Powers Bluff County Park

At 1,472 feet Powers Bluff is the 13th highest point of elevation in the State of Wisconsin. There is a 1.5 mile self-guided nature trail. Seventy of the 150 acre Powers Bluff County Park is a designated State Natural Area   The Park is known for spectacular springtime wildflowers with an abundance of trilliums.

Winter sports include cross-country and downhill skiing, snowboarding, and tubing. A two-story stone shelter building serves as a warming house, which can be reserved during the summer and winter season. A concession operates during park hours when open for recreation.

Three trails are available with lengths of 1,320 ft., 1,410 ft. and 1,500 ft. Two ropes are operated, one for skiing and one for tubing. The estimated vertical drop is 250 ft. Skis, boots, and poles for downhill skiing are available for rental in the concession area.

An area west of the shelter building has been provided for tubing. A tube is provided when visitors purchase a tube hill ticket. No outside tubes are allowed, and only one person per tube is permitted. It is recommended that a parent or guardian provide supervision for children.

During the 2002-2003 season two handle tow lifts were installed to replace the tube tow rope. This improvement was intended to avoid delays waiting for the tow and to provide additional riding time. The tube hill has also been modified from three to four tube runs, with reshaping of two tube runs for a more thrilling ride.

Located within the park is the Skunk Hill Ceremonial Community, a Native American ceremonial site.  American Indians lived there until the 1930s, calling it Tah-qua-kik, or Skunk Hill. On July 2, 2002 Tah-qua-kik was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It served as a place where traditional values, practices, languages and ceremonials could be shared, preserved and celebrated. Hundreds of Prairie Band Potawatomi in Kansas resettled in Skunk Hill with their relatives to escape reservation life.  Eventually, they became known as the Skunk Hill tribe and lived with other nations such as the Ho-Chunk, Menominee and Chippewa.  There are 80 acres to the south that are  registered as a  State Historical Site. Indian dance rings and burial grounds are preserved here.

Sources: Wood County, Wisconsin Official Website