KEWAUNEE, Wis. —  There’s an omni-present hum of snowmaking equipment at Winter Park near Kewaunee just days before the park is set to open.

What You Need To Know

  • Winter Park in Kewaunee will open for special winter break hours next week starting Tuesday
  • Crews have spent the better part of the last month preparing the park
  • Winter Park not only attracts local users, but also people from surrounding counties​

With a few abnormally warm days and not a lot of snow, Mother Nature hasn’t done much to help the natural snow making process along this year.

It’s been left to people like Mike Rosinsky and his coworkers with the Kewunee County parks department.

“Making snow might take a few weeks, mostly nights. A lot of days we can’t make snow,” he said just after adjusting one of the snow making machines. “Then we have to push all the snow around, that takes quite a few hours of the day when the temps allow.”

But they’ve made progress. The tubing hill is packed white with snow and  the ski and snowboarding runs are covered in a blanket of white.

“It takes a lot, a lot, of work. We’re a small tubing and skiing resort here so it takes lots of hours,” Rosinsky said.

It’s also a unique asset for the small community on Lake Michigan’s shoreline.

“It brings people from all over to the county. I see people from Brown County, Manitowoc, Door County and further out than that,” said Dave Myers, Kewaunee County’s Promotions and Recreation Director. “A lot of people who are home around the holidays come out here to try it out. For local people, it’s just something nice to get out and do.”

And all that work? Well, there’s a payoff for that, Myers said.

“Usually there are kids running out of the car ready to go. They want to get up on the hill and go tubing and have fun,” he said. “It’s good to see.” 

The work doesn’t let up once the park opens. That’s where Rosinsky said he could use a little help.

“Some weeks we’re running really long. If we get a nice cold snap and we want top be open by the weekend, we’re pushing pretty hard,” he said. “I wish Mother Nature would give us a good cold snap right now.”

Winter Park is open special winter break hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Thursday and Jan. 2 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Regular hours begin Jan. 8.

All dates and times are subject to change depending on weather.

Regular times and prices can be found on the county’s website: https://www.visitkewauneecounty.com/explore/parks-and-trails/winter-park-recreation/.