High Cliff State Park dedicates first ADA accessible playground

SHERWOOD, Wis. (WBAY) - High Cliff State Park officially dedicated its new ADA accessible playground in the Upper Park area on Wednesday.

The playground that opened in May of 2021, was made possible thanks to the Friends of High Cliff State Park, the Nelson Family, The Community Foundation of the Fox Cities, and many organizations and individuals who donated time, talents, and funds to complete facilities.

Donations also covered the cost of the newly renovated accessible bathroom and accessible water fountain.

“There was a lot of time and effort that went into planning it, in raising the funds for it. and then actually putting in the work to make it all happen,” Paul Stelter, the president of the Friends of High Cliff State Park said.

The playground includes soft flooring, accessible swings, pavement to all facilities, accessible park benches, and wheelchair access next to benches.

Cher Barabeau with the Friends of High Cliff said this accessible addition is just one piece of a bigger initiative to make the state park more accessible.

“You just think about how you would feel if you didn’t have access to these. And realize hey! We have to do something,” Barabeau said.

In the past, the park worked to make Butterfly Pond more accessible with wider trails and accessible fishing spots. The park has also added ramp-accessible cabins within the park.

Moving forward they hope to add more pavement to the Upper Park so that people can easily move from the playground to the Red Bird trail, the Red Bird Statue, and the tower.

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