Park Pass Information for Sauk County, Wisconsin and National

Sauk County Park Pass 2024

If you are a resident of Sauk County and an honorably discharged veteran who uses or visits the Sauk County parks & boat landings, you are eligible for ONE free Sauk County park sticker every year.

Free Veterans stickers are issued at our office to verify eligibility. If you are established with our office stop in and confirm your information. If you have not been to our office we will need to verify your military service and proof of residency.  If you would like this benefit, please stop by our office with proof of residency & your DD214.

This annual pass must be adhered to the lower left inside of windshield in order to be valid.  Any questions contact the Sauk County Parks Department 

If you would like another pass please contact the County Clerk or the Sauk County Parks Department at (608) 355-4800 or parks.rec@saukcountywi.gov they are $25. We hope you enjoy the parks here in our county.

The Sauk County Annual Pass is Valid at the following locations:

• Lake Redstone County Park
• White Mound County Park
• The 3 boat landings on Lake Redstone (Fox Court, North End, & Section11)
• Dutch Hollow LaValle boat landing
• Woodland Boat landing on Dutch Hollow
• Summer Oaks Boat landing on Lake Wisconsin
• See the list of all 14 locations for our Parks

Due to the County's cost to issue these, we ask that you only get this sticker if you plan to use it.

WI State Park Pass Info 

DISABLED VET/FORMER POW (Updated June 2024)

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wishes to thank our military service members who have fought for our freedoms and preserving some of Wisconsin's most precious pastime traditions. We would like to show our veterans our appreciation by extending some privileges that may make it easier for them to enjoy those past times.

Certain Wisconsin resident disabled veterans and former prisoners of war are eligible to receive waivers of vehicle admission and trail pass fees. To apply for this fee waiver, follow the instructions below.

See your County Veteran Service Officer (CVSO) to certify. The application must be signed and stamped by the CVSO.

Wisconsin has 4 different Disabled Passes/Card/Authorizations

• Wisconsin Resident Disabled Veteran Spring Turkey Harvest Authorization ($10) -Receiving disability compensation benefits due to a disability rating of 50% or greater for a service-connected disability or is individually unemployable.
• Wisconsin Resident Disabled Veteran Recreation Card ($7) -Receiving disability compensation benefits due to a disability rating of at least 50% or greater for a service-related disability or is individually unemployable
• Wisconsin Resident Disabled Veteran Fishing License ($3) -Receiving disability compensation benefits due to a disability rating of at least 70% or greater for a service-related disability, is individually unemployable or is receiving non-service related VA pension benefits
• Wisconsin Resident Disabled Veteran or Former POW Park Admission Card (FREE) -At least 70% disabled, service related OR former POW

The Bureau of Parks and Recreation will mail you an identification card to be presented each time you visit a state park, forest or recreation area. The park, forest or recreation area will then issue a courtesy pass for the day. When using state trails requiring a trail pass, carry the identification card with you.

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/permits/veterans.html

ARMED FORCES

Wisconsin law extends many privileges for hunting, fishing and trapping to active members of the U.S. Armed Forces, Wisconsin National Guard or Reserves for both residents and nonresidents. Different sections of Wisconsin statutes authorize these privileges, each with their own qualifications. To learn more, see Armed Forces hunting privileges. https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/permits/military.html

RETURNING VETS

2013 Wisconsin Act 20 authorizes recently returning Wisconsin resident veterans to receive a one-time free small game, archery, gun deer or annual fishing license. Veterans who wish to receive a free hunting or fishing license must first contact the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) to determine their eligibility for this program. Eligible veterans will receive a voucher code that may be redeemed at the DNR within 365 days of discharge. Voucher codes may be redeemed in one of two ways:

1. In person at any DNR Service Center, or
2. By calling the DNR Call Center at 1-888-WDNRINFO (1-888-936-7463) to receive your free license by mail or to arrange for pick up at any DNR Service Center.

Veteran's eligibility-related questions should be directed to the WDVA's Veterans Benefits Resource Center via web chat [exit DNR], email or phone 1-800-WIS-VETS (947-8387).

Veterans with a National Park Pass can access Devil's Lake State Park at no cost because a portion of the park is federally funded (the Ice Age Trail). We discovered through the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources that Veterans with the National Park Pass can also access these other amazing State Parks for free:

1. Kettle Moraine Northern Unit
2. Mill Bluff
3. Drumlin
4. Chippewa Moraine
5. Interstate
6. Horicon State Wildlife Refuge
7. Two Creeks Buried Forest
8. Cross Plains

Wisconsin PURPLE HEART Passes

Purple Heart medal recipients who exhibit proof they received a Purple Heart medal are authorized to receive the following benefits:

• Reduced license fee for the Conservation Patron license (Resident - $10, Nonresident - $161).
• Hunting, fishing and trapping approvals at resident rates for nonresident Purple Heart medal recipients
• A one-time transfer of a Class A Bear license. Visit awarded permit transfers for details.
• Eligible to purchase one spring turkey harvest authorization without being awarded a harvest authorization through the turkey drawing. Note: Not available if the Purple Heart medal recipient has already purchased a turkey harvest authorization awarded through the drawing.
• Eligible to submit an elk hunting application, whether a resident or nonresident.

To receive the above benefits, the Purple Heart recipient must provide documentation at a DNR Service Center. Once proof of having received a purple heart is verified at a DNR Service Center and recorded in the customer's record, the customer may purchase their reduced rate licenses at any of our more than 1,000 licensing agents and online.

Proof of having received a Purple Heart medal includes exhibiting one of the following original documents issued to the resident or nonresident with the Purple Heart medal listed:

• DD-214, the Department of Defense "Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty" form issued to every serviceperson who has separated from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corp or Coast Guard
• DD-215, Department of Defense form used to make corrections or add omissions to the original DD-214
• DA-199, official document of separation from military branch
• DA Form 4037, Officer Record Brief (ORB) or Enlisted Record Brief (ERB) - for those still in active service.

Residents may present certified copies of their DD-214 or DD-215 from the National Archives and Records Administration , County Veterans Service Officers, Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, or County Clerk. Nonresidents may present certified copies of their DD-214 or DD-215 from the National Archives and Records Administration, their state veterans agency, or County Clerk.

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/permits/veterans.html

National Park Passes

For purposes of this program, a veteran is identified as "an individual who has served in the US Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserves and is able to present one of the following forms of identification to get the Interagency Military Lifetime Pass," when entering a national park:

• Unexpired Department of Defense Identification Card (DD Form 2, DD Form 2765, or Next Generation USID replacement)
• Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
• Veteran ID Card
• Veterans designation on a state-issued US driver’s license or identification card

Gold Star Families are described by the USGS website as "next of kin of a member of the US Armed Forces who lost his or her life in a qualifying situation, such as a war, an international terrorist attack, or a military operation outside of the United States while serving with the US Armed Forces. Eligibility requirements are in section 3.2 of Department of Defense Instruction 1348.36."

Before visiting a national park site, "Gold Star Family members must download and print a voucher to present to park staff, exchange for an Interagency Military Lifetime Pass, or place on the vehicle dashboard at unstaffed sites."

The easiest way to obtain your Lifetime Pass, is to head online and pay the $10 document processing & handling fee, so that you don't need to visit a National Park location to obtain the pass. You can also come by our office fill out the application and we can send it in with all the required information. Please call our office at 608-355-3260 find out what you need before coming in. 

Look for your next adventure in one of our amazing National Parks! 

Find a Park Link: https://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm