Lizard Mound County Park - West Bend

The last visit I made to this park was when my kids were much, much younger.  Back then, there really wasn't much written about it and am relieved that others have managed to pick up this particular yoke of responsibility, especially since my extended affair with photography.

Lizard Mound County Park is a location I plan on revisiting for it's planted letterbox called Don't Bug Me.

A bit of history as borrowed from Wikipedia and the Washington County Website:

Native Americans we now know as the Effigy Mound Builders lived in Wisconsin and bordering states between 700 and 1200
A.D.  These Native Americans built mounds
shaped like mammals, reptiles, birds and other creatures both real and mythical. The custom of building effigy burial mounds died out about 800 years ago; it was a custom unique to this general area. Unfortunately, very little else is known about the Mound Indians. Even Native Americans who lived in Wisconsin when the first European settlers arrived didn't know why, or by whom, the mounds were built

The range of Effigy Mound Builders extend from Dubuque, Iowa, north into southeast Minnesota, across southern Wisconsin from the Mississippi to Lake Michigan, and along the Wisconsin-Illinois boundary. The counties of Dubuque, Clayton, and Allamakee contain almost all the effigy mounds found in Iowa.   Along the Mississippi River in northeast Iowa and across the river in southwest Wisconsin, two major animal mound shapes seem to prevail: the bear and the bird. Near Lakes Michigan and Winnebago, water spirit earthworks—historically called turtle and panther mounds—are more common.

PLEASE NOTE:  Some of Washington County's Parks now charge park admission fees

Lizard Mound County part is NOT one that charges this fee, even though the link to purchase a pass is on the Lizard Mound Park Page - the reason is to encourage residents/visitors to support the park system, even when it's not a monitored park.

Wheretofind: 2121 County Hwy A, West Bend, WI  53090.   Located in the Town of Farmington.  From Main Street in West Bend, take Main Street North towards Barton.   From Barton, take Hwy 144 North about 2-1/2 miles to County Hwy A and turn right and the park entrance is about a quarter mile.  (trail map)

What to Expect:  A wooded area with a well worn hiking path (about a mile) and Effigy Mounds, wheelchair accessible picnic area, drinking fountain.  An interpretive center and lesson plans on how to think like an archeologist.  LETTERBOXING LOCATION!