Lion's Den Gorge Nature Preserve is a 73-acre public park located in

Ozaukee County Ozaukee County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 91,503. Its county seat is Port Washington, making it one of three Wisconsin counties on Lake Michigan not to have a county seat with the same ...

, Wisconsin, running adjacent to

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 ...

for 0.7 miles near the village of Grafton and city of Port Washington. It was purchased by the county in 2002 from a private property owner and borders a 44-acre

United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

waterfowl production area. The gorge was named after an animal that had escaped from the Milwaukee County zoo and spent several nights in the area. It features over 1.5 miles of gravel and boardwalk trails through white cedar and hardwood forests, wetlands, and Lion's Den Gorge, with some sections of trails offering views of Lake Michigan from atop the nearly 100 foot tall bluffs. Following the "Lion's Den Trail" from the main parking lot takes one all the way through the park, down through the gorge, and finally to the lakeshore. Fishing, hiking, birdwatching, and picnicking are popular activities in the park, and the park contains several diverse habitats for native wildflowers, trees, migratory birds, waterfowl, amphibians and mammals.Lions's Den Gorge Natural Preserve
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Photo gallery

File:Bluff over Lake Michigan - Lion's Den Gorge Nature Preserve in Grafton Wisconsin.jpg, Lake Michigan from a hiking trail in the park

References

Protected areas of Ozaukee County, Wisconsin Parks in Wisconsin Protected areas established in 2002 2002 establishments in Wisconsin {{OzaukeeCountyWI-geo-stub