roche-a-cri state park

Jutting out of the landscape, this bluff offers a great break in the scenery. And for a smaller state park, there are a number of things to capture the attention! Driving around the ring road, the first thing you will come to is the towering rock wall full of petroglyphs, and, unfortunately, other graffiti. But you still get the chance to see some ancient rock carvings/drawings. Further down the road, you'll get to the stairway up to the observation area. It's a hefty 300+ stair climb, but at the right time of year, it's a stunning view from above! My favorite time to see it is during the changing colors of autumn. If you go during the summer, it's a nice view of the surrounding farmland, but very green overall, and not too terribly fascinating.Just to the south of the park, is a road called Czech Ave. This road has a secondary entrance to the park. You'll need to have already purchased your entry, as there is no ranger station here, but this second entrance has a trail leading through a field, going into the forest surrounding the bluff. It has, I think, the best view of the rock wall, itself.

We recently visited the state park with our elementary aged kids. The park has numerous camp sites with picnic tables and fire rings. There are bathrooms, water facility, trails and a cold cold river to wade in.... Also, don't miss the 304 stairs that lead to a beautiful view!!!! A great way to spend a few hours exploring at a very nominal cost ($5 entry fee, I believe).

Visited purposely to see the petroglyphs. Being an out of state (WI) resident, I needed to pay a fee of $5 for an hour, or $10 for the day. The petroglyph was amazing! Great history. Beautiful view from the top observation deck. Nice park. Beautiful sights. The $10 to visit for more than an hour would have been well spent, too. I plan to go back some day. Camping is also available here.

The park recently rebuilt the stairway to the top of Roche A Cri Rock, from which you get a spectacular view of eastern Adams county. The nature and animal life there are abundant and the rangers who oversee the park are friendly and knowledgable.

A very tall rock formation left by the glaciers. Old Indian art left on the rock. Then a 300+ stair climb to the top which ends with a fantastic view over farmland, water, and more.

Roche-A-Cri is a great place to spend your day. The hiking is great and the mound staircase has recently been rebuilt. If you are into Geocaching, this park will keep you busy all day long! I visit frequently to run on the trails. The campground looks lovely, although I have not been camping there yet. This is a small, but beautiful park!

At first the park seemed small with not a lot to offer, but we really enjoyed the variety of hiking trails available. Be sure to bring bug spray!

Roche-A-Cri is well worth a visit on foot or by car. There is a standard charge of (I think) $9 per car for a day pass to the State Parks, unless you have a season ticket.It is one of those places that covers all bases. You can have a great family picnic and walk, or if less-mobile can observe from the comfort of your motor vehicle. There is a lot of nature to be observed here, from the managed grasslands and wetlands and their attendant bird population to the tall trees and geological anomalies that are the glacial islands.There is history and pre-history here. The Indian carvings and paintings are said to be thousands of years old, but there are also some rock carvings from soldiers in the American Civil War. Those are seen from a low part of the main rock, which involves walking up a few steps. For the more ambitious, there is the climb to the very top of the rock, which affords majestic views over much of central Wisconsin.