Horicon Wildlife Area

The Horicon Marsh Education & Visitor Center is located on the south side of Horicon Marsh on Hwy 28 between Horicon and Mayville. Open daily, Center hours are: weekdays 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, weekends 10:00 am to 5:00 pm year-round (with the exception of major holidays.)

Recreational Opportunities

Horicon Marsh is your destination for a variety of recreational opportunities.

  • Wildlife observation
  • Photography
  • Hiking trails including 1400 ft. boardwalk
  • Geocaching
  • Paddling
  • Fishing
  • Educational programs
  • Guided tours
  • Bicycling
  • Snowshoeing
  • Cross country skiing
  • In season waterfowl, deer and upland game hunting
  • Discover Dodge County Tourism – Lodging, camping, dining and other local recreation and events information
  • Canoe and kayak rental for use on the Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area as well as guided boat tour information may be found at Horicon Marsh Boat Tours. This business is located in the city of Horicon.
  • There are two other visitor centers located at Horicon Marsh in addition to the Education and Visitor Center: Horicon National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center on Highway Z and Marsh Haven Nature Center (private non-profit) on Highway 49.

Get Directions to the Marsh

Horicon Marsh Statistics

  • Horicon Marsh covers 32,000 acres
  • The Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area covers 11,000 acres, http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/lands/wildlifeareas/horicon/
  • The Horicon National Wildlife Refuge covers 21,000 acres in the northern marsh section, http://refuges.fws.gov/profiles/index.cfm?id=32520
  • A Wetland of International Importance (designation June 29, 1991) www.ramsar.org
  • A Globally Important Bird Area www.abcbirds.org/ibal/
  • The nine units of the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve (IANSR) http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/iareserve.html
  • 12,000 years of Native American pre-history recorded at the Marsh
  • More than 500,000 annual visitors to the Marsh
  • Over 62 scientific delegations have visited from 39 foreign countries
  • More than 290 species of birds have been observed at the Marsh
  • Over four miles of hiking trails available to visitors
  • Located within a three hour drive of more than 12 million potential visitors