Reforestation Camp 2026 06

This week my wife challenged me to find a good hike for National Hiking Day. So I thought we would finally visit the trails at the Brown County Reforestation Camp. We came to find out it was not as good of a choice as I thought.

Key Features

• Home to the NEW Zoo: The park completely surrounds the Northeastern Wisconsin (NEW) Zoo, a dynamic 43-acre facility. Visitors can explore natural habitat exhibits featuring lions, penguins, otters, and a popular giraffe-feeding platform, seamlessly transitioning from a hike in the woods to a zoo experience.
• Extensive Multi-Use Trail System: The camp features a sprawling network of intersection-mapped trails. It accommodates classic hiking and trail running alongside specialized pathways tailored to distinct seasonal and mechanical disciplines.
• Premier Mountain Biking (Single & Double Track): Cyclists have access to roughly 20 miles of dedicated mountain bike trails. This includes dedicated, winding single-track loops (like the Balsam, Hickory, and Poplar trails) designed to challenge riders with varying terrain, tree roots, and tight corners.
• Equestrian Trails: The park features a dedicated, designated horse trail loop (the Walnut trail). It offers riders a scenic, unpaved trek through the forested landscape completely separated from the high-speed bike traffic.
• Winter Grooming & Fat Biking: The park doesn’t close down when the snow flies. Trails are meticulously groomed for groomed fat tire biking and cross-country skiing (both traditional striding and skate skiing). Dedicated winter trail maps guide athletes through the snow-covered pines.
• Adventure Park & Ziplines: Located right near the zoo entrance, the Adventure Park features a multi-level aerial ropes course, a climbing wall, and a thrilling 1,000-foot dual racer zipline that sends riders flying over the tree canopy.
• Historic Fire Tower: A historical centerpiece of the park, the decommissioned lookout fire tower stands as a monument to early 20th-century forest management and conservation efforts in the region.
• Fishing Ponds & Wildlife Viewing: The terrain includes quiet, stocked fishing ponds and open wetland pockets. It is an excellent spot for local birdwatching, regular white-tailed deer sightings, and casual shore fishing.
• Pines Shelter & Picnic Areas: For gatherings, the park offers the Pines Shelter—an enclosed rental facility with electricity and a kitchen—alongside expansive open-air picnic areas equipped with grills, playgrounds, and restrooms perfect for base camping a family day out.
• Direct Local Trail Connections: The Reforestation Camp acts as a northern recreational anchor for Brown County, connecting seamlessly to adjacent public lands and tracking close to regional snowmobile corridors, maximizing its utility for long-distance outdoor treks.

Review

The Brown County Reforestation Camp is most likely better known for the New Zoo. Situated in the Reforestation Camp the zoo draws people from all over northeast Wisconsin. What drew us yesterday though was the extensive trail system around the zoo.

When we arrived at the campground parking lot we found something we had not expected. Dozens of mountain bikers were preparing for a race on the trails. A couple dozen awnings for vendors were set up around the parking lot and at the trail head.

We briefly considered our options, when an announcement telling the bicyclists that a meeting would be held prior to the race. So we knew that we would have some time on the trails before the race began. So we started our hike.

We chose to hike the Pine Trail since that trail was shorter and would allow us to complete our hike without interrupting the bicyclists. This trail was 1.9 miles long, though trails snaked back and fourth through the Reforestation Camps grounds making a much longer hike possible.

The trail lead passed marshy lowlands and through wooded hills. The trails were comprised of grassy, sandy, and gravel sections.

The bugs were out though. The marshy areas were breeding grounds for mosquitos. We anticipated the bugs so we sprayed ourselves with bug spray before we started the hike. A few were brave enough to find a spot we missed though.

The bugs were not the only thing that bothered us on our hike though. The mountain bikers were very loud. Any chance we would see anything other than bugs were scared away by their presence.

We finished our hike on the Pine Trail and returned to our car. Unsatisfied with our hike we decided to do another short hike around the Trout Stream Learning trail. This trail was off of the Zoo’s main parking lot and followed Haller Creek.

On that trail we were able to get some photos of birds and frogs. There were also no bicyclists, which made Trout Stream trail a much nicer hike.

My wife and I decided that we need to revisit the Reforestation Camp again soon. However next time we are going to go in the fall when the bugs are gone. And we will definitely try to find a schedule of events to make sure there are no Bicycle Races to interfere with our hike.

If you’re looking for a close hike, or are looking for something to do after visiting the zoo, consider hiking the trails in the Reforestation Camp. Thanks again for visiting the site. I hope you enjoyed the pictures and feel free to leave a message below.