The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is hopeful that opening some of your favorite spots in Peninsula State Park earlier than usual will reverse an early-year attendance trend. This winter, the lack of snow and ice discouraged many usual visitors from coming to the popular state park. As a result, Park Superintendent Eric Hyde says the attendance numbers for January and February were some of the lowest they had seen in a quarter century. In mid-to-late February, the DNR opened the Eagle Tower and some area roads around the park that usually do not welcome visitors until late April to early May. Hyde says it is a great time to see the park at a typically quiet time of the year.

Hyde says the park will also be quieter this fall but for different reasons. Some of the park’s campgrounds, specifically near North Nicoley Bay and Weckler’s Point, will be closed earlier this year so crews can renovate bathroom facilities and replace some of the water pipes that have been around since the 1960s.