The first weekend in June, enjoy the outdoors in Wisconsin for free. Admission stickers are waived for state parks and forests, trail passes are waived for state bicycle and ATV trails, and no fishing licenses are needed to fish state waters.
People who camp at state parks still need to pay for their campsites.
June 6 is also National Trails Day and Wisconsin is celebrating 50 years of rail trails. Many trails are celebrating with organized hikes, rides or events. People can enjoy free access to state-owned and operated trails that normally require a trail pass for those 16 or older who want to bike, in-line skate or horseback ride. Find trails by searching the Department of Natural Resources website for “find a park” and find events by searching for “Get Outdoors,” and then select the calendar search function for June 6-7.
Many properties and their friends groups are offering special programming during Free Fun Weekend. Some properties are taking advantage of free fishing weekend by offer fishing clinics, including Governor Dodge, Harrington Beach, Hartman Creek and Merrick state parks and Richard Bong State Recreation Area, and a learn to fly fish program is being offered at the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest.
But people can fish anywhere in Wisconsin without a license or trout stamp on Free Fishing Weekend. This includes all inland waters and Wisconsin's side of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River. Other fishing rules apply, such as limits on the number and size of fish you can keep and any seasons when you must release certain fish species.
Additional free fishing activities taking place around the state can also be found by searching the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov, for keywords “free fishing weekend.”
Wisconsin law requires those who use Wisconsin ATV or UTV trails to display either Wisconsin registration or a Nonresident Trail Pass, but on free fun, ATV/UTV owners do not need to have their machines registered in Wisconsin and nonresidents do not need to have a trail pass on these days.