The Wisconsin Outdoor Recreation Inventory is a visionary project that created a robust catalog of outdoor recreation sites and activities across the state and provides public access to the data. Historically, there has been no single inventory of outdoor recreation offerings. Limited maps and data files have existed in various places, often housed on agency websites (state, county, municipality, etc.) or in crowd-sourced, activity-specific apps.
For the first time, this outdoor recreation data is available in one central location. The Wisconsin Office of Outdoor Recreation has collected over 70,000 geographic information systems (GIS) features for 12 key outdoor recreation categories from more than 120 partners to populate the Wisconsin Explorer Tool. From here, the public can access, explore and download this data for free. This innovative inventory tool makes outdoor recreation information readily available for businesses, organizations and communities to tap into the economic potential of outdoor recreation.
Explore the Inventory via the Wisconsin Explorer Tool
Browse the interactive map below for a snapshot of the current data available. Over time as additional data is shared, the number of outdoor recreation categories and the size of the overall inventory will continue to grow.
To launch the full Wisconsin Explorer Tool, where you can perform a detailed search and download the corresponding files for outdoor recreation sites and activities, please
click here. Your use and
feedback of the site will help inform the maintenance and future development of the Wisconsin Outdoor Recreation Inventory.
Click here to open the data portal or launch the Wisconsin Explorer Tool.
Wisconsin Outdoor Recreation Sites
For the best user exeperiece on desktop and mobile, launch the fully interactive tool. Click here to open the data portal or launch the Wisconsin Explorer Tool.
When was data added to the Tool and Inventory?
The Wisconsin Outdoor Recreation Inventory and Explorer Tool launched in June 2023 using data submitted from contributing organizations across the state and from the Wisconsin DNR. Data was added and updated in August 2024. Data reflected in the Tool and Inventory is as current as was provided to the Office of Outdoor Recreation. Please visit the authoritative data source for more information on when specific data was created. Efforts have been made on these applications to reflect the status provided to the Office.
This application may be updated annually; it is used for planning purposes only and on-the-ground conditions may have changed from when data was submitted to the Office.
How Can I Use the Tool?
This new and dynamic tool makes the growing inventory of data publicly accessible to communities, businesses and organizations for their use in a wide range of projects, including the following potential uses:
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building awareness of outdoor recreation opportunities
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promoting recreation destinations
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informing infrastructure, program development and funding prioritization
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and more.
Can I Add Data to the Inventory?
Yes! The Wisconsin Outdoor Recreation inventory is a growing collection. If you are interested in adding outdoor recreation sites and activities data to the inventory or providing an update to data already submitted, please use this form to share your data.
Frequently Asked Questions
To learn more, please read our FAQs.