Kohler-Andrae State Park comprises two adjacent

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

state parks State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

located in the Town of Wilson, a few miles south of the city of Sheboygan. They are managed as one unit. Terry Andrae State Park, established in 1927, and John Michael Kohler State Park, established in 1966, total . The parks contain over two miles (3 km) of beaches and sand dunes along the shore of

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...

, with woods and wetlands away from the water. The Black River flows through the parks. The park protects threatened plants.

History

The land which is now Terry Andrae State Park is sandy, so it could not be used by early European immigrants for growing crops or grazing cattle. Frank Theodore (Terry) Andrae was the president of Milwaukee's Julius Andrae and Sons' Electric Supply Company. He purchased in 1924 from a retired fisherman and later added another . He built a two-story house which overlooked Lake Michigan in the present campgrounds. This, their second house, was used to entertain guests. Mrs. Andrae hired forestry consultants to reforest their property. After Mr. Andrae died in 1927, Elsbeth Andrae donated the to the State of Wisconsin in memory of her husband Terry. Terry Andrae State Park opened in 1928. In April 1966,

Kohler Company Kohler Co., founded in 1873 by John Michael Kohler, is an American manufacturing company based in Kohler, Wisconsin. Kohler is best known for its plumbing products, but the company also manufactures furniture, cabinetry, tile, engines, and g ...

donated immediately north of Terry Andrae State Park to the state of Wisconsin. It was named

John Michael Kohler John Michael Kohler II (November 3, 1844 – November 5, 1900) was member of the Kohler family of Wisconsin and was a prosperous industrialist and mayor of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Kohler founded what later became known as the Kohler Company, a lar ...

State Park in memory of the founder of the company. The were expanded to almost by acquisitions of neighboring properties. Although the two units are considered separate adjacent properties, they are managed as a single unit by the

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is a government agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin charged with conserving and managing Wisconsin's natural resources. The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board has the authority to set policy ...

. A citizen's support group called Friends of Kohler-Andrae State Park was formed in 1987 to raise funds which are used for nature programming and development projects such as a handicap-accessible cabin. Directly north of the state park, the

Kohler company Kohler Co., founded in 1873 by John Michael Kohler, is an American manufacturing company based in Kohler, Wisconsin. Kohler is best known for its plumbing products, but the company also manufactures furniture, cabinetry, tile, engines, and g ...

has proposed to clear as much as 200 acres of forest, which may affect as much as 80 acres of protected wetlands, in order to construct an 18-hole golf course along the shore of

. Challenges from state residents and environmental activists have caused the proposal to be delayed and modified because of concerns over the fragility of the neighboring ecosystems.

Amenities

Activities related to

include fishing, boating, and swimming. There are no boat launching ramps or docks at the park. The lake contains dozens of species of fish including

trout Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salmoni ...

and

salmon Salmon () is the common name for several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family (biology), family Salmonidae, which are native to tributary, tributaries of the ...

. Inland activities include hiking and biking. The park contains two nature trails and three hiking trails. The Creeping Juniper Nature Trail is a half mile long trail on a cordwalk through the rolling sand dunes by Sanderling Nature Center. The Woodland Dunes Nature Trail is a one mile (1.6 km) trail through forested rolling dunes. It contains interpretive signs to identify and describe trees. It is accessed by the campgrounds. The Dunes Cordwalk has a half mile north and south portions on a wooden cordwalk through rolling dunes parallel to Lake Michigan. The Black River Trail is a long grass trail at the northwest section of the park. It is accessed north of the park on County Highway V. It passes through open fields, woodlands, and evergreen forests. Horses and

mountain bike A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling. Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain, which ...

s are allowed on the trail. Black River Marsh Boardwalk is a quarter mile boardwalk through a wetland. It is accessed near site 48. The park is open all year. Winter activities include winter camping in 28 electric sites, sledding /

toboggan A toboggan is a simple sled traditionally used by children. It is also a traditional form of transport used by the Innu and Cree of northern Canada. In modern times, it is used on snow to carry one or more people (often children) down a hill o ...

ing, cross country skiing and

snowshoe Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footwe ...

ing. Facilities at the park include a bath house, campgrounds, roads, and trails. There are 105 family and two group campsites in the park as of 2008. Thirty more family campsites were scheduled to open in 2009.

Sanderling Nature Center

The Sanderling Nature Center is located in the northern area of the park. Exhibits focus on the plants and animals found in the park, the natural history of the Great Lakes, and the park's history. The center is open from May through October featuring park displays, an auditorium and an observation deck with a view of Lake Michigan.http://www.friendsofkohler-andrae.com/Sanderling%20Ctr..htm Friends of Kohler-Andrae State Park

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Nature centers in Wisconsin Protected areas of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin State parks of Wisconsin