iNaturalist community observations within 3 km — what people have recorded, not a species inventory.

Sources

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOfficial site

OpenStreetMap element way/130769880

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