Last year, during some of the worst storms in history, Wildcat Mountain State Park’s trails suffered damage that rendered some segments of the Hemlock Trail in dire need of reconstruction.

A volunteer group of trail workers from the American Hiking Society is scheduled to come Sept. 16-20, to work with the Wildcat Park staff and local volunteers to reroute, repair and reestablish these segments of the Hemlock Trail. The Hemlock Trail meanders to the very top of Mt. Pisqah and offers a spectacular view of the area.

Wildcat Park staff would like people to join them. In addition to needing extra people to help on the trail, people are needed to help prepare meals for the trailworkers and show them around the area. The goal is to use this project as the genesis to establish a Friends of Wildcat Mountain State Park group.

Of Wisconsin’s 120-plus state parks, trails, forests and wildlife refuges, about 75 have friends groups who provide support and assistance to them. This help manifests itself in many different ways, depending on the needs of the park and the skills of the members of the friends groups. Some examples of the work that Friends groups have provided, include:

- Naturalist and education programs.

- Special events to engender a love for and knowledge of the outdoors for children and their families and visitors.

- Handicapped accessible cabins.

- Wildlife gardens.

- Picnic shelters.

- Playground areas.

- Trail maintenance and grooming.

- Community outreach.

- New nature centers and improvements to existing nature centers.

At Wildcat Mountain, there is an immediate and ongoing need for assistance with the trails. There have also been some who have expressed an interest in restoring the house by the park office in which former park superintendents used to live.

Others would like to see improvements in the nature center and a new playground area for children.

Wildcat Mountain is among the state park jewels and is booked solid every weekend in the summer camping season. To meet this demand for campsites, it is creating 20 new walk-in campsites.

Anyone who would like to learn more about participating in developing a new Friends group and the volunteer opportunities available at Wildcat Mountain State Park, may contact Frankie Fuller, campground host, at (608) 445-0809 or frankie10@charter.net.