High Cliff is the only state-owned recreational area on Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin's largest lake. The park has a marina, historic sites, a campground, picnic areas and shelters, a beach, watchable wildlife, an observation tower, and play areas. Many facilities are accessible for people with disabilities.

High Cliff gets its name from the limestone cliff of the Niagara Escarpment, which parallels the eastern shore of Lake Winnebago. This ledge extends northeasterly to the Door County peninsula and on to Niagara Falls, New York.

From the vantage point of the cliff, and especially from the 40-foot observation tower, you can see the cities of Appleton, Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha, and Kaukauna.

A 125-acre area within the 1,147-acre park is designated as a state natural area, recognizing its excellent cliff environments, an undisturbed wet-mesic forest, and more than a mile of Lake Winnebago shoreline. Effigy mounds are important archaeological features.

Things to Do
Picnicking: High Cliff has four picnic areas with tables, grills, water, and rest rooms. Three open-air shelters and an enclosed pavilion may be reserved for a fee.

Nature programs: Naturalist-guided hikes and programs are offered from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. The general store museum/nature center is open from 1 to 5 p.m. on weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day. High Cliff offers educational field trips for groups, by reservation, during the fall, winter, and spring.

Watchable wildlife: The most common mammals observed here are fox and gray squirrels, raccoons, skunks, opossums, deer, and woodchucks, 13-striped ground squirrels, chipmunks, mice, shrews, and bats. Present, but rarely seen, are red fox, weasels, and mink.

High Cliff is a premier area to watch the warbler migration in the spring. A bird brochure is available at the park office.

Play: High Cliff has a volleyball court, ball diamonds, and play equipment.

How to Get There
High Cliff State Park is 9 miles east of Menasha on State Highway 114. (From Menasha, Highway 114 starts as US Highway 10 and branches off to the southeast.) Turn south off Highway 114 at State Park Road and go about 2 miles to the park entrance.

To reach the park from the south, take US Highway 151 north from Fond du Lac about 18 miles. Continue north on Wisconsin Highway 55 to about 2 miles beyond Sherwood. Turn south on Pigeon Road and go about 1.5 miles to the park entrance.